Richard Michaels is Featured Artist for May
Richard Michaels will be exhibiting his paintings in the public area of TD Banknorth, 271 Main Street, Great Barrington for the month of May. Each month, a different member of the Housatonic Valley Art League is selected as the featured artist.Michaels discovered painting in 1996, and since then has studied with Margot Trout, and other Berkshire artists Stephen Dietemann, and Kate Knapp. Beginning in the late nineties, his landscapes and still life paintings have been exhibited various galleries in the Berkshires, New York State, and Maine. He has also taught art classes to seniors at Melbourne Place, Pittsfield, MA between 1998 and 2005.
Always attracted to art as well as the social sciences which led to an interest in architecture, upon graduation from the RPI School of Architecture, in addition to working as an architectural designer, Michael’s life took an unexpected turn. His practice of yoga and meditation led him to become a founding member of Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in the small village of Sumneytown, PA, where the organization began. Kripalu eventually moved to Lenox, MA, and grew to be one of the largest holistic health centers in the world.
At the end of 1995, Michaels left Kripalu, and co-founded Lifeworks East-West, teaching seminars on personal, spiritual, and professional development throughout North America where his work with individuals and groups continued to grow. Michaels is currently a Master Certified Coach and Gestalt Therapist and in 2005, co-founded Coaching That Works, offering coaching training and services to individuals, groups, and organizations.
Painting has been an integral part of Michael’s professional, as well as personal life, over the past twelve years. “Painting increases my connection to myself, the environment, my intuition, and my love for life. I am grateful for that first day I walked into Margot Trout’s painting class and for the bountiful beauty of the Berkshires that has become more evident as the process of painting opens my eye and appreciation to see more and enjoy more.”
The Housatonic Valley Art League is a non-profit organization with nearly 200 members from the Berkshires and beyond. Besides sponsoring the annual scholarship show for high school seniors, the league holds workshops, critiques, and demos by nationally renowned art educators, and juried/member art exhibits in the summer and fall. Information about the art league is available at www.hvart.org or P.O. Box 296, Great Barrington, MA 01230.
