Mikel Frank

July 2023’s Featured Artist

Artist Bio:

Experienced artist professional, who has dedicated his life to studying, teaching, and working in the arts. His passion for art was compounded by his 29-year tenure at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. He moved to Charlotte, NC in 2015, taught art at two local colleges, was in the class of 2021 ArtPop Street Gallery, and is a member of Global Art Project.  He is a board member of the Guild of Charlotte Artists and has a studio at the VAPA Center. This exhibition along with solo work, displays Frank’s love of collaboration. Many of the works displayed were done with other artists or with frags.

Artist Statement:

When I was 10 years old my mother’s painting teacher asked me to model for her evening painting class. I was amazed at how each artist painted a very different version of me. Witnessing the creative process firsthand convinced me that this was something I wanted to learn. From that day on I wanted to be an artist. Many of my recent works are mixed media collages. I will use non-objective forms, marks, and space to create a picture based on my own personal aesthetic and what I see in nature and life. Other times I create a narrative arranging found, recognizable images from different sources, juxtaposing them to create a metaphorical allusion or visual illusion. It is important for me to make connections in my art. Connections that I hope will move the viewer to see things differently. Collaboration is an important part of my art making process as well. I enjoy working with other artists to create artworks that literally respond to the creative energy or vision of another creative. It can be cathartic and inspirational. It forces me to see things in a new way. It creates a “thirdartist” that is activated by the collaborative synergy.

I often quote Picasso to sum up how I feel about art:
“Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth.”