Michael spent his formative years in rural Montana, surrounded by the land, the people, and the experiences that small town America provided. Having discovered an initial inclination toward figurative painting, he favors a candid view of his subjects. As a rule, Michael Blessing is drawn to strong compositions, vibrant color, and bold lines. His figurative work and paintings of vintage Western nostalgia are widely appealing, often reminiscent of classic Americana, and have an edgy quality that is both contemporary and timeless. Michael’s work has been featured in various publications, including Western Art & Architecture, Big Sky Journal, Montana Quarterly and Western Art Collector, and his paintings have won Awards of Excellence from both Western Art Collector and Southwest Art Magazines. He
is also the recipient of the BOLDBRUSH Award for April, 2016. Solo Exhibitions:
‘Solo Show of Figurative Work’, Old Main Gallery, Bozeman MT, August 2017
‘Reflections Of Montana’, Old Main Gallery, Bozeman MT, July 2016
‘Neon West’, Coila Evans Art Gallery, Roundup MT, July 2015
‘Contemporary West’, U.S Bank, Butte MT, August 2012
Selected Group Exhibitions:
2017 Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale, Denver CO
2016 Maxwell Alexander Black Friday Exhibition, Los Angeles CA
2016 Headline Artist, Traveling The West Art Show & Sale, TBA
2016 Cheyenne Frontier Days Western Art Show & Sale, Cheyenne WY
2016 Whitefish Invitational Art Show, Quick Finish Artist, Whitefish MT
2016 C.M. Russell Museum Art Auction, Great Falls MT
2016 First Strike Friday Night Auction, C.M. Russell Museum, Great Falls MT
2016 Art In Action Artist, C.M. Russell Museum, Great Falls MT
2015 Mountain Oyster Club 46th Annual Contemporary Western Art Show & Sale, Tuscon AZ
2015 “Rebels & Renegades” Split Solo Show, Betsy Swartz Fine Art, Bozeman MT
2015 Traveling The West Art Show & Sale, Dallas,TX
2015 “Rust and Dust” Invitational Split Solo Show, Clymer Museum, Ellensburg WA
2015 Heart of the West Art Auction, Coeur D’Alene ID
2015 Calgary Stampede Western Art Live Auction, Quick Draw Artist, Calgary AB, Canada
2015 Whitefish Invitational Art Show, Whitefish MT
2015 “Ride On In”, Invitational Show, St. George Art Museum, St. George UT
2015 Out West Art Show & Sale, Great Falls MT
2015 C.M. Russell First Strike Friday Night Auction, Great Falls MT
2015 Art In Action Artist, C.M. Russell Museum, Great Falls MT
2015 Western Spirit Art Show & Sale, Old West Museum, Cheyenne WY
2014 62nd Annual Sausalito Art Festival, Sausalito CA
2014 Western Art Collector Award of Excellence, ICONS of the West, Missoula MT
2014 Innovators, Inventors and Entrepreneurs, Hockaday Museum of Art, Kalispell MT
2014 First Strike Friday Night Auction, C.M. Russell Museum, Great Falls MT
2014 Western Masters Art Show & Sale, Great Falls, MT
2013 Invitational Show, Form, Figure & Function, Waterworks Art Museum, Miles City MT
2013 Western Masters Art Show and Sale, Great Falls MT
2012 Juried Exhibition, Western Design Conference, Jackson Hole WY Awards:
2016 Boldbrush Award April
2016 second place figurative division, Mondial Art Academy
2015 Best In Show 2D, Art Across Montana, WaterWorks Art Museum
2015 Public Art Installation, Big Sky Montana
2015 Award of Excellence, Southwest Art Magazine, Western Spirit Art Show
2015 Public Art Installation, Downtown Billings Montana
2014 Award of Excellence, Western Art Collector Magazine, ICONS of the West
2014 SIG Grant, Montana Arts Council
2013 Public Art Installation, Downtown Bozeman Montana
Publications:
Western Art & Architecture, ‘The Contemporary West In Harmony’, August 2015
Big Sky Journal Arts Issue, ‘Creative Business’, July 2015
Western Art Collector, ‘Technicolor Connections’, June 2014
Montana Quarterly Magazine, ‘Distilled Life’, Summer 2006
Education:
2014 Painting Workshop, Robert Moore, Declo, ID
2012 MAP coaches certification, Montana Arts Council
2012 MAP certification, Montana Arts Council
2012 Oil mentorship, Josh Elliot, Helena Montana
2003 Painting Workshop, Peggy Kroll, Federicksburg TX
2002 Pencil Drawing Mentorship, Ralph Weigman, Bozeman MT
Representation:
Huey’s Fine Art, Santa Fe NM
K. Newby Gallery, Tubac AZ
Old Main Gallery, Bozeman MT
Coila Evans Art Gallery, Roundup MT
Selected Collections:
Triple Creek Ranch, Darby MT
Corporate Installation, Denver CO
Spur Cross Ranch, Bozeman MT
Waterworks Art Museum, Miles City MT