Opening Reception: Fri., Oct. 17, 5-8 pm

Michael Miller is a multi-talented artist whose artwork includes painting, drawing, woodwork, and music. He began his career studying cabinetmaking at the Milwaukee Trade and Technical High School. From there Michael went on to study fine art at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee receiving both his BFA and MA in Painting and Drawing. After receiving his master’s degree in 1991 Michael taught art at both the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and The Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. Michael’s artwork often merges his background in cabinetmaking with his practice of painting and drawing. 

Michael has exhibited with Gallery A (Chicago), Tory Folliard Gallery (Milwaukee), Gallery Pink (Oak Park), as well as other galleries, art spaces, and universities. In recent years he has been invited to exhibit his work in group shows at Hairpin Arts Center, ARC, Oak Park Arts League, and SoNa Chicago Contemporary Art.

Michael worked as lead carpenter and exhibit installer at the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership and eventually became Operations Manager and Facility Manager there, a position he held until 2016. He currently is a freelance exhibit designer, builder, and installer and he continues his own art practice in his home studio in Oak Park, IL. Michael has vast knowledge of a variety of materials, at times grinding his own pastels to achieve the color palette he wants. He also regularly uses found objects and reused materials, both as an act of conservation and for the aesthetic.

Michael’s focus is often on supporting other artists, using his skills in art construction and installation to help them realize their own vision. He wrote, “I have been very fortunate that much of my working life has been spent creatively in the service of, and alongside many other amazing and talented individuals. As a woodworker and furniture builder, an art instructor, or as an exhibition designer/builder, creating and installing exhibitions for museums and galleries, I have had the opportunity to share ideas, problem solve countless issues, and explore a multitude of materials, all while expanding personal horizons of art making.”

SoNa Chicago is proud to share Michael’s recent work in a solo show. The show includes recent works that reflect themes he has explored over his years as an artist such as the preciousness of the environment, valuing community, and working together to achieve positive change. His work in A Measure of Time features landscapes, wood sculptures, an interactive puzzle installation, banners, and other works. 

Michael is a self-taught musician; he builds acoustic resonator guitars using found objects and recycled materials. Several of his guitars are featured in the exhibition. 

Image: Landscape 7, oil, ink, pencil, and shellac, on book board,  20.5"h x 26”w, 2024