Michelle Neifert, Because I’m Free, 2016, oil on canvas
Michelle Neifert was born and raised in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. She attended Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a BFA in Printmaking in 1993. Michelle has also continued her education at both the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the Baum School of Art. At 27, Michelle was diagnosed and hospitalized during an educational trip to Italy. This event marked a turning point in her life. In the following years, Michelle has explored her diagnosis in both her work and her exploration of spirituality. Over the years, she has served as a mentor to younger individuals struggling with their treatment, stigma, personal acceptance, and the pursuit of balance.
Her personal thoughts and views based on her experiencing the world through the Bipolar lens frequently drive both introspection and exploration of the nature of existence itself into her art as subject. Recently, Michelle has begun pursuing her dream of both expanding her audience and making her artwork more accessible by working with the Canadian company Le Galeriste to design her work on ethically created fashion. She has plans in the near future of creating products to raise money for the International Rescue Committee, Doctors Without Borders, World Central Kitchen, and Planned Parenthood. Michelle has exhibited her work nationally and is firmly established in her local arts community as both a creator and source of support.