Studio 414 – Art Farm

Michael was born in Michigan, where as a child he would watch squirrels from the front window. This is where his love for animals and desire to become a veterinarian began. But, after discovering he was allergic to everything with fur, he shifted to pursuing an artistic career. He studied art at the Columbus College of Art & Design, with an emphasis in lithography and painting. Upon graduating from CCAD, he packed up a U-Haul and drove across the country to the Bay Area. He has lived in San Francisco for over the past 20 years and hasn’t found a good reason to leave. Braunstein/Quay Gallery in San Francisco represented Michael for 10 years, but since their closure, he has been on the lookout for new gallery representation.

Making art is how Michael makes sense of the world and his forgotten childhood. Observing his own anxieties and awkwardness, he creates visual narratives that examine loneliness, responsibility, and choice. His work uses the innocence and vulnerability of children and animals to create a vocabulary layered with those of his own narrative. The stories unfold in the space between memory and nostalgia, and focus on the tension between youth and maturity.

If not in his studio, you can find Michael working at his coffee shop in the Mission District, dancing, or playing light sabers with his family.

michaelmcconnellart.com
poopingrabbit.com