Michelle Haapala is a high school art educator who facilitates young adults in experimenting, re- imagining, documenting, and maintaining their artistic practice amidst the anxious world. Authenticity and practicality are at the forefront of her teaching philosophy. She has 8 years experience in K-12 classrooms and art museum spaces. In her own artwork, Michelle explores the urge to belong, and strives to connect her teaching practice to her creative work through marks, findings, images, arrangement and assemblage. Her future work within Skep Space will involve whimsical mappings built for research towards her masters degree. Michelle’s work is rooted in embracing childhood marks, wacky improvisation, and an unlearning of traditional creative methods.
Michelle holds a BA in Art Education and a BFA in Printmaking from Grand Valley State University. She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Social Innovation from Grand Valley State University. She loves tomatoes, every flavor of kettle chip, chick peas, film photography, and thrifting.
