Michelle
Vest
© Anne Staveley 2009
contact information:
email:
michellevest@gmail.com
cel: 505.690.2540
1519 upper canyon road
santa fe, nm 87501
site design
by michelle vest
© 2009 michelle vest
Resumé | Biography
Education
1986-1990
B.A., Philosophy and Mathematics,
St. John's College, Santa Fe, NM
1990 - 1991
Photography, Sculpture, Medieval and Renaissance Art History
Studio Arts Center International, Florence, Italy
2000-2001
Movement-based Expressive Arts Education
Tamalpa Institute, Kentfield, CA
2004
Painting
Pfeffer Studio, Santa Fe, NM
Theatre/Shows
Sole Survivors (Michelle, Playwright, Performer):
N4th Theater, Albuquerque, NM, August 2009
Stage Left Studio, New York, NY, March/April and June 2009
Women at Work Festival, New York City, NY, October 2008
Philadelphia Fringe Festival, Philadelphia, PA, September 2008
Artomatic, Washington, D.C., June 2008
Center for Contemporary Arts, Oscillate/Osculate, Santa Fe, NM, February
2008
Santa Fe Performing Arts, Santa Fe, NM, October 2007
Mothering
Monologues (Tanya Taylor Rubinstein, Director):
Fundraiser for Many Mothers, SF Performing Arts, Santa Fe, 3/07
The Vagina Monologues (Eve Ensler, Playwright):
Fundraiser for Esperanza and Santa Fe Rape Crisis centers, 2/07
One Woman/Two Hearts (Michelle Vest, Writer,
Performer, Director):
Albuquerque, NM, April 2005
Plays Well with Others (Linda Rodeck, Director,
Performer):
Albuquerque, NM, December 2004
Sea Ranch Collective (Anna Halprin, Director):
Sea Ranch, CA, September 2001
Boo Thwak (Ruth Zaporah, Director, Performer):
Santa Fe, NM, October 2001
Exhibits
Painting: New Mexico Women in the Arts Juried Show, Museum of Fine Arts,
September 2005
Photography: Verve Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM, Emerging Artist's Show, May
2005
Photography: Art a la Carte, Santa Fe, NM, "Love and Passion",
February 2005
Photography: Heart Gallery, Gerald Peters Gallery, Santa Fe, NM, February
2004
Photography: The Teahouse, Santa Fe, NM January 2004
Photography: Heart Gallery, Gerald Peters Gallery, Santa Fe, NM September
2002
Photography: Rayko Photo Gallery, San Francisco, CA 1991-1996
Experience
1995 - currently
Photographer and Photographer's Assistant
Portraiture, fine art, publicity/events/journalism; Photographer's Assistant
for Cathy Maier Callanan, Wedding photography (1999 - 2001)
1999 - 2002
Owner/President
Michelle Baker Graphic Media
Develop, design and maintain web sites for corporate and non-profit clients.
Print design and production, fine art and commercial photography as well
as video production. Web consultaion and training.
1999 - 2000
Webmaster
Technology Funding, Santa Fe, NM
Developed, designed and managed web site for venture capital firm as part
of marketing team to create a new identity for VC product.
1997 - 1999
Web Productionist
West of the Pecos/Panorama Point, Santa Fe, NM
Developed and maintained web sites for commercial clients.
1996 - 1997
Web Designer/Development/Productionist
Wood River Technologies, Ketchum, ID
Developed, designed and maintained web sites for commercial clients.
1995
Photographer/Web Development
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
Documented cultural events sponsored by the Museum of Natural History
and developed a web site for the newly planted Butterfly Habitat Garden.
Awards
These sites have changed hands over the years, and no longer represent
my work - hence no link.
1998
New Mexico ADDY Award for web production:
www.lascampanas.com
1999
New Mexico ADDY Award for web design production:
www.joelnakamura.com and www.sitesantafe.org
Organizations
Screen Actors Guild
Tamalpa Institute - Board Member
Software
Skills
Macintosh and PC Platforms:
Adobe Photoshop, Macromedia Dreamweaver, BB Edit
Digital and 35mm format photography.
Biography | Resumé
Born: Annapolis,
MD.
Currently reside: Santa Fe, NM.
I have studied dance and painting, and written since I was very young. Beginning with 8 years of ballet, my love of dance has been with me ever since.
My love of poetry developed with my father who continually provided me with books of poetry since the day I could read. My love of drawing and painting was encouraged by both my mother and father who took me to countless museums and galleries, showed me books of various artists, and gave me lots and lots of paper, crayons and paint to play with. When I was 18, my step-father gave me my first camera, a Contax SLR, that I still have to do this day.
After graduating from St. John's College in Santa Fe, I attended the Cleveland Institute of Arts international art program, Studio Arts Centers International, in Florence, Italy. Black and white photography, sculpture, Italian language and Medieval/Pre-Renaissance Art history were my areas of study.
When I returned to the States, I moved to San Francisco. For money, I taught pre-school (Social Skills #101) for five years. For love, passion, madness and eventually my career, I spent every night in the basement darkroom of Rayko Photo Center then located on Polk Street. There and with the steady stream of incredible photographers in that community, I honed my vision and technical skill in black and white photography.
In 1995, my photography took me back to my place of origin, Washington, DC, where I worked for the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History as a documentary photographer. During that time, I was exposed to the internet and the world-wide-web. My career took an abrupt turn, and I spent eight years designing, developing and programming web sites.
While in San Francisco, I became familiar with the work of dance pioneer, Anna Halprin. Her work revolves primarily around dance in the environment and dance as a healing art.
I studied with Anna and performed with her Sea Ranch Dance Collective.
In 2000, I attended Tamalpa Institute, a center for expressive arts therapy with dance/movement as the primary medium of expression. Tamalpa Institute was founded by Anna Halprin (originally known as the Dancers' Workshop) and is currently under the direction of Daria Halprin. The work is the union of all expressive art media focusing on the moving body as the resource of all inspiration. The synthesis of dance, painting and the written word inspired me on every level, and to this day, are the resources with which I approach all my creative work.
Another influence is Soto Hoffman (www.sotomotion.com). Soto brings his mastery of martial arts into the practice of improvisation. Soto studied with Min Tanaka, and has a background in ballet, modern dance and capoiera. His insight into improvisation as a practice of "being here now" took ahold of me like no other form. Inspired by the stories that arise from our body-conscience, what arise are not clichè jokes as seen in comedy club-style improv. Rather a rich development of non-choreographed content emerges by stories informed by the body, and when in collaboration, stories that arise from all performers who are acutely attuned to the information provided moment to moment.
In 2002, I closed my web business, and returned to photography and my painting. I continued developing my theater experience and style as well.
August 2006 brought me into the studio with gifted teacher and performer Tanya Taylor Rubinstein (www.projectlifestories.org). In her one-year solo performance workshop, I developed and wrote my first one-woman show. "Sole Survivors", directed by Ms. Taylor-Rubinstein, opened October 2007 in Santa Fe, NM.
I have been a co-facilitator with Ms. Taylor-Rubinstein in the Queer Monologues.
It is with tremendous gratitude that I share my work with my friends, family and the world at large as it is my greatest desire to inspire others to finde, cultivate and express their truths creatively and in a way that leads to personal and spiritual freedom.
Blessings! And thank you!