Meet Michelle Goans

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Goans.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Michelle. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
In 2013, I graduated from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Since graduation, I have worked as an independent artist and freelancer. I am constantly submitting to exhibitions and galleries and participating in artist events whenever I can. Getting myself out there as much as possible has been one of the driving forces of my art career. In a lot of ways, I feel like I’m just starting because there are still so many things I have planned for myself.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think the biggest struggle was shortly after graduation and was trying to figure out what I wanted from my career. I was working at a law firm in the I.T. department and was struggling to find the time and energy to create art. That is probably when I produced the least amount of artwork in my life. Which was a very strange experience because I had gone from making work non-stop in school to almost never getting to create. Since then, I have been able to find a balance in my life so that I always make sure to get time in my studio to create as much as possible.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
Printmaking makes up a majority of my work; This includes screenprint, lithography, relief print, and occasionally etching. I really enjoy the process of making prints. Unlike some of the other mediums, I work in you aren’t finished once you have created the image. Now you have to print all the layers and align everything as you’re are going. There is a lot more work involved, but it’s truly a labor of love every time you print. The content of my work is mostly related to my own life experiences and my belief in intersectional feminism. So I pull inspiration from things ranging from my childhood heroes to the difficulties I have faced as an adult.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I think I was most proud of myself the first time I was accepted into a juried exhibition. Although I create my work for myself it was a truly great feeling receiving recognition from someone else in the art world.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.michellegoans.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/michellegoans
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MichelleGoans

Image Credit:
Michelle Goans

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