| Native Houstonian Will Michels graduated with honors in 1991 from Pratt Institute, with a degree in architecture. After graduating he became the project architect in charge of restoring the Battleship TEXAS, a World War I era Dreadnaught. At the same time, he consciously began to explore fine art photography. His focus over the last 15 years has covered a variety of subjects all centering around portraiture: a series of introspective self portraits, a collection of over 200 environmental portraits of USS TEXAS veterans, and a series documenting living history, specifically a reenactment of the battle of Iwo Jima. Michels has received generous grants from the Cultural Arts Council of Houston, the Summerlee Foundation, Houston Endowment Inc. and Artadia 2006. He currently lives in Houston, Texas working at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, where he teaches young aspiring photographers. |
H O N O R S & A W A R D
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Living History: Photographs by Will Michels
Watermark Fine Art, Houston, Texas
July 8 - August 5, 2006
An Act of Dedication and Perseverance, Iwo Jima + 60
FotoFest 2006, The Galveston Arts Center
March 4 - April 9, 2006
Authenticity of Memory: Alternative Processes
The Houston Center for Photography
February 25 - April 3, 2005
CREW: The Men of the U.S.S. TEXAS
The College of the Main Land
November 11 - December 12, 2004
CREW: The Men of the U.S.S. TEXAS
FotoFest 2004, The Galveston Arts Center
March 6 - April 4, 2004
Defining the Portrait: Photographs by Paul Smead & Will Michels
FotoFest 2002
March 2002
CREW: The Men of the U.S.S. TEXAS
Gallery X, The Houston Center for Photography
June 25 - August 14, 1999
Figuring the Body, Group Exhibition
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
February 26 - May 11, 1997
Watermark Fine Art, Houston, Texas
July 8 - August 5, 2006
An Act of Dedication and Perseverance, Iwo Jima + 60
FotoFest 2006, The Galveston Arts Center
March 4 - April 9, 2006
Authenticity of Memory: Alternative Processes
The Houston Center for Photography
February 25 - April 3, 2005
CREW: The Men of the U.S.S. TEXAS
The College of the Main Land
November 11 - December 12, 2004
CREW: The Men of the U.S.S. TEXAS
FotoFest 2004, The Galveston Arts Center
March 6 - April 4, 2004
Defining the Portrait: Photographs by Paul Smead & Will Michels
FotoFest 2002
March 2002
CREW: The Men of the U.S.S. TEXAS
Gallery X, The Houston Center for Photography
June 25 - August 14, 1999
Figuring the Body, Group Exhibition
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
February 26 - May 11, 1997
| Artadia, 2006 Honorable mention, Santa Fe Center for Photography project competition, 2005 - for the series Iwo Jima + 60 Texas Photographic Society - The Photo Project: An Act of Dedication and Perseverance, 2005 One of four winners of a national juried competition, for the series Iwo Jima + 60 Nominated for the No Strings Attached Foundation artists merit award, 2005 Nominated for the Louis Comfort Tiffany Award, 2004 The Summerlee Foundation, Houston Endowment Inc. - 2001, 2002 Awarded $45,000 in grants to complete CREW: The Men of the U.S.S. TEXAS, A project to take formal portraits of the former crew of the Battleship TEXAS Fellowship, The Houston Center for Photography - 1999 for CREW: The Men of the U.S.S. TEXAS Dallas Museum of Art, Kimbrough Fund - 1998 Awarded Artist Merit Grant Cultural Arts Council oh Houston Harris County through the Lawndale Art Center - 1997 Awarded travel grant to photodocument Battleship TEXAS Veterans Pratt Institute - 1986 First pace, Pratt National Talent Search, awarded full tuition scholarship |