An interview with Michael Weatherly
On Thursday, June 18, 2024, the Lake Region Arts Council (LRAC) Board awarded the $5,000 annual LRAC Fellowship to printmaker Michael Weatherly. Miranda Lape, LRAC Grants Manager, sat down with him to get to know the 2024 Fellowship awardee.
Miranda Lape (ML): Tell me a bit about yourself.
Michael Weatherly (MW): I’m a mainly a relief printmaker living in Elbow Lake, MN. In my day job I work as a technical writer for LGC BioSearch Technologies, based out of London, and we have a production facility out of Alexandria that I work out of. I have a BA in modern studio art from the University of Minnesota Morris, and I took graphic design classes at Alexandria Tech. I’ve been in Elbow Lake for about 12 years. I live in Elbow Lake with my partner Nathalie, between us we have six children and five grandchildren with number six on the way. It’s a lot of fun. That’s about it!
ML: What was the “thing that started it all” when it came to your artistic journey?
MW: In college I took a printmaking class and fell in love. It was my first studio class and when I pulled my first couple prints, that was it. I was hooked.
ML: You create prints in a variety of sizes, from palm-sized to your iconic door prints. Do you have a favorite size to work with? What are the challenges of printmaking on such a large scale?
MW: I love working big. I would like to even work bigger than the doors, eventually, maybe combining two or three big prints into one, like wall sized. The challenges of working big is actually printing the pieces, each one has to be hand-printed, and inking and transferring using a baren or a wooden spoon can be quite challenging.
ML: I’ve noticed that your work tends to feature emotions such as shock, worry, sorrow and more. What leads you to focus on these emotions in your work?
Shock, Multi Plate Linocut on paper 12"x12" 2019
MW: Early in 2018 I was working mainly just with the figure, and I needed to try to evoke a feeling in the viewer. When I started working with emotions, it was more to try to connect to the viewer.
ML: As our 2024 Fellow (selected from a highly competitive pool of 7 applicants), how are you feeling?
MW: I’m feeling great. This has been a goal for many years for me, to be awarded this Fellowship. This was my fourth time applying for the Fellowship. Especially with the talented pool of artists we have in the area, I was never disappointed in not being awarded this grant, but now with this grant, I’ve been awarded every type of individual grant LRAC has to offer.
ML: What would you tell someone else thinking about applying for an LRAC grant?
MW: Apply, apply, apply! If you don’t apply, you won’t get the grant. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get it. Listen to the comments that the Board gives you, have someone else read your application, but the main thing is apply, apply, apply!
ML: Beyond the Fellowship, what do you hope the future has in store for your art?
MW: I would like to start showing in bigger venues across the nation. I think I need to expand outside of Minnesota a little more. I have displayed internationally, but not solo shows. Bigger venues, universities, and those type of galleries.
Weatherly was recognized as the incoming LRAC Fellow at the LRAC annual meeting, which took Thursday, July 18, 2024 at Thumper Pond in Ottertail, Minnesota. Our 2023 Fellow, Athena Kildegaard, was also recognized for what she accomplished during her Fellowship year.
