Sturgis Public Library

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Artist of the Month - Michele David Mechling

Michele David Mechling was born and raised in Sioux City, Iowa. Visual art was always her favorite subject in her formative years of schooling. After high school, Michele began her study of Fine Art at Iowa State University and later transferred to the University of South Dakota where she received a Bachelor of Fine Art in 1986.

Shortly after graduation, Michele attended a Master Workshop in Art at Long Island University on the Southampton Campus in New York. These educational experiences opened many doors of exploration, and Michele began to find her niche in the arts industry.

Eventually, Michele returned to the Midwest to be closer to family where she established and operated a gallery and cafe of her own in Vermillion, South Dakota, from 1991 until 2010. The cafe, Coffee Shop Gallery, served specialty coffee and teas and light lunch fare while also becoming one of the area's most popular alternative venues for showcasing local artists' works. Currently, with her experience in displaying 95 art exhibitions over 18 years of business, Michele has started a new business; and she is the curator of DavidaArtCompany. The art company works toward connecting artists and alternative gallery spaces and specializes in exhibition service and sales of original artworks.