First Friday Art Walk Feb. 4 includes artist reception

     PRESQUE ISLE — An opening reception for artist Lindsay Michaud will be held on Friday, Feb. 4, from 7-9 p.m. at the Wintergreen Arts Center. Michaud will be talking about her work at 7:30 p.m. and light refreshments will be served. Her opening party and other First Friday Art Walk events will be held that evening. Her work will be on display in the Barresi Financial Gallery at the Wintergreen Arts Center at 149 State Street in Presque Isle throughout the month of February. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Thursday 2-6 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to noon.
    As a child, Michaud loved to color with crayons, markers and watercolor paints. As she got older, her love and appreciation for art grew. Michaud said she “became inspired by everything around her.” Her artistic passion continued with her through high school where she discovered abstraction and began creating large and colorful acrylic paintings. The larger-than-life canvases she creates today are splashed with vivid colors and rough textures she hopes “create a lot of interest for the eye.” After high school, she enrolled in The Academy of Art University and started taking courses online in the summer of 2010. 
    When describing her work, Michaud said, “My work, through my eyes, evokes so much emotion because it’s my whole self displayed on the canvas; it’s raw emotion that comes directly from personal experiences in my life. Because of these occurrences from my past, present and what may lie ahead in my future, I’ve found that I just couldn’t live without my paintbrush in hand.”
    She hopes in the future to open her own gallery. Michaud wants it to be a place for people of all ages to display their work and an inspiration to never stop creating. Michaud believes, “Pursuing your passion for art in any form, is a beautiful thing and it’s the best feeling to take the next step forward; never look back and keep creating, no matter what anyone else has to say about it.” 
    Wintergreen Arts is hosting Michaud’s opening reception as part of the First Friday Art Walk — which is a new cultural opportunity in downtown Presque Isle. Downtown businesses and organizations invite visitors to take a self-guided stroll through the downtown and University galleries to hear live music, meet local authors and artists and experience the heart of our community. Participating organizations include the Turner Memorial Library Gallery, Wintergreen Arts Center, Oasis Salon, Stew’s Downtown Sight and Sound, Sorpreso, Morning Star Arts and Framing, the Downtown Revitalization Committee, Freddy P’s, the Presque Isle Chamber of Commerce and the University of Maine at Presque Isle. First Friday Art Walk is an event where people can meet, unwind and enjoy the arts on the first Friday of each month between 5-9 p.m. For more information, visit the “First Friday Art Walk” Facebook page or e-mail Renee Felini at renee.felini@umpi.edu.