EDUCATION
2021 Southern Alberta Institute of Technology | MIG Welding Micro-Credential
2012 University of Calgary | Making Art Your Business Cont Ed
2010 Glass Craft and Bead Expo | Casting and Mold Making Masterclass with Milon Townsend
2010 Glass Craft and Bead Expo | Verré Eglomise Masterclass with Peggy Pettigrew Stewart
2009 Alberta College of Art And Design | Typography Cont Ed
2003 Southern Alberta Institute of Technology | New Media Production and Design Diploma
GALLERY REPRESENTATION
Kostuik Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia
RESIDENCIES
2025 AUArts Summer Artist Residency Program
2022 IAACC Artist in Residency Program, Fuse33 & International Avenue Arts and Culture Community
2016 Artist Ranch Project, Calgary Stampede
GRANTS
2022 Grant Funding Recipient, Visual Arts and New Media Individual Project, Alberta Foundation for the Arts
2021 Grant Funding Recipient, Explore and Create Fund, Canadian Council for the Arts
2021 Micro Grant Recipient, Glass Art Association of Canada (GAAC)
EXHIBITION RECORDS
Exhibitions – Solo
2025 Unless, Kostuik Gallery
2024 Unless, Artist curated
2023 Human Sprawl, Leighton Art Centre CARFAC
2023 Mini Galleries (Marlborough Park), City of Calgary CARFAC
2021 Fossil Vitra (Local artist spotlight), Four20
2020 #stayhome, Artist curated, virtual show
Exhibitions – Group
2026 Annual Silent Art Auction / Group Show, Kostuik Gallery (UPCOMING)
2026 Summer Gallery Artists Show, Kostuik Gallery (UPCOMING)
2026 Toronto Pop-up Show, Kostuik Gallery (UPCOMING)
2025 Annual Silent Art Auction / Group Show, Kostuik Gallery
2025 Fall Gallery Artists Show, Kostuik Gallery
2025 Guilded Memory, Clouded Truth, cSPACE Marda Loop
2025 Summer Gallery Artists Show, Kostuik Gallery
2025 Spring Gallery Artists Show, Kostuik Gallery
2024 Annual Silent Art Auction / Group Show, Kostuik Gallery
2024 Emerging Artist Showcase, Ranchman’s Club
2023 Stampede Art Gallery, Calgary Stampede
2023 Emerging Artist Showcase, Ranchman’s Club
2023 Juried Members’ Exhibition, Leighton Art Centre
2023 Ornament & Crime, Alberta Craft Council
2023 Climate Matters, Three Sisters Gallery, CARFAC
2022 Interconnections, Ruberto Ostberg Gallery
2021 Exquisite Cadaver, Loft 112
2020 Ghost Stories #YYC, Roberto Ostberg Gallery
2020 Exhibit Eh!, Glass Art Association of Canada
2019 Fall Members Show, State of Art Society
2019 Artist Ranch 10 Year Reunion, Calgary Stampede
2019 Spring Members Show, Riverview Artists
2019 Emerging Artist Showcase, Ranchman’s Club
2018 Fall Members Show, Riverview Artists
2018 Emerging Artist Showcase, Ranchman’s Club
2017 Connections, Roberto Ostberg Gallery
2016 Artist Ranch, Calgary Stampede
2015 Coming Up Next, Alberta Craft Council
Public Art/Installation
2024 Stand Together, temporary outdoor sculpture installation, Town of Canmore Art Walk in the Woods
2023 Aurora, permanent outdoor sculpture, Wilder Institute Calgary Zoo
2023 Human Sprawl, one-year indoor multi-sculpture installation, The Leighton Art Centre
2022 Positivity Project, temporary indoor back to campus (after COVID) campaign, SAIT
2021 Bring on the Future, temporary outdoor ground mural, Outdoor acrylic on cement, SAIT
2021 Bring on the Future, temporary ‘selfie spaces’ (1-Window Vinyl, 2/3-printed stretched canvas), SAIT
2021 The/Your Time Is Now, outdoor campus pageantry (39 banners), SAIT
2016 #SAIT100 Photomosaic, permanent 8 x 20 foot photo backed acrylic art piece created from over 10,000 photos, SAIT
2016 Centennial Banners, outdoor campus pageantry (39 banners), SAIT
2016 Energy Quest, interactive display on solar energy created with Electro Exhibits, Calgary Zoo
COLLECTIONS
Calgary Stampede Art Collection
PRESENTATIONS/LECTURES
2023 Artist Talk, Recycling in Art, Leighton Art Centre Summer Camps (x6)
2023 Presenter, The Business of Art, Rotary Club of Heritage Park
2022 Artist Talk, Interconnections, Ruberto Ostberg Gallery
2020 Presenter, Art-repreneurship 101, Avenue Magazine’s Made in Alberta Online Conference
2019 Lecture, Art and Craft Career Pathways, Alberta University for the Arts
2018 Speaker, Atkinson Family Award, Donor Appreciation Event at Southern Alberta Institute of Technology
JUDGING/CURATION
2023 Judge, Western Showcase, Calgary Stampede for the painting category
2020 Judge, Made in Alberta Awards for the Furnishings and Home Decor category
AWARDS
2022 Winner, Craft, Avenue Calgary’s Made in Alberta Awards
2021 Runner-up, Unique Item, Avenue Calgary’s Made in Alberta Awards
2019 Winner, Furnishings & Home Decor, Avenue Calgary’s Made in Alberta Awards
PRESS/MEDIA
2025 ““A Day in the Life” with: Calgary Visual Artist Michelle Atkinson” Calgary Guardian, June, 2025
2024 “From Corporate Burnout to Calling the Shots,” Millennial 911 Podcast, Interview
2024 “Art, sports, nature connect in Canmore,” Rocky Mountain Outlook, February, 2024
2024 “Public Art News,” City of Calgary Public Art e-newsletter, January, 2024.
2023 “Around Alberta,” Alberta Craft magazine(Alberta Craft Council), 2023 Vol. 1. Page 36
2023 “Highlights,” PREVIEW (Guide to galleries & museums), April-May, 2023.
2023 “Foothills gallery exhibition gives nod to nature,” Western Wheel, April, 2023.
2022 “Made in Alberta Awards,” Avenue magazine, October 2022. Page 29
2022 “Craft,” Made in Alberta Awards magazine, 2022. Page 15
2021 “Coveted Craft,” Alberta Craft magazine(Alberta Craft Council), April 2021. Page 20
2021 “Unique,” Made in Alberta Awards magazine, Summer 2021. Page 15
2020 “How to Stop Being a Perfectionist,” ‘Round the fire Podcast, Interview
2020 “Craft Studio Stories,” Alberta Craft Council, Social media campaign
2019 “Michelle Atkinson,” Foothill Famous Podcast, Interview
2019 “Atkinson wins in Made in Alberta,” LINK Magazine, Fall 2019. Page 09
2019 “Made in Alberta Awards,” Avenue Calgary magazine, September 2019. Page 43
2019 “Made in Alberta Awards,” Avenue Edmonton magazine, September 2019. Page 45
2015 “Coming Up Next,” Alberta Craft magazine, Summer 2015. Page 8
PUBLICATIONS
2019 “Making my own magic with copper and glass,” Belle Armoire Jewelry, Volume 15, Spring 2019. Page 66-67
2019 “The magic of nature captured in copper,” Belle Armoire Jewelry, Volume 15, Spring 2019. Page 94-97
ART DONATIONS
2024 Leighton Art Centre
2023 Leighton Art Centre
2023 Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation
2023 TELUS Future Friendly Foundation
2022 Amber Webb-Bowerman Memorial Foundation
2022 Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation
2021 Banff Centre’s 42nd Midsummer LIVE!
2019 Amber Webb-Bowerman Memorial Foundation
2018 SAIT – Student Award Creation
2018 Amber Webb-Bowerman Memorial Foundation
2018 ARF (Animal Rescue Foundation) x 2
COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS
2021 Craft Collaborations, Alberta Craft Council – glass sculpture created with Kara Busy
2021 Exquisite Cadaver, Loft 112 Gallery – mixed media art piece created with Michelle Austen and Billie Rae Busby
2020 Craft Collaborations, Alberta Craft Council – glass plates created with Janine Samuelson
CORPORATE PROJECTS
2024 LINK magazine cover warp, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology
2023 Event VIP gifts, Laser-engraved key tags, SAIT
2022 Corporate gifts, Alumni-made glass coaster Sets, SAIT
2020 Corporate gifts, Alumni-made glass coaster Sets, SAIT
2018 Donor gifts, Recycled glass holiday ornaments, SAIT
2018 Lighting, Custom chandelier for retail store, The Raven’s Room
2016 Awards, Glass Employee Awards, SAIT