Artist History

10 July 2023
Released debut photography book: Portrait of Morgan: A Photographer’s Memoir by Michelle Gemma (Stitch In Time Publications, 2023). The 81 black and white photographs of model, Morgan Vail, were taken over an almost 20 year period, starting in 1999, when Morgan was twelve years old. The active  production of the book happened 1 November 2021 to 1 June 2023, and features the design work of esteemed London designer, Rob Crane.

29 September 2022
Produced an event for the Mystic & Noank Library called Portersville & Greenmanville: A Presentation Representing Mystic At & Culture during the 1990’s, including preparing my own presentation which discussed the impact of the Root of Twinkle zine, and the inclusion of Hozomeen Press, which allowed artists to participate in a decade of events and publications. It was filmed by ECCTV and released online and on cable television. It can be viewed here:
Library Event Portersville & Greenmanville

15 May 2022
Created a music video for Ellery Twining, based on new live footage, with archival photographs from the 1990’s included
Weatherall Video

17 January 2022
Contributed cover art for Ellery Twining record release, Revenge
Revenge

July 2020-December 2020
Helped revive a cut-and-paste zine, The Root of Twinkle, (54 pages) from the Nineties, originally created by Editor Eva Jane Peck, for a 25 year anniversary issue, on the occasion of the pandemic and protest filled year of 2020, with Eva.
Acted as Production Editor, contributed three articles and most of the photographs published. The new issue, plus all vintage copies of the zine have been scanned into PortFire- a website for artists, and can be found here:
Root of Twinkle – PortFire

21 November 2019
Closing Ceremony for “Remembering Rollie
Presented as one of two panelists for the closing ceremony of the year-long exhibition on Rollie McKenna on what we learned in the past year of the project.
Remembering Rollie – Stonington Historical Society

2 November 2018
Opening Reception for Exhibition on Rollie McKenna, plus book release for A Village Love Affair: Rollie McKenna’s Stonington.
Wrote one of the introductions for the book, plus worked on the committee to bring the photo exhibition to life.
Stonington Historical Society
Rollie McKenna – A Village Love Affair — Stonington Borough, CT | Things To Do | Where to Eat | Where to Shop

January 2018-November 2019
Joined committee for the Rollie McKenna Project at the Stonington Historical Society as the only member who had worked for Ms. McKenna. (Worked as her research and photography assistant 1995-1998). The purpose of the committee was to create an exhibition and a book for the society celebrating McKenna’s archive of Stonington photographs while she lived there over four decades.
Rollie McKenna – Stonington Historical Society

January 2018
Interviewed by Betsy Osha WEDDINGS; Elizabeth Osha And Ashbel Green
for a documentary on photographer Rollie McKenna
 Rollie McKenna at Work – Stonington Historical Society

January 2018
Interviewed as the feature artist for new series in the New London Day newspaper
Also included a behind the scenes video of me on a live photoshoot with a model
Artists in Motion, an occasional series featuring local visual artists: Michelle Gemma

December 2017
Wayne’s Barbershop, Mystic, CT
Solo show- exhibited 25 framed photographs culled from the archives

September 2015
Featured Artist for the new online Photo series
Published seven photos and text called “Paramour”
Honeysuckle Magazine

August 2015
Illustrated article for Ellery Twining
Issue 2 August 2015.  Page 39-42
A quarterly digital magazine and regular colorful online content focused on issues of identity, social issues and the explosive underground.
Honeysuckle Magazine

February 2015
Green Marble Coffeehouse, Mystic, CT
Solo show-exhibited 29 new black and white photographs shot over the previous year

November 2014
The Artist Catalogue Winter 2014
Quarterly Fine Art Publication
One of Twelve Featured Artists

October 2014 
Mystic Art Center, Mystic, CT
Photo Show 36
Juried Photo Exhibition

February 2014 
Hygienic Speakeasy, New London, CT
Exhibited two new photographs

January 2013 
Stardust Motel, North Stonington, CT
cover shoot for slander single “magnets b/w ghosts
Still photographer and stylist for  video shoot  for slander single “magnets b/w ghosts”

July 2011
El n Gee Club,  New London, CT
“The Depot Memorial Show” conceptualized and produced a photo magazine Chez Depot for a memorial rock show that covered a decade of local music.

August 2006 Mystic, CT
Mystic Outdoor Arts Festival: 49th Annual
Juried outdoor 2 day show

May 2006 Westerly, RI
Virtu Art Show: 10th Annual
Juried outdoor 2 day show

Dec 1 2005-Jan 13 2006 Norwich, CT
Three Rivers Community College
A sampling of a brand new series called “Portrait of the Artist as a Young Girl”, which is an ongoing continuum of black and white photographs of Morgan Vail, a young woman from Mystic who has been modeling for me since she was twelve. 

Oct 24 – Nov 27, 2005 Boston, MA
SPACE 200
solo exhibition of the “Personal Universe” series-
12 photographs that serialize the zodiac in dramatic fashion

September 2005 Mystic, CT
The Hollow: Art and Antique Gallery
One of 3 Featured artists

August 2005 Mystic, CT
Mystic Outdoor Arts Festival: 48th Annual
Juried outdoor 2 day show

August 2005 South Norwalk, CT
SONO Arts Celebration:29th Annual
Juried outdoor 2 day show

July 2005 Old Saybrook, CT
42nd Annual Art and Craft Show
Juried outdoor 2 day show

May 2005 Westerly, RI
Virtu Art Show: 9th Annual
Juried outdoor 2 day show

December 2004 – May 2005 Mystic, CT
Wayne Richard : A Contemporary Barbershop
Solo exhibition of catalog, rotated each month

March 2004 -November 2004 Mystic, CT
Mystic:: An American Journey: Documentary Film
Still Film Photographer/ Film Crew

Telemark Films, LLC.
Mystic: An American Journey: Bailey Pryor, Telemark Films: Movies & TV

October 2004 Wrentham, MA
Wrentham Arts Festival: “Artists vision, Artists voice”
Juried outdoor 2 day show

August 2004 Stonington, CT
Stonington Village Farmers Market
Featured Artist

August 2004 Mystic, CT
Mystic Outdoor Arts Festival: 47th Annual
Juried outdoor 2 day show

August 2004 South Norwalk, CT
Sono Arts Celebration: 28th Annual
Juried outdoor 2 day show

May 2004 Westerly, RI
Virtu Art Show: 8th Annual
Juried outdoor 2 day show

Sept 2003 Newport, RI
Newport Arts Festival: “Fine Art and Contemporary Craft”
Juried outdoor 2 day show

August 2003 Mystic, CT
Mystic Outdoor Arts Festival: 46th Annual
Juried outdoor 2 day show.
Won award for “Best Portrait in any Medium” (2nd time)

August 2003 New London, CT
New London Waterfront Arts Festival: 1st Annual
Juried outdoor 2 day show.
Won award for “Best in Show”

May 2003 Westerly, RI
Virtu Art Show: “The Seventh Annual Virtu Outdoor Art Festival”
Juried outdoor 2 day show

Nov 2002 Mystic, CT
The German Club: “NYCT…A Brief Assembly”.
Over 30 artists from New York and Connecticut gather for a transient exhibition

October 2002 Wrentham, MA
Wrentham Arts Festival: “Artist’s Vision, Artist’s Voice”
Juried outdoor 2 day show

Sept 2002 New London, CT
Hygienic Galleries: “Equinox”
One of Five Featured Artists
Exhibited newest body of work- the 12-piece “Personal Universe”

August 2002 Mystic, CT
Mystic Outdoor Art Festival: 45th Annual
Juried outdoor 2 day show.
Won award for “Best Portrait in any Medium”

October 2001 N. Kingston, RI
South County Art Association: “Open Juried Autumn Art Exhibit 2001”
Juried show

Sept. 2001 Mystic, CT
Mystic Art Association: “13th Annual Photography Show”
Juried show

August 2001 Mystic, CT
Mystic Outdoor Art Festival: 44th Annual
Juried outdoor 2 day show.
Won award for “Best Local Artist”

March 2001 N. Kingston, RI
South County Art Association: “Open Juried Photography Annual”
Juried show

March 2001 Westerly, RI
The Artists Cooperative Gallery of Westerly: “Spring Regional Exhibit 2001”
Juried show

August 2000 Mystic, CT
Mystic Outdoor Art Festival: 43rd Annual
Juried show.
Exhibited booth of black and white photographs.
Won award for “Best First Time Exhibitor”

March 2000 Norwich, CT
Slater Memorial Museum: “57th Annual Connecticut Artists Exhibition”
Juried show

March 2000 Westerly, RI
The Artists Cooperative Gallery of Westerly: “Spring Regional Exhibit 2000”
Juried show

March 2000 Providence, RI
Providence Art Club: “Open Juried Sculpture and Photography Competition”
Juried show

February 1999 Westerly, RI
The Artists Cooperative Gallery of Westerly: “Spring Regional Exhibit 1999”
Juried show.
Won award, “Special Mention”

October 1998 Mystic, CT
Mystic Art Association: ”Mystic Photo Show XX”
Juried show.
Won award, “Second Prize

February 1998 New York City, NY
Seventh and Second Photo Gallery: “Paramour”
Solo black and white photo exhibition

May 1997 Mystic, CT
Emporium Gallery: Emporium Photo Five, “The May Queen”
Collaboration with Lauren Macaulay
Black and white photo exhibition/installation

August 1996 Mystic, CT
III Canine Gallery: “Idylls of the Other”
5 room photo installation with Lauren Macaulay

June 1996 Stonington, CT
Yellow House Gallery: “Shooting Stars”
Solo black and white photo exhibition

June 1996 Mystic, CT
Trapezium: a Mystic Disc compilation— a CD and 20 page booklet documenting the local music scene
Contributed 17 portraits of local musicians, as well as the cover art

May to Sept. 1996 Mystic, CT
Postage– a weekly arts newspaper for the Norwich-Niantic-Westerly area
Photo editor; contributed the cover photo weekly, as well as all story photographs

March 1996 Westerly, RI
Green Marble Coffeehouse II
Solo large format photo exhibition

November 1995 Providence, RI
Providence Art Club: “Young Artists of Southern New England”
Juried show

October 1995 Mystic, CT
Emporium Gallery: Emporium Photo Three, “Merge”
Large format photo exhibition

August 1995 Stonington, CT
Stonington Vineyards Gallery: “Image Divine”
Solo exhibition