Michael Nichols

Biography

Michael Nichols is an artist whose work reimagines the historical mediums of metalpoint drawing and buon fresco painting through contemporary imagery and experimental approaches. Working with these time-honored techniques, he creates ghostly, evocative forms that explore the expressive possibilities of traditional materials while extending their visual and conceptual possibilities.

Nichols has exhibited nationally and internationally at institutions including the Boston Center for the Arts, 21c Museum in Lexington, the Evansville Museum, and the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center. His work has also been featured in several publications, including Gateway to Drawing: A Complete Guide (Thames & Hudson), Silverpoint and Metalpoint Drawing: A Complete Guide to the Medium (Routledge), and issue 178 of New American Paintings (Open Studios Press).

His work and research have received support and recognition through numerous awards and grants. These include a Professional Artist Development Grant from the Great Meadows Foundation and an Al Smith Fellowship from the Kentucky Arts Council. At Western Kentucky University, he has received multiple faculty research grants supporting his ongoing exploration of buon fresco, including projects such as Buon Fresco Technique, Painted in Stone, Refresh, and Influences: Conversations about Fresco in Italy.

Nichols lives and works in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with his partner, artist Leslie Nichols. He holds an MFA in Painting from Fontbonne University and is Professor of Art at Western Kentucky University, where his work as an artist and educator explores new possibilities for traditional painting techniques and their place in contemporary art.