Michelle Terese St. Amant

My life began in the 1950s in a Detroit hospital, where I was then swiftly transferred to the Sarah Fisher Children’s Home, an orphanage in Farmington Hills that no longer exists. There, I remained for a month or longer until I was adopted by a childless married couple living in Wyandotte. At the age of five, we relocated to Dearborn, where I spent the remainder of my upbringing. Eventually, I became the eldest of eight adopted children, and by the time I reached twelve, a series of thirty-five foster children had traveled in and out of our lives.

Since about the age of four, creating art had become a welcoming outlet, allowing me an avenue for emotional expression as well as an escape from painful life experiences. Art classes at the Catholic school I attended provided a safe haven — a time and space in which I was able to excel, be seen, and receive positive feedback.

Our eighth-grade art instructor was a young, energetic, redheaded Dominican novice. She convinced the Bishop of our church to purchase the abandoned gas station across the street from the convent, allowing her and the students to clean, spruce up, and reinvent it into an art studio. Following his blessing, our team went to work, spending endless after-school hours and weekends making it happen. The accomplishment instilled in us a sense of pride and revitalized enthusiasm to create great things.

During that time, I built a tabletop-sized armature for a figure of a woman that one might describe as a modified version of the “Warrior Pose.” Afterwards, it was painted straight down the center — one side white and the other black. The sculpture exuded a powerful presence. A visiting priest, observing me placing the final touches on the piece, asked if he could take it to place on the altar during the guitar mass he would hold that Saturday in the school gym.

This was the era of great civil unrest and near the time of the Detroit race riots. I believe he saw the significance of its relationship to the times. Very recently, there had been a violent incident involving the stoning of the windows of a home just a block away from the church. The Black workers moving furniture into the house had been mistaken by a group of Dearborn residents for the new tenants.

In the years that followed, I lived through two less-than-fortunate marriages and divorces. I had five children in the first marriage and a sixth child born during the second marriage with a rare genetic disorder. Later, I began serious studies at Alpena Community College in sculpting, ceramics, and drawing.

During that time, I recreated my papier-mâché sculpture, only this time slightly larger than life-size. By building a strong wooden base, I was able to attach a large slanted aluminum pole affixed with chicken wire to create the form, which was stuffed with newspaper. Afterwards, layers of plaster were applied, sanded down, reapplied, and sanded again. It was an arduous and messy process. I later painted it the same black and white down the center, though this version was more artistically balanced. I entitled it “Fused Forces.”

The local news caught wind of the project, and a large image of me — dusty and hard at work — appeared alongside an article on the front page of The Alpena News.

The completion of my studies, accomplishments, and consistent 4.0 grade average culminated in my induction into Phi Theta Kappa, an international honors society. I was also honored with a one-woman exhibition that ran for two weeks at the then newly built Kirtland Community College Art Gallery in Roscommon.

Not long afterward, I relocated to Traverse City. Throughout my studies and during the next couple of decades, I entered around thirty juried art exhibitions and had my work for sale in approximately the same number of prestigious galleries throughout Michigan and Ohio.

One significant ceramic piece — a bust of a police officer holding a child he had rescued, entitled “Trusted Arms” — was bartered as part of a program I spearheaded and raised funds for through the Traverse City Sheriff’s Department. We purchased life-saving locating equipment for wandering persons with Down syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, and autism, along with three-day training for the program “Project Lifesaver International.” The sculpture was shipped to Virginia and displayed at their headquarters.

Andre’, my youngest child, had been born with the rare genetic disorder Classical Galactosemia and lived with multiple severe complications, one of which was autism. In 2004, at the age of eighteen, he died one night after suffering four massive seizures.

Not long afterward, I moved to the Grand Rapids area and found great relief from my grief by renting studio space in the basement of the old downtown location of the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, where I created hand-built sculptures. During this same time, I took classes and became certified to work for various agencies providing home healthcare to developmentally challenged adults.

I also began researching local and national programs for a nonprofit organization I felt passionate about creating — an art and socialization program for individuals living with a wide array of physical, emotional, and cognitive challenges, offered free of charge.

After spending three years in Grand Rapids, I relocated back to Traverse City and, through a great deal of focused work, my dream became a reality. “Andre’s Place Inc.,” named after my beloved deceased son, was created to serve individuals living with physical, emotional, and cognitive challenges.

At that time, we were blessed by Ron Goble of Excel Rehabilitation Services, to whom I had written requesting sponsorship for our first fundraiser. Not only did he agree to underwrite the cost, but he also generously offered the use of his empty building at 5222 N. Royal Drive. The program ran successfully for several years until we eventually decided to close after Ron needed the building for a new business venture he had developed.

Below is a link to the “Andre’s Place” Facebook page, which I have left active:

Andre’s Place Facebook Page

Moving forward, I went on to work for several in-home healthcare agencies. At one point, I was honored through a mayoral appointment to the Traverse City Housing Commission.

A few years ago, I moved from Traverse City and settled here in Central Michigan. During these years, I have spent countless hours experimenting with mixed-media wall hangings using elements found in nature such as eggshells, branches, and sand. I have entitled this series “Earthen Elements.”

These elements hold spiritual symbolism:

• Eggshells symbolize protection and new beginnings.
• Branches symbolize growth, independence, interconnectedness, and fruitfulness.
• Sand symbolizes boundless potential and the passage of time.
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Below is a link to my professional Facebook page, “Contractual Art By Michelle”:

Contractual Art By Michelle Facebook Page

The years have brought me to this conclusion: “Life Is Better With Art.”