Multidisciplinary Artist Michelle Lisa Polissaint Shares Her World in a New Visual Arts Commission Dedicated to Miami
Today, we’re thrilled to announce that Haitian-American multidisciplinary artist Michelle Lisa Polissaint (she/her) is the second commissioned artist of Commissioner’s milestone fifth anniversary season and its first of the New Year. Using photography, textiles, and community-centered initiatives to reflect the world through her intersectional lens, Polissaint is creating 40 mystery works for each Commissioner Collector member with support from Maven Leadership Collective. This new body of work will be unveiled on February 26 with the Commissioner and Maven communities and invited guests, replete with an artist conversation and bona fide karaoke session.
”Since the founding of Commissioner, I’ve been interested in participating. I think the ability to make contact with a large group of eager collectors is a beautiful, mutually beneficial, opportunity,” said Polissaint. “The project that I’m producing is still a newer concept, but it’s one that I’m thoroughly enjoying. I’m excited to share this work with my community and I hope they enjoy it as much as I do.”
“Michelle has been dedicated to her making work while also serving as an arts administrator, curator, and organizer for the past 12 years,” explains Dejha Carrington, co-founder of Commissioner. “We’re moved by the intimacy and vulnerability that permeates throughout her work, and by the wholeness of her artistic practice that often includes opening doors for fellow artists and creatives in the field.”
“Creating the conditions for Black and brown artists who are queer and trans to fully express their talent with greater ease is our priority and a collective responsibility,” said Corey Davis, Maven co-founder. “It is critical to be intentional about collaborating with partners, like Commissioner, who are values-aligned and then to get out of the way. Michelle is a tremendous talent whose work advances our shared understanding of community in a meaningful way.”
Michelle is an artist-in-residence at Bakehouse Art Complex and is represented by Spinello Projects. Her artistic practice explores the nature of human interaction, memory, and themes related to her ethnic background through textiles, photographs, and paintings. Currently, Michelle is working on a new series of paintings that employ dying techniques and layer textiles to retell the stories of her past and explore the colors associated with these histories. Additionally, she is writing her first film, WAKE: a narrative short film using the story of two best friends living in a disco cult to discuss the issue of indoctrination in society.
Commissioner’s partnership with Maven Leadership Collective, now in its second iteration, is designed to connect communities with local queer and trans artists of color and includes enriched digital storytelling highlighting the work of an emerging queer artist of color; ten Patron memberships for queer and trans leaders; ten memberships for locals nominated by Commissioner Season Five members; and this special artist commission with Polissaint. The 2022 Commissioner Maven Artist is Khánh Nguyên Hoàng Vũ.
About Michelle Lisa Polissaint
Michelle Lisa Polissaint’s work has been shown internationally in both traditional and non-traditional arts spaces across the United States. She has recently shown work at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Atlanta Contemporary, the Girls’ Club Collection, and La Villa du Parc. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Florida International University with a concentration in Photography and Fiber-based painting with a minor in Art History. She has also completed coursework in non-profit management at Johns Hopkins University. For more information, visit her website at michellelisap.com.
About Commissioner
Founded in 2017 in Miami, Commissioner is an art patronage program that leverages collective power to commission work from local artists, while providing members with the knowledge, relationships, and experiences they need to collect art with more confidence. For more information, visit commissioner.us
About Maven Leadership Collective
Maven Leadership Collective is an ideas lab that creates the conditions for talented queer and trans social impact leaders of color and allies to build ecosystems of support for more just communities with greater ease, agency and belonging. For more information, visit mavenleadership.org.
