* M I C H E L L E * B A T E S *

Michelle Bates, one of the many talented photographers on the Fremont Arts Council, takes a turn on the dance floor at one of our major social events. Michelle is known both for her cool costumes and for her skill behind the lens.

Educated at Brandeis, in Scotland, and at the Maine Photographic Workshops, Michelle has shown her work in Seattle, New York, Dallas, and Israel. She has been a Gap Grant recipient and was selected for the NEA's Web Enablement grant in 1997. She is famous for funkily-framed photos shot with a Holga toy camera, which have been seen in many Seattle-area galleries, on the Web, and in the pages of Alternative View Magazine. Michelle is a player on the local arts scene and coordinates visual arts shows at the Blue Heron Gallery on Vashon Island, where she makes her home. In May 1998 she curated a beautiful show on Celebration Arts there, featuring many masks, ritual items, and musical instruments created by Fremont Arts Council members and kindred spirits.

Our photo of Michelle is from the '97 Winter Solstice Feast. Our thumbnail photo shows her shooting the '98 Summer Solstice Parade in a parrot costume.

Photo copyright © 1999 by Larry Neilson