Bio/CV
Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Michelle Lee Rigell is a St. Louis-based contemporary realism artist who works in acrylics and watercolor.
Rigell attended Vanderbilt University, where she received her BA in Asian Studies and Neuroscience with the goal to attend medical school. Although she does not have any formal education in art, Rigell began painting when she was four years old under the instruction of Atlanta-based artist, Penelope Van der Putten, and received her first set of oil paints when she was eight.
Since 2015, Rigell has shown her work in several locations in the Greater St. Louis area including Angad Arts Hotel, Art Saint Louis and Duane Reed Gallery. Rigell has participated in several art fundraisers such as Wall Ball for Artscope, Art of PAWS presented by Purina and the Very Asian Foundation Creators Grant. She has been featured on platforms such as The Jealous Curator, PxP Contemporary and Carve Out Time For Art and in publications such as St. Louis Magazine, AcrylicWorks7 by Artists Magazine and Create! Magazine. In 2024, she curated the first of its kind Lunar New Year Exhibition in St. Louis featuring Asian American artists based in the Midwest. Rigell volunteers as an instructor and is the associate director for the Arts As Healing, a 501(c)(3) organization that brings therapeutic benefits of art to cancer patients and those with chronic illnesses.
Education
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2010
BA, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
Selected Exhibitions & Charity Events
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2025
A Very Asian Lunar New Year Exhibition: MICDS Messing Gallery, St. Louis, MO - Curator
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2024
Lunar New Year: Year of the Dragon Exhibition: Duane Reed Gallery, St. Louis, MO - Curator & Artist
Over the Moon-Chicago: Chicago, IL
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2023
Small Works Invitational: Duane Reed Gallery, St. Louis, MO
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2022
Art of PAWS Presented by Purina: The Grand Ballroom at Gallery 1014, St. Louis, MO
Over the Moon-Chicago: Chicago, IL
Stronger Together: Art Mums United
Small Works Invitational: Duane Reed Gallery, St. Louis, MO
Wall Ball 2022 for Artscope: St. Louis, MO
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2021
Art of PAWS Presented by Purina, St. Louis, MO
Wall Ball 2021 for Artscope: St. Louis, MO
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2020
Art of PAWS Presented by Purina, St. Louis, MO
Showfields x PxP Contemporary Live Curation: Showfields, NY
Then I Met You Art Show: Then I Met You Skincare, NY
ONE Exhibition: PxP Contemporary
Wall Ball 2020 for Artscope: Third Degree Glass Factory, St. Louis, MO
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2019
Art of PAWS Presented by Purina: The Grand Ballroom at Gallery 1014, St. Louis, MO
Art Saint Louis Presents Summer Exhibition: Angad Arts Hotel, St. Louis, MO
PILOT Exhibition: PxP Contemporary
THE WORKS Exhibition: OA Gallery, Kirkwood, MO​
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2017
The Blooming Artists Project: 1900 Park, St. Louis, MO
#nofilter Exhibition: Art Saint Louis, St. Louis, MO
Wall Ball 2017 for Artscope: Majorette, Maplewood, MO
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2016
Mix-Tape Exhibition: Art Saint Louis, St. Louis, MO
Art of PAWS Presented by Purina: Gallery 400, St. Louis, MO
Activate Art Exhibition: CIC@4240, St. Louis, MO
Flashback Exhibition: Soulard Art Gallery, St. Louis, MO - “Award of Merit”
Driven to Abstraction Exhibition: Soulard Art Gallery, St. Louis, MO
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2015
eMotion Exhibition: Soulard Art Gallery, St. Louis, MO - “Best in Show”
MySLART.org August Exhibition: Old Orchard Gallery, Webster Groves, MO
Press/Media
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KSDK: 5 On Your Side, January 2025
Create! Magazine, Issue 47, October 2024
KSDK: 5 On Your Side, February 2024
St. Louis Magazine, February 2024
Art Mums United, October 2022
The Huts Magazine, Issue 6, September 2022
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 2022
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November, 2020
The Best of Acrylic: AcrylicWorks 7 Competition Winners, October 2020
Carve Out Time For Art: Instagram Artist Takeover, August 2020
Visionary Art Collective, July 2020
The Klog, July 2020
Capitel Magazine Mexico, October 2019
PIKCHUR Magazine, Issue 6, October 2019
Create! Magazine: Studio Sunday, August 2019
The Jealous Curator, January 2019
All the Art, Winter 2017/2018