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About the ArtistMichelle Strader is a sculptor and painter, working in various mediums including clay, acrylic and pastels. Although she delights in producing arts in other mediums, her current interest is in creating images of people and animals from clay. Michelle was raised primarily in Ohio, but was drawn to West Virginia as she grew up through her extended visits with relatives. She has roots in West Virginia predominately in Upshur and Lewis Counties, dating back to the 1700s, on both her maternal and paternal lineages. Her parents attended West Virginia Wesleyan College, and her mother was also an artist. She holds a B.A. in Criminology, a M.A. in Counseling Psychology with a Subspecialty in Marital and Family Therapy and is a Nationally Certified Massage Therapist. Michelle has had over 25 years of experience in Social Services, working in the Lehigh Valley, PA as a Crisis Intervention Worker, a Director of an inner city homeless family shelter, an On-Call Psychiatric Social Worker and a Foster Care Caseworker. She has taught at Muhlenberg College and Lehigh Valley College in Allentown, PA and had her own massage business for 8 years. She will be opening the Art of Eden Gallery & Gift Shop in Kanawha Head, WV in the summer of 2010. She will continue to maintain her gallery at Strader & Associates in Bethlehem, PA. Her studio and home are located in the mountains of Eden, WV. Exhibitions: 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 Awards Memberships: |