StoryCorps with artist Michael Pellew
New York City, October 16, 2017

At the invitation of LAND Gallery, I spoke with artist Michael Pellew; our chat was part of a series of recordings being made for archiving both with StoryCorps and at the Museum of African American History in D.C. We talked about music, art and our dads. Previously I worked with Michael on an event called LAND of Metal at St. Vitus in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Michael Pellew's drawings and sculptures are humorous ruminations on pop culture. His playful line quality and imaginative cultural observations are simple and succinct. With one pass of his hand he can depict joy, humor and clever character. His subject matter is NYC trains and buses, fashion design, “punk funk freaks from the East Village and around the Tri-State area”, and pop portraits of favorite singers and performers. His characters capture a direct sense of style and spontaneity. Opening Ceremony has sold Michael's greeting cards in Manhattan and Los Angeles. Corporate collections include Citi Bank, JCrew and PAPER Magazine.

LAND is a unique nonprofit day habilitation program that teaches life skills through the modality of art. LAND (League Artists Natural Design) was founded in 2005 by the League Education and Treatment Center (LETC) and serves as both studio and gallery for 16 adult artists with developmental disabilities.