Michael Lechlitner…
…grew up on family farm in Northern Indiana. His world was White, rural, safe, and small. This all changed with the advent of the 70s and his enrollment in college. Being exposed to the civil rights movement of the prior decades, the disenfranchised veterans of the Vietnam War, and the unveiling of corporate greed and industrial colonialism forced him to reevaluate his values, his place in the world, and how he would respond to it.
Michael engaged these issues by focusing his attention on providing mentorship, housing, and stability to young adults, during the 80s and 90s. It wasn’t until his early 50s, while doing some carpentry work for an art studio, that he was invited to partake in an art class. Because of his partial color blindness and a bad experience in grade school, he dismissed the idea. However, thanks to the encouragement of his wife, he changed his mind and took the class.
What began as a hobby, dabbling in ink and watercolor, quickly grew into a passion. As his ideas grew in complexity, so did the artistic mediums he pursued. Now, his work can be found utilizing ink to acrylics to metalwork. By combining his passion for art and for peace and justice, Michael has become the artist he is today. All of his pieces have a story to be told, which he is excited to share with you.