High School Art Teacher, Fine Art Painter,
Harwood, MD
Michael is accomplished in both the art world and in the field of art education, playing a vital role in pioneering the development of a Visual Journaling movement, giving workshops th
Throughout the country, and donating his time and art to numerous charity benefits that have helped raise awareness and thousands of dollars from his painting sales. On October 1, 2005, Michael Bell received the Good Shepherd Community Service Award at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles for his activism in raising domestic violence awareness.
In 2002, the Maryland Art Education Association awarded Michael Bell the "Most Outstanding Art Educator Award." In 2004, he was awarded Anne Arundel County Public School's 2004 "Teacher of the Year," becoming one of twenty-four 2005 Maryland State Teachers of the Year. Michael Bell played an instrumental role in Southern High obtaining National Blue Ribbon status and his National Blue Ribbon Presentation proposal on "Family and Community Engagement through Advanced Studies in Arts, Innovation and Design" was one of only two secondary education presentations in the entire country selected by the U.S. Department of Education. Michael was nomineed for the 2011 National Outstanding Young Educator of the Year Award. In 2013 Bell received the prestigious "William U. Harris Award of Excellence" from the College Board and presented two sessions at the National Arts Education conference.
As a professional artist, Michael Bell has tapped into America's love affair with Gangsters in Hollywood, with an infamous painting clientele that includes the late John Gotti and numerous actors from movie blockbusters such as "The Sopranos", "Goodfellas", "A Bronx Tale" & more.
"I blossomed at Lycoming College. The Art Department faculty encouraged me, and believed in me as an artist when no one else did and this gave me the confidence to pursue my dreams. Painting, for me, is a dynamic process of self-exploration and a constructive way to give form and meaningful expression to an experience. I investigate problems on a personal and intuitive level. It's the journey that constantly fuels my mind. It's a timeless, cinematic world where stories are born. All I am is what I create. It's my blessing to share with the world."
