Retired Grand Traverse Region Artist Keeps Up Her Craft

An artist is almost always an artist for life.

Even if they make a living at their craft, then retire, that doesn’t mean they hang it up.

Maybe they just change things up a bit.

Meet Margaret White, from Kewadin, who did just that.

She moved to the area after she retired 23 years ago from downstate in Southfield.

Margaret says people learned she was gifted when she was young.

“It happened real early, I was identified early and sent into programs, gifted and talented programs, classes at the DIA,” she says. “And my parents were all for it and supported it and were encouraging, so it’s just always been a big part of who I am.”

Her favorite artistic mediums are oil pastels and “mixed-media sculptural stuff,” she says,

Texture, patterns and color are what inspires her.

“Rough meets smooth, shiny meets dull, the human face and figure, among other things,” she says.

For her, art is an opportunity to make people smile.

“Not like haha but just wow, look at that,” she says.

People can find Melissa and her work at the in Traverse City, as well as a juried show on Feb. 2 at The Dennos Museum Center at Northwestern Michigan College.

Melissa is also featured at the in Elk Rapids and the in Leland.