About

SCIENCE, MUSIC, AND TRAVEL

Artist Mike Sivak has a varied professional and creative background. Born and raised on the eastside of Detroit, he spent his college years playing bass in the Bluegrass band Stony Creek (and still managed to earn a B.S. in Biology & Chemistry from Eastern University, Ypsilanti, Michigan). In the early 70’s he moved to Southern California to be a musician, but ultimately worked in the gold industry of Los Angeles as a courier, flying to New York and the Far East on a regular basis. In that job, he earned literally millions of frequent flyer miles, enabling future first-class international travel (Hong Kong, Australia/New Zealand, Paris/London/Edinburgh) for himself and various family members.

CHANGING COURSE

After winning the lottery while in L.A., he went back to school to pursue his true passion: Art. In 1995, Mike graduated from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA with a B.F.A. in Illustration. Soon after graduation, he moved north to the Bay Area to work for an internet startup company. Working in the SOMA district of San Francisco during the booming dot-com era, Mike worked with teams designing online 3D worlds for clients that included Steven Spielberg, IBM, British Telecom, MGM, Aerosmith, Britney Spears, and David Bowie, among others.

In 2001, Mike returned to Michigan, taking up residence in Ann Arbor with his wife Julie and their (many) cats. His work has been exhibited in galleries and fairs throughout southeast Michigan, including Ann Arbor Art Center, Gallery Project,  Detroit Artists Market, Scarab Club, Detroit Institute of Arts, and the Ann Arbor Art Fair.

ARTWORK

Throughout his life Mike has pursued art making and processes, and he continues to explore different techniques and mediums. His body of artwork includes painting, collage, mixed media assemblage, and sculpture.