Long ago, when I was a student in a suburban Detroit high school, my teachers would occassionally approach and congratulate me on one or another artistic accomplishment, honor or award. They would have read an article about the FAMOUS LOCAL ARTIST, Glen Michaels in the paper. Except, you see, it wasn't me. I'm Glenn Michaels.
Of course, newspapers being what they are, not infrequently the journalist would misspell Glen's name... as Glenn.
The first time it happened, I simply said "thank you." I had no idea why I was being congratulated, but I didn't mind. I quickly figured out what was going on (my cousin was an art dealer) and had to explain, periodically, that I wasn't the artist referenced in those articles.
In fact, I had no interest in the visual arts at all, back then.
Creating more confusion, Glen's name was frequently misspelled.
Oddly enough, Glen Michaels taught around the corner from my parents' Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, home, at the reknowned Crambrook Academy of Art. But we never met.
Years later, after I had graduated college and lived in a tiny little house I shared with a roommate ("Riz" Chris Everson) in Troy, Michigan, the FAMOUS ARTIST called me up. He wondered if I might have mistakenly picked up his dry cleaning when I picked up my own. I had to tell him that I hadn't. What I didn't tell him was that I couldn't afford to have my clothes dry cleaned.
I also didn't tell him that I had recently entered art school (the Center for Creative Studies). I didn't think that he would have been impressed.
A number of years thereafter, I actually considered applying to Crambrook's art school. But it was far too expensive! Also, I was doubtful that my portfolio would have satisfied the school's requirements.
(I did write a required paper on behalf of a student at the Center for Creative Studies so she could complete her requirements and graduate. She traded me a painting for the effort... a lovely painting, too. Later, she attended Crambrook! But that's another story.)
Here we are some 35 years later. Glen Michaels is still a FAMOUS ARTIST. Glenn Scott Michaels is still himself!
Copyright 2005 glenn scott michaels. All rights reserved.
