Rural Art Revival™ Through Rebecca Craft’s Eyes

In the early 2000s, self-taught American artist Michel Keck decided to bypass the traditional gallery system most artists followed. She had ideas, passion and the motivation to do it all herself. With the help of the internet, she demonstrated the commercial possibilities of selling original art directly to collectors through eBay. By 2006, she was a Platinum PowerSeller. By 2008, she was appearing in magazines.

“When I started selling my art online, I wasn’t waiting for a gallery to discover me. I wanted to create my work, put it out into the world, and let people decide for themselves whether they connected with it. The internet gave me that freedom, and I’ll always be grateful for that.”

As technology progressed and Facebook was born, Michel played social media roulette; she’d create a painting that stood six-foot-by-six-foot in her studio, reduce it to a one-inch photo and share it online. Sometimes those thumbnails traveled to every time zone on the globe. Other times the internet gods simply buried it in favor of a sponsored advertisement for wrinkle cream. But the internet was a practical necessity for her business so she persisted.

And persisted.

And persisted.

What began as an exciting opportunity to reach collectors became an endless competition for their attention.

There are now more social media platforms than any one person should be expected to navigate, and with them come artificial intelligence applications creating content that is increasingly difficult to distinguish from reality. Caught in the endless cycle of scrolling, consumers move from one image to the next, rarely pausing long enough to make a meaningful connection.

For Michel, the connection is the important part.

During the course of her career, Michel has made it a point to meet other artists: Jimmy Lee Sudduth, Mose Tolliver, A.B. the Flagman, Joe Legge, Eric Legge, Butch Anthony, and Minnie Adkins, to name a few. Her words take on a dreamy quality as she recalls moments spent sitting in their homes, learning what inspires them, what motivates them. She relishes those memories, those connections.

“I love getting into my car, driving from state to state, exploring rural communities, meeting artists, and learning about their lives. I’m interested not only in what people make but why they make it, where they work, and how their surroundings influence their creativity.”

Michel is now asking you to join her in putting the artist back into the art.

Tucked into the countryside of Wheatfield, Indiana, is Michel’s studio and gallery, where she will host the inaugural Rural Art Revival October 1–3, 2027. Inspired by the artists who welcomed her into their homes, Michel hopes to create that same opportunity for others, bringing artists and collectors together to share their work, their stories, and perhaps discover something unexpected.

“More than twenty years ago, I was using the internet to get my art out into the world. Now I’m encouraging people to get off the internet and experience art in person. I guess I’ve come full circle, from URL to IRL.”

Michel has enlisted fellow artists Bonnie Zimmer and Kristi Yapp to help assemble a diverse collection of creative talent. From painters and sculptors to ceramicists, fiber artists, and assemblage artists, Rural Art Revival aims to showcase original work across a variety of mediums, introducing visitors to artists they might never have discovered otherwise. Visitors can expect to meet artists, browse original work, and learn the stories behind the art.

Rural Art Revival will also be part of October Market Trails, a weekend event featuring eleven stops along Indiana’s rural country roads, designed to promote local artists and small business owners. Visitors can make a weekend of it, exploring independent shops offering everything from jams and skin care products to antiques and other one-of-a-kind treasures. Michel hopes the journey itself will be part of the experience.

“Go visit an artist. Walk into their studio. Ask them questions. Listen to their stories. You might come home with a piece of artwork, or you might come home with a wonderful memory. Either way, you’ll have experienced something you could never get from scrolling on your phone.”

For more detail, please visit Michel’s webpage: Rural Art Revival