Michal Shapiro has been painting and drawing for most of her life, nurtured by early exposure to art in her mother’s studio. A Queens College alumna (BFA, MFA coursework), she studied under esteemed artists Herbert Aach and Gerald Hahn, whose mentorship helped shape her transition from figurative to abstract painting. Immersed in SoHo’s vibrant art scene of the late 1970s, she maintained a studio on Broadway and Prince, exhibited at Cooper Union Gallery, and formed lasting connections with painters such as Thornton Willis.
Shapiro’s work has been widely exhibited across New York, including solo and group shows at Mercer Street Gallery, Sideshow Gallery, M55 Gallery, and Baruch College. Her painting Butternut gained pop-cultural recognition as a fixture in Don Draper’s office on Mad Men, and has also appeared in Away We Go and Trumbo.
Since 2001, Shapiro has created dynamic collages from painted Styrofoam and recycled gift wrap, transforming discarded materials into vibrant explorations of color, texture, and rhythm. Guided by intuition rather than premeditation, her process embraces spontaneity and surprise, allowing form and movement to emerge organically.
A multidisciplinary artist, Shapiro is also a musician and world music journalist, producing the videoblog World Music and Culture and collaborating with the improvisational duo Sonic Twist (Bruce Arnold and Judi Silvano) on art videos that merge visual and auditory expression—continuing her lifelong exploration of improvisation, intuition, and creative flow.
“I allow the fragments of painted Styrofoam or paper to guide me into ever fascinating relationships of color and texture,” she notes. A recipient of a Joan Mitchell Foundation grant, Shapiro continues to live and work in Queens, New York. Her work can be viewed at michalshapiro.com.
In this 90-minute hands-on mosaic workshop, artist Michal Shapiro invites participants to experience the joy of creating with spontaneity and intuition.
Working with colorful, pre-painted foam “chips” saved from the artist’s own process, participants will explore how each fragment can spark new ideas and unexpected compositions—like assembling a puzzle whose image only reveals itself through play and discovery. Rather than following a set design, the session encourages experimentation with color, shape, and rhythm, allowing intuition to guide each step.
The chips will be fused to canvas boards using glue, resulting in a unique, expressive mosaic to take home. All materials will be provided for this delightfully messy and creative process.
No prior experience is necessary—just curiosity, creativity, and comfort with basic cutting tools. Please allow drying time before transporting your finished work.