Michelle (she/her) is a designer and writer with a passion for the arts and the natural world. She grew up in Atlanta, where she worked for a public library, gave tours at the High Museum of Art, volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, and spent time on Georgia’s barrier islands observing birds, sea turtles, and wild horses.
The ever-encroaching sprawl of Atlanta led her to relocate to the Monadnock Region in 1999. Upon moving to New Hampshire, Michelle volunteered with the Vermont Institute of Natural Science and worked as the artist liaison at MacDowell, serving more than 3,600 artists during her 13-year tenure. In 2012, she left MacDowell to found the online arts and culture blog Gwarlingo. She’s been a regular contributor to Art New England magazine, a visiting lecturer at various universities, and a cultural commentator for NHPR.
For the past ten years, she and her business partner, Corwin Levi, have run Gwarlingo Studio — a design studio that helps creatives and small businesses with branding, print, book, and web design. Their office is located in the historic mill village of Harrisville, where Michelle also lives.
A love of architecture and local history combined with a commitment to affordable housing and community motivated her to join the board of Historic Harrisville, where she currently serves as board chair. Memorable experiences with the Harris Center, which include exploring rail trails, learning the history of beavers, watching migrating hawks, and observing the banding of saw-whet owls, have deepened her connection to the region.
In her free time, Michelle enjoys cooking, watching new and classic films, and hiking with her adventure cat, Merle.
