Artist's Bio and Résumé
ARTIST’S BIO
Micheline “Mickey” Stefanie Ronningen admits that up to age five she used her own made-up language. She now recognizes it was a relief for everyone when she decided to speak English like others. Despite such imaginative beginnings, her high school SATs fell in the top two percent for linguistics, in English.
This early experience with speech feeds her fundamental approach to art: that she is translating. Mickey is using color, value, form, line, shape, texture, and space to talk about the human experience. Art is the translation, allowing the flexibility to express some of those non-verbal states life tends to generate, including joy and laughter.
Such communication efforts cradle her involvements in art, writing, publishing, and small-screen performance.
Other compensated work (as in earning money) spans grocery cashiering, data analysis at Nielsen’s rating, decorating commercial Christmas trees, work at the Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago), Swiss farm mother’s helper, minion to a French countess, criminal justice researcher, general secretarial, online columnist, secretary/videographer/photographer on the I-205 environmental impact study, graphic design, landscape design, editor, indexer, and blackjack dealer for an event company.
Visual accomplishments include film, both still and action. Videography and photography as mentioned above and her movie “Popcorn” debuted at the Chicago International Film Festival. Numerous still works have appeared in publishing venues, including her own gardening book (“The Pacific Northwest Guide to Home Gardening”, Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 1979) and online.
Mickey has also painted and dyed cloth, made dolls using pipe cleaners, foam and cloth; used embroidery threads for two large works based on photos and is experienced with traditional printmaking with stones, photo silkscreen and painting using acrylic, latex, and oils. She now enjoys further experimentation with pigment markers, colored pencil, acrylic ink, Micron or gel pen, and watercolor.
A few of Mickey’s special exhibition venues include The Art House (Chicago), Art Map Ponte de Lima (Portugal), Aurora Colony Days (Oregon), solo shows at Clackamas Community College and the Canby Library (both Oregon), repeat participation in the local Clackamas County Arts Alliance “Artist Exhibit Program,” First Street Gallery (New York City), multiple showings at Verum Ultimum Gallery (Portland, Oregon), Johnstone Financial (Lake Oswego, Oregon), a fun day demonstrating her artmaking at the Lake Oswego Wine Walk (Oregon), Mills Pond Gallery (St. James, New York), and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Written works include a book on gardening published by Timber Press (1979); over twenty years’ experience editing and indexing nonfiction manuscripts; dedicated attempts at children’s picture books; a nonfiction piece about muskoxen promoted by the Washington State Historical Society; three years as an online columnist writing and providing visuals about longevity; and a published companion piece to an artwork from the Blue Heron Mill site development and art jam.
Performance work, typically comedic, began with auditioning and being hired to play Carrie Brownstein’s mom on the Emmy award-winning show “Portlandia.” Mickey appears as Carrie’s mom in season two’s “Wanna Come to My DJ Night?” Season three has Carrie’s mom selling Carrie in “Art Project.” And season five’s “Carrie’s A Cool Dresser,” reportedly had Mickey’s longtime friend and SAIC graduate Scott commenting on her “masterful use of eyebrows.” Season five’s episode also introduced Carrie's dad. The show is available for viewing through Netflix, Amazon, IFC, or Hulu.
Mickey’s also done several commercial shoots and continues auditions. The FLIR-FX home security camera spot enjoyed almost three million hits and, after four years, is still on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hstb4_cmd2w. Minor highlights include a yoga shoot for a credit union aired on Superbowl Sunday and work as a featured extra for two network series.
The only other things Mickey wants to mention here, “to color the picture,” are: nine months’ work in Europe at age twenty; a passion for gardening, rocks and plants; a 40+ year marriage to the same man; three amazing grandsons and stepdaughter and son-in-law; a full appreciation for meditation and qigong practice; and a love of cats.
The 30-year history with such felines led to allergies, and asthma. However, Mickey insists she has yet to meet an ugly cat. As the asthma condition supplements the genetically-induced emphysema and macular degeneration, Mickey also practices amor fati—Nietzche’s call to honor and embrace “the love of your fate.”
ARTIST’S RESUME for Micheline “Mickey” Ronningen
Education:
2012-20 Continuing education in fine arts, business, workshops, online study.
2008-10 Reed College, Children’s Book Writing and Illustrating, summer sessions.
2005-10 Qigong training, Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, Portland, OR.
1980-2000 Master Gardener training, local, and summer sessions at Oregon State University.
1972 Received Bachelor of Fine Arts, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL.
1971 Roosevelt University, academic studies, Chicago, IL.
1964-5 Chicago Community College, general studies, Chicago, IL.
1963 Ox-Bow Summer School of Art, 2-month summer session, Saugatuck, MI.
1962 SAIC Summer School for Teens, photography, Chicago, IL.
Select Exhibits: (*indicates solo)
2020 Access Art, Lake Oswego, OR; 2-person 3-month exhibit.
2019 6th Annual Abstract Sanctuary, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR.
2019 National Juried Exhibition, First Street Gallery, NYC.
2018 Abstract, international online call, Contemporary Art Room Gallery (finalist).
2018 A Summer Song, Mills Pond Gallery, St. James, NY.
2018 Home, Augusta Savage Gallery, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.
2017 *Abstract Resolutions, Canby Public Library, Canby, OR.
2017 *Explorations in Two Dimensions, Clackamas Community College, Wilsonville, OR.
2016 Re-cognition, Art Map, Ponte de Lima, Portugal.
2015 Art by America: A National Review, The Art House, Chicago, IL.
2014-16 *Clackamas County Arts Alliance, Artist Exhibit Program; four public venues, Oregon City and Milwaukie, OR.
2014 Art Contemplates Industry, art jam, Oregon City, OR.
Awards and Publications:
2018-19 “Seeing Things,” national quarterly arts newsletter to subscribers.
2012 Professional Development Grant, Regional Arts and Culture Council, Portland, OR.
2009-12 “Longevity,” weekly independent online columnist; included visuals.
1979 “Pacific Northwest Guide to Home Gardening,” Timber Press, co-author and illustrator, Portland, OR.
1969-72 Full-tuition scholarship to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; granted by the Chicago Public School Art Society, Chicago, IL.
Principal Employment History:
2012-present Blackjack dealer, part-time, Wild Bill’s event company, Portland, OR.
1980-2010 Full-service freelance non-fiction book editor and indexer, Happy Valley, OR.
1976-79 Graphic design, Multnomah County ESD, Portland, OR.
1974-75 CH2M/Hill, secretarial and video/photography, Portland, OR.
1968-72 Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL.
Performance:
2019 Featured extra for ABC series “Stumptown.”
2017 Featured Extra, pilot study, HBO series.
2015 Commercial: FLIR-FX.
2014 Commercial: Community Savings Bank.
2012-15 Actor, “Under 5,” as Carrie Brownstein’s mother, “Portlandia,” seasons 2, 3, 5.
Micheline “Mickey” Stefanie Ronningen admits that up to age five she used her own made-up language. She now recognizes it was a relief for everyone when she decided to speak English like others. Despite such imaginative beginnings, her high school SATs fell in the top two percent for linguistics, in English.
This early experience with speech feeds her fundamental approach to art: that she is translating. Mickey is using color, value, form, line, shape, texture, and space to talk about the human experience. Art is the translation, allowing the flexibility to express some of those non-verbal states life tends to generate, including joy and laughter.
Such communication efforts cradle her involvements in art, writing, publishing, and small-screen performance.
Other compensated work (as in earning money) spans grocery cashiering, data analysis at Nielsen’s rating, decorating commercial Christmas trees, work at the Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago), Swiss farm mother’s helper, minion to a French countess, criminal justice researcher, general secretarial, online columnist, secretary/videographer/photographer on the I-205 environmental impact study, graphic design, landscape design, editor, indexer, and blackjack dealer for an event company.
Visual accomplishments include film, both still and action. Videography and photography as mentioned above and her movie “Popcorn” debuted at the Chicago International Film Festival. Numerous still works have appeared in publishing venues, including her own gardening book (“The Pacific Northwest Guide to Home Gardening”, Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 1979) and online.
Mickey has also painted and dyed cloth, made dolls using pipe cleaners, foam and cloth; used embroidery threads for two large works based on photos and is experienced with traditional printmaking with stones, photo silkscreen and painting using acrylic, latex, and oils. She now enjoys further experimentation with pigment markers, colored pencil, acrylic ink, Micron or gel pen, and watercolor.
A few of Mickey’s special exhibition venues include The Art House (Chicago), Art Map Ponte de Lima (Portugal), Aurora Colony Days (Oregon), solo shows at Clackamas Community College and the Canby Library (both Oregon), repeat participation in the local Clackamas County Arts Alliance “Artist Exhibit Program,” First Street Gallery (New York City), multiple showings at Verum Ultimum Gallery (Portland, Oregon), Johnstone Financial (Lake Oswego, Oregon), a fun day demonstrating her artmaking at the Lake Oswego Wine Walk (Oregon), Mills Pond Gallery (St. James, New York), and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Written works include a book on gardening published by Timber Press (1979); over twenty years’ experience editing and indexing nonfiction manuscripts; dedicated attempts at children’s picture books; a nonfiction piece about muskoxen promoted by the Washington State Historical Society; three years as an online columnist writing and providing visuals about longevity; and a published companion piece to an artwork from the Blue Heron Mill site development and art jam.
Performance work, typically comedic, began with auditioning and being hired to play Carrie Brownstein’s mom on the Emmy award-winning show “Portlandia.” Mickey appears as Carrie’s mom in season two’s “Wanna Come to My DJ Night?” Season three has Carrie’s mom selling Carrie in “Art Project.” And season five’s “Carrie’s A Cool Dresser,” reportedly had Mickey’s longtime friend and SAIC graduate Scott commenting on her “masterful use of eyebrows.” Season five’s episode also introduced Carrie's dad. The show is available for viewing through Netflix, Amazon, IFC, or Hulu.
Mickey’s also done several commercial shoots and continues auditions. The FLIR-FX home security camera spot enjoyed almost three million hits and, after four years, is still on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hstb4_cmd2w. Minor highlights include a yoga shoot for a credit union aired on Superbowl Sunday and work as a featured extra for two network series.
The only other things Mickey wants to mention here, “to color the picture,” are: nine months’ work in Europe at age twenty; a passion for gardening, rocks and plants; a 40+ year marriage to the same man; three amazing grandsons and stepdaughter and son-in-law; a full appreciation for meditation and qigong practice; and a love of cats.
The 30-year history with such felines led to allergies, and asthma. However, Mickey insists she has yet to meet an ugly cat. As the asthma condition supplements the genetically-induced emphysema and macular degeneration, Mickey also practices amor fati—Nietzche’s call to honor and embrace “the love of your fate.”
ARTIST’S RESUME for Micheline “Mickey” Ronningen
Education:
2012-20 Continuing education in fine arts, business, workshops, online study.
2008-10 Reed College, Children’s Book Writing and Illustrating, summer sessions.
2005-10 Qigong training, Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, Portland, OR.
1980-2000 Master Gardener training, local, and summer sessions at Oregon State University.
1972 Received Bachelor of Fine Arts, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL.
1971 Roosevelt University, academic studies, Chicago, IL.
1964-5 Chicago Community College, general studies, Chicago, IL.
1963 Ox-Bow Summer School of Art, 2-month summer session, Saugatuck, MI.
1962 SAIC Summer School for Teens, photography, Chicago, IL.
Select Exhibits: (*indicates solo)
2020 Access Art, Lake Oswego, OR; 2-person 3-month exhibit.
2019 6th Annual Abstract Sanctuary, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR.
2019 National Juried Exhibition, First Street Gallery, NYC.
2018 Abstract, international online call, Contemporary Art Room Gallery (finalist).
2018 A Summer Song, Mills Pond Gallery, St. James, NY.
2018 Home, Augusta Savage Gallery, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.
2017 *Abstract Resolutions, Canby Public Library, Canby, OR.
2017 *Explorations in Two Dimensions, Clackamas Community College, Wilsonville, OR.
2016 Re-cognition, Art Map, Ponte de Lima, Portugal.
2015 Art by America: A National Review, The Art House, Chicago, IL.
2014-16 *Clackamas County Arts Alliance, Artist Exhibit Program; four public venues, Oregon City and Milwaukie, OR.
2014 Art Contemplates Industry, art jam, Oregon City, OR.
Awards and Publications:
2018-19 “Seeing Things,” national quarterly arts newsletter to subscribers.
2012 Professional Development Grant, Regional Arts and Culture Council, Portland, OR.
2009-12 “Longevity,” weekly independent online columnist; included visuals.
1979 “Pacific Northwest Guide to Home Gardening,” Timber Press, co-author and illustrator, Portland, OR.
1969-72 Full-tuition scholarship to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; granted by the Chicago Public School Art Society, Chicago, IL.
Principal Employment History:
2012-present Blackjack dealer, part-time, Wild Bill’s event company, Portland, OR.
1980-2010 Full-service freelance non-fiction book editor and indexer, Happy Valley, OR.
1976-79 Graphic design, Multnomah County ESD, Portland, OR.
1974-75 CH2M/Hill, secretarial and video/photography, Portland, OR.
1968-72 Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL.
Performance:
2019 Featured extra for ABC series “Stumptown.”
2017 Featured Extra, pilot study, HBO series.
2015 Commercial: FLIR-FX.
2014 Commercial: Community Savings Bank.
2012-15 Actor, “Under 5,” as Carrie Brownstein’s mother, “Portlandia,” seasons 2, 3, 5.