We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michael Dalluge a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Michael, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I learned how to make mixed media art in high school! I took three classes of painting, drawing, and AP art. I didn’t quite learn my specific art style by being taught it, rather I was provided the tools to experiment and toy around with to develop my current art style. I think I could have started experimenting with assemblage art earlier on but I’m grateful I eventually started doing more assemblage and mixed media art pieces. I believe that the most essential skill I learned was not being afraid of mistakes.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Michael, and I am a gay latino 20 year old who resides in the twin cities and I work full time as a sheet metal worker, but in my spare time I love to make art! Ever since I was young, I’ve always been artsy and my art really took off when I took art classes in 10th and 11th grade. Then I took AP Art in 12th grade and I really started to find my art style with mixed media art. Once I graduated, I took a 2 year break from art to focus on my full time job and just navigate through adult life. In June 2023, is when I started to do art again, thanks to the lovely people at Wild Vintage Collective in Fridley, MN. They had recently been flooded in and needed help repairing their store. Since I worked so close to them, I volunteered a lot of time helping and eventually when they were back on their feet, one of the owners had mentioned that they were looking for a mural artist and I mentioned that I make art. I showed them my instagram and they asked me if I was not only interested in the mural but also their monthly outdoor markets! Ever since then, I have been doing outdoor markets and indoor markets! Overall it has been very lovely vending as an artist and it used to be an adjustment balancing my full time job and art but I manage it quite well now. I am somewhat on a break currently from markets and now gathering my thoughts and creativity again but I would love to hop back into it eventually. I am most proud of all the lovely queer people I’ve met and the amazing supportive people all around who can see the uniqueness and love in my art pieces.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Back in January, there was an incident on social media that originally was about some other makers in the local market scene and my fellow artist friends and I were in support of. Everything was all good until things transpired and it was flipped onto us and caused us to be blacklisted, “cancelled”, and harassed by a lot of both market people, artists, and even people who aren’t directly involved in the market scene. I had to learn that people hold no power through just words and to shake it off. I only just recently discovered that and now I am at complete peace. People only feel jealous and bitter if they aren’t happy with themselves or see something in you that they struggle to have.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I had known about marketplace and local art group listings where people can trade/exchange art materials!! Very much life changing!!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: lit_trashh
• Facebook: Michael Dalluge