Michelle Lee Rigell is a painter, a mother, and a charity organizer based in St. Louis, MO. Rigell has transitioned her pre-med educational background into a career in fundraising and activism, currently serving as Associate Director of Arts As Healing.

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Rigell’s current body of work is inspired by her formative childhood passions such as origami and martial art movies, and the discipline and patience required for growth and healing. Since 2016, Rigell has been working on the “1000 Crane Project,” inspired by the legend that 1,000 cranes can grant a wish, or even eternal happiness. Originating as a coping method during difficulties of infertility, the artist’s work serves as a method of healing through sentimentality, humor, and persistence.