Mike Shultis is an artist, but you would be accurate if you called him a theatrical set designer, an architect, an antique dealer, an editor and a storyteller. His paintings are three dimensional,  better known as assemblages. 

Mike likes to say his art productions are ancient story lines repeating itself to show the cycle of history. He edits the message.

There are not that many artists who create assemblages and I am happy to say that my husband and I are owners of one of Mike’s magnificent masterpieces. We bought it on an art trip to Detroit with Fountainhead Arts. We walked into the Library Street Collective, Detroit’s premiere art gallery, and spotted Mike’s work immediately. Gallerist Melanie Baer Schwartz was absolutely terrific explaining Mike’s work and all of the objects featured. Artist Alison Zuckerman curated the entire show, so we knew Mike’s work was very special.

Mike’s new body of work can be seen right now at a very progressive NYC gallery, Morgan Presents—537 W 27 Street. www.morgan-presents.com

The exhibition, “Rome,” employs historical compositions as an armature for societal critique. Utilizing a range of source imagery, from classical mosaics to baroque painting, Mike draws a parallel between the hedonism, avarice and ultimate collapse of a storied Roman age and our own contemporary reality.

Mike (b. 1987, Albuquerque, NM) lives and works in Philadelphia, PA. He received his MFA in Painting and Printmaking from Yale School of Art and holds a BFA in Painting from Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. 

Mike has had solo exhibitions at Morgan Presents, New York; Ashes/Ashes, New York; Diane Rosenstein, Los Angeles. His work has been included in group exhibitions at Library Street Collective, Detroit; Carl Kostyál, Stockholm; The Bronx Museum of the Arts; and Rizzuto Gallery, Palermo, Italy.

Listen to episode 53 of the Art Lovers Forum podcast here –https://www.artloversforum.com/e/episode-55-mike-shultis/

The Art Lovers Forum Podcast is also available on popular podcast sites, including:

Apple Podcasts –https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/art-lovers-forum-podcast/id1725034621

Spotify –https://open.spotify.com/show/5FkkeWv83Hs4ADm13ctTZi

Amazon Music –https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/77484212-60c5-4026-a96f-bd2d4ae955c6

Audible – https://www.audible.com/pd/Art-Lovers-Forum-Podcast-Podcast/B0CRR1XYLZ

iHeartRadio –https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1323-art-lovers-forum-podcast-141592278/  

My mother was a terrific crocheter of afghan blankets. I have a collection of them. These photos are just a few.  I now consider them pieces of art.  Today Ruth Schneider, my mother, would have been considered  a textile artist. I loved it when Argentinian artist Jessica Trosman visited us at our Miami Condo with her children and her daughter yelled out “look at that Bubby (Yiddish term for grandmother) blanket! I got such a kick out of it. Yes, I use one of them on cooler nights. Heavy blankets make you sleep well.

Eliot and I watch true crime TV shows practically every day. Dateline and 48 Hours are a must. Eliot owns one of the most extensive libraries of mystery books ever. The news about Savannah Guthrie’s mom has our attention 24/7. We are praying for a positive outcome. I’m not saying that Paul Ciolino has it right but I just want you to hear his take on the case. I keep checking for good news. 🙏

https://youtu.be/Yq-y2XiMs7k?si=Pi-dHLGckwFRLG67

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Keep your eye out for more collaborations from art curators Sophia Ballesteros and Ross Karlan. Today we visited with Ross to see
“Echoes from Elsewhere,” an exhibition between Laundromat Art Space and SCAD’s School of Fine Arts, (Savannah College of Art and Design).

The show features work by three BFA students — Parker Schovanec, Anna Shao, and Ella Stouse — and two MFA students — Iris Alejandrina and Alejandro Giraldo.

Ross told us that these artists bring a fresh perspective and a vision of the next generation of creativity in the Southeast.

We’re planning a spring escape to Savannah to immerse ourselves in one of the most vibrant art communities in the country. Thank you, Ross, for the inspired tip — we can’t wait to explore.

Watch this video. Click the link

The NFL is just not into your red hats and hate. They see the future. The Hispanic and Black culture is the American culture. These are good people who embrace Jews and Israel. It’s wonderful to live and work with people who respect and enjoy each other. You have one life to live. Make it work.

https://youtube.com/shorts/rR0xygcGYAM?si=9iKbyxO_NfhjjB9j

A nose picking friend sent this to me early this morning.

Potentially scary’ link between nose picking and Alzheimer’s

Well, it’snot good news for most people.

Some 90% of the population picks their nose — sometimes several times a day. This may seem like a harmless habit, but frequently digging for gold may have dire consequences.

Dirty fingers can introduce bacteria into the nose, causing infections that can lead to crusting, tissue damage and nosebleeds.

Most of the world picks its nose despite the gross and potentially dangerous consequences. 

Researchers are investigating the theory that trauma to the nasal lining can transmit germs to the brain, potentially triggering inflammation and the formation of amyloid plaques.

These are the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative condition affecting over 7 million Americans.

Scientists have been unable to pinpoint exactly what causes Alzheimer’s, which gradually impairs memory, thinking, reasoning and judgment.

Some researchers have focused their attention on the crucial nose-brain axis, a direct pathway between the nasal cavity and the central nervous system.

Because the brain’s smell-processing centers are among the first areas damaged by Alzheimer’s, smell tests have become a noninvasive way to screen for Alzheimer’s risk.

Perhaps doctors should also ask their patients if they are incessant nose pickers.

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative condition affecting over 7 million Americans. 

A 2022 study out of Griffith University in Australia found that nose picking can usher Chlamydia pneumoniae, bacteria that can cause respiratory tract infections, into the olfactory nerve in the noses of mice. The bacteria can then travel to the brain.

As a result, brain cells deposit amyloid beta protein. These fragments cling together to form sticky plaques that disrupt cell communication and cause brain cell death, leading to memory loss and dementia.

“We’re the first to show that Chlamydia pneumoniae can go directly up the nose and into the brain, where it can set off pathologies that look like Alzheimer’s disease,” neuroscientist James St John said when the research was published in Scientific Reports.

“We saw this happen in a mouse model, and the evidence is potentially scary for humans as well.”

A separate 2023 scientific review suggested that Alzheimer’s neuroinflammation “might be partially caused” by pathogens entering the brain via the olfactory system.

Researchers theorized that these harmful microorganisms change the bacterial makeup in the nose, potentially leading to a chronic low-level brain infection, neuroinflammation and Alzheimer’s.

In reviewing this research last month on social media, board-certified neurosurgeon Betsy Grunch recommended practicing good nasal hygiene to avoid damaging the lining of your nose.

That means not picking boogers and plucking hairs from your nose.

If this is a habit you have picked up and simply cannot put down, frequent hand washing and hand sanitizer use are suggested.

When it comes to your nasal health, don’t blow it

What a night! Celebrating the Fountainhead Arts alumni team from Buenos Aires, 2022 Ornella Pocetti and 2025 Marcelo Canevari at Nino Gordo Wynwood. Don’t miss their show at the @mindysolomongallery starting next weekend. Thank you @kathrynmikesell, @francesca.nabors and @niki_frsh for a night to remember. Everything was perfect.

Location: Nino Gordo Wynwood, 112 NW 28th St, Miami, FL

A

He did the walking for us.

https://youtu.be/Ea-m6vwJKn4?si=HBjunRWZuCJlR047

Stay curious, relevant and helpful

Welcome to Art Lovers Forum. 

There’s a nonprofit art organization that’s quietly becoming a global force — using creativity to stand up for Israel and to fight antisemitism.

It’s called Art World for Israel, and I have to thank artist Dahlia Dreszer for introducing me to its incredible founder, Ariel Penzer.

Ariel told me that since the attacks on Israel on October 7th, 2023, too many Jewish artists have faced online harassment — and a heartbreaking drop in art sales. She decided to do something about it.

That’s how Art World for Israel began — as a simple chat group among friends. They invited more friends, and then more, and it just kept growing.

Today, there are more than 1,200 members — artists, writers, collectors, dealers, and advisors — from all over the world: Zimbabwe, Colombia, Europe, and of course, right here in the U.S.

The mission is powerful: to connect Jewish artists in with their peers in Israel, to build professional opportunities, and to promote positive visibility through exhibitions, talks, and events.

As Ariel puts it, “We believe in peer-led initiatives, local gatherings, studio visits, and professional development to grow our community.”

It’s a reminder that although the Jewish population makes up only about 0.2% of the world — roughly 15.7 million people — we continue to be, as Ariel says, small but mighty.

With everything from shows and openings to workshops and studio visits, Art World for Israel has become one of the most inspiring movements in the Jewish art world today.

@artworldforisrael

@bloomsteadfarmresidency

@arielpenzer

Listen to episode 52 of the Art Lovers Forum podcast here – https://www.artloversforum.com/e/episode-52-ariel-penzer/  

The Art Lovers Forum Podcast is also available on popular podcast sites, including:

Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/art-lovers-forum-podcast/id1725034621

Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/5FkkeWv83Hs4ADm13ctTZi

Amazon Music – https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/77484212-60c5-4026-a96f-bd2d4ae955c6

Audible – https://www.audible.com/pd/Art-Lovers-Forum-Podcast-Podcast/B0CRR1XYLZ

iHeartRadio – https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1323-art-lovers-forum-podcast-141592278/R