Q&A with Local Artist, Studio and Gallery Owner Megan Mickael

Palos Verdes Estates resident Megan Mickael is an artist and photographer whose work has hung in galleries as far as Connecticut and St. Louis, and as close as Santa Monica and Denver with many more in between. A graduate of Southern Methodist University’s acclaimed Meadow School of the Arts, Mickael graduated with a degree in fine art photography and painting. In 2021, Mickael opened Studio 347 in the Waterfront Arts District of San Pedro. She lives in the Montemalaga area of Palos Verdes Estates with her husband, Tim, and two sons, Keegan (16) and Owen (13).

What brought you to Palos Verdes and California?
Life threw me a curve ball. California was never part of my plan. I was living and working in Dallas, but I felt the pull of the water. I grew up on the coast in Connecticut but with my friends from college all either migrating to the other coast or going back home to it, I knew I could not be landlocked. I’ve moved from Santa Monica to Manhattan Beach, to Redondo Beach and now to PV!

How has your art evolved during the pandemic?
The pandemic brought incredible clarity and momentum to my work. Life slowing down allowed me the space to speed up artistically.

What’s it like to balance career and family?
I’m not sure anyone has balance. I love family and I love work. There’s no natural balance; it all just works out. Both my husband and I believe our kids will benefit from being surrounded by parents who love what they do as much as they love the family.

Do you take ‘me-time’? If so, what do you do for yourself?
I have not yet mastered the art of personal time. Ultimately, I would define “me-time” as going to the beach, my studio, running, date nights and binging on podcasts.

Do you think art in our schools is important for our children?
10,000%! If we can’t keep it in our schools, we must be committed to exposing future generations to it. I have invested the last 12 to 13 years as an art docent to our schools. It’s personal to me, my sons and my mom. It’s essential for the mind, body and soul.

What is the most important lesson either of your parents taught you?
I learned compassion and strength from my mom. She was a mother to five children while being an artist herself (and still is). From my father, I learned to not take life for granted and to cherish every moment. I lost him far too early.

If you weren’t an artist, what would you like to be?
Nothing. I could only ever be an artist.