**Cheryl L. Haithco with “Walking into the Future” and “Shades of fall” in the background.**

Artist Statement

"Painting has been a way for me to "escape" and relax ever since I began drawing as a child. When I paint, my creativity takes over and I can't stop until it is poured out on the canvas. I am inspired by the beauty of nature, the basic contrast of shades of light and dark, the simple tilt of the head or the expression on a child's face. My use of acrylics to create art is focused on nature, travels, human expression, and interaction. I feel my colorful paintings show the beauty of life. I see my artwork as snapshots of daily life, and the beauty of nature rather than just strictly art, and it is my hope that they will encourage viewers to think more deeply about calming thoughts and treasuring the moments."

Artist Bio

Cheryl has loved art from the time her mother exposed her to drawing and painting with trips to the DIA as a young child growing up in Detroit. She constantly drew and with her parents’ encouragement, her interest in art continued through high school at Mercy High School onto majoring in art at Mercy College. However, on the road to pursuing an art career she worked as a nonprofit fundraising professional for over 19 years. In 2010 she slowly returned to her first passion; drawing and painting. In 2016 she completely embraced her passion full-time. Cheryl was honored to have been accepted and shown her work in several juried art shows which include the Birmingham Our Town Art Show in 2010, 2018, and 2019. Her work was showcased in the annual Farmington Spring Art Exhibit three years in a row. Her paintings have been on display in the Costick Center Art Gallery in Farmington Hills and in September of 2013 she was the featured artist in the Downtown Farmington Library. Her paintings have been featured at Mi.Mosa Restaurant in Downtown Farmington, MI, The City of Berkley Public Library, Vitrine Gallery and Gifts, Berkley, MI., Bizzy Buzz Artisan Market, Rochester Hills, MI., Norwest Gallery, Detroit, MI., and Irwin House, Detroit, MI.

Cheryl is a member of the Detroit Fine Arts Breakfast Club, the National Conference of Artists of Michigan, the Scarab Club, and the Birmingham Society of Women Painters. Cheryl has displayed and sold her pieces in the Palmer Park Art Fair, Arts Beats and Eats, The Torch of Wisdom Annual Art Exhibit and Auction, Matrix Human Services Artworks Detroit, and the Emerge Art Festival at the Kayrod Gallery and was on a rotating basis in all Beaumont Hospital locations.

Cheryl's work has also been on display and sold at the Detroit Historical Museum, the Cause and Affect Gallery in Fenton, MI, the Hawk in Farmington Hills, the Farmington Hills City Hall and two paintings were shown at The Charles H. Wright Museum in Detroit, MI for 2020. In 2019, 2022, 2024 her paintings were juried into the two-year display in the Farmington Hills City Hall. Most recently she had a solo show in the Farmington Hills City Hall. Henry Ford Health Systems purchased three of her paintings for its personal collection. Four of her paintings were displayed in the Blue Cross Blue Shield building in Grand Rapids, MI for ArtPrize 2022, the Devos Convention Center ArtPrize 2023 at Intercept Studios ArtPrize 2024 and she will have a series of paintings in ArtPrize 2025. Her paintings have found homes throughout the United States and Europe. She currently is an artist in residence and Gallery Director at Blackbird Gallery in Farmington Hills. She has donated paintings to raise funds for schools and nonprofit organizations throughout the United States and uses her skills to expose youth in the metro Detroit area to the arts. Painting allows her to relive her travels and experiences, allowing those impressions to spread to others.