MIKE WELTON

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Mike Welton came to Minneapolis for work in design and ended up immersing himself within the local GLBT and publishing communities. He created a local GLBT newspaper into a Magazine format that is still in print today under a different name. From there Mike continued to work for a large local publisher until he started full time Oil Painting in 1997. Today he and four business partners have open a Gallery coffee shop under the name Umbra-arts LLC. 

Always focused on his local surroundings, he naturally developed a series of paintings of his first love from the inner city that immediately found collectors and audiences nationally. He recently was awarded an Minnesota Artist Initiative Grant where he painted vintage signage from all Minnesota regions and wrote on their significance to each community. His painted portraits of the Twin Cities most loved architectural icons have sold thousands in print form. He gains influences and support from the over 300 other artists in the Northrup King Building where he works