Ogden artist floored by community support after shooting that damaged work
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- Artist Michelle Phelps is pictured at her first art show in Colorado earlier this month.
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- Artwork by Michelle Phelps was damaged by a shooting.
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- Hearts in this piece of art by Michelle Phelps art narrowly escaped bullet holes from a shooting.
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- A shooting left bullet holes all over Michelle Phelps’ car and artwork stored inside.
The Ogden arts community showed its true colors with the outpouring of love and support for one of their own, artist Michelle Phelps (Mandrews Art), whose highly anticipated art show in Colorado earlier this month was impacted by a shooting.
In June 2021, Phelps sold everything she had, purchased a trailer and followed the call of the mountains to Ogden. Phelps purchased a studio at The Monarch and has been working tirelessly ever since. She puts her heart and soul into every piece, as many artists do, but each stroke is a silent reminder of the risk she is taking.
For months, Phelps had been preparing for her first art show. Taking place in Colorado, Phelps loaded up her car and drove east to the neighboring state with her boyfriend. Due to bad traffic, they didn’t reach Colorado till early in the morning so they went straight to bed, leaving the artwork in Phelps’ car in the parking lot of the gallery/Airbnb where they were staying. Phelps recounts that she heard gunshots around 3 a.m.
“I went to the window to see if my car was OK, but my boyfriend yelled ‘get down!’ After the gunshots were over, we ventured outside and saw a police car driving up to investigate. From where we were standing I couldn’t see any damage to my car so we just went back to bed.”
The next morning was a different story. “I went to my car and saw the window was destroyed, (as well as) the mirror, (there were) holes in the upholstery. … Then I saw it had hit some of my artwork,” she said with a sigh.
“I didn’t want to move anything till I called the cops, but I could see my artwork sitting there,” she added, shaking her head.
The other cars next to Phelps’ were not damaged. There were no missing items from the car. Bullet casings were found behind the car, so police suspect that shooting up the car was a dare or initiation, or that someone was using the car as a shield while being shot at.
Of all the art pieces that could have been destroyed there were only three pieces damaged. The rest of the collateral was frames and other damage to her car.
“I had my little pity party, then got to work on the show,” she said.
During the show, she received notifications of The Monarch community and the Ogden community coming together to help. “I was just bawling my eyes out all day with tears of joy,” she said. “I have wanted to be part of a community for so long, and it was such a special moment for me.”
The art show was a hit, partly due to the news of the shooting. “It was a huge success!” Phelps said. One painting was definitely the showpiece.
Of the three art pieces that were shot, one was a painting of a formation of hearts. The bullet didn’t strike even one. “One centimeter in any direction,” she mused, “a heart would have been gone.”
The piece, already sold, is going to be hung in an art therapy office, specifically for people who deal with sudden traumatic events. The customer who had already purchased the painting is even more excited about it now that it has even more of a poetic impact.
“I’m going to send her a bullet and type out the story for her to frame as well,” Phelps said.
Michelle recovered about six bullets and casings, and with those and the broken frames, plans on making a statement art piece to thank the Ogden community.
“It’s such a silly thing to celebrate, but a sense of community means so much to me,” she said. “Everything came together after that. I got just enough money to cover my car repairs and gas money to come back home. It took such an enormous weight off my shoulders.”
One of her signature subjects is aspen trees. “Aspens look like individual trees,” she said, “but they grow in colonies and are actually part of the same root system. If one tree is under attack of bacteria, other trees can swap nutrients and send them to the tree in need. They play a role in one another’s health.”
“At first it was hard to be on the receiving end,” she said, “but, of course, I related it back to my aspen trees. It has been a profound lesson on community and love.”