THE ARTIST — MICHAEL CEPRESS

MICHAEL CEPRESS

In a world thirsty for authenticity and the heartfelt goodness of humanity often only found in art of the past, it is the music and art of Michael Cepress that brings those pleasures into the modern moment. A musician, a storyteller and poet, a craftsman, a designer and cultural curator: this is an artist who understands the infinite potential for good that emerges when art forms come together as one, joining us hand-in-hand in support of the greater good.

Born and raised in Wausau, Wisconsin, Cepress found the call to the arts at an early age, as his mother says “he was born with a red crayon in his hand.” A childhood of creative discoveries led him to learn to draw and sew at an early age, at the very same time he was learning to play boogie boogie piano and getting introduced to the roots of American music and early rock’n’roll. A card-carrying member of the Roy Orbison Fan Club by age eight, and soon forming his own bands, Cepress was on stage by 13, finding his way to use the spotlight and stage to share his gifts.

While in high school in Wausau, and eventually art school at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, he found focus and a groove exploring his passion for the visual arts by day, and the rock’n’roll stage by night with his early bands The Red Ball Express, The Sons of Mary and The Shakin’ 78s. Making their way around bars and clubs, state fairs and festivals, weddings and funerals throughout Wisconsin and the upper midwest, it was these performances that came to guide Cepress and his fellow musicians into notoriety. This early life that danced between the visual and performing arts came to set the pace for the life that Cepress continues to live today.

It was also in these early years that Cepress discovered the counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s, and from an early age came to feel as though he himself is a member of this generation that he is far too young to have ever actually lived. His endless quest to know the essence of the time led him to deeply study the music, the art, the style, the values and the people of this time, and to carry them with him in his own practice as an artist.

Now as he matures as a musician in the world created through his songs, the visions of the counterculture ‘60s never faded or failed. They just got smarter, and maybe sweeter, and now come alive again through the re-imaginings that he offers for the 21st century. Cepress combines the music of the past with the spirit of the present on these tracks, wisely avoiding the musty recreations of nostalgia or – even more importantly – winking meta-commentaries. His songs are loving and living examples of the sounds and spirits of the late-1960s. His influences are wide-ranging, riding the cosmic axis that connects Gram Parsons to Jefferson Airplane to Bill Withers. But, as important as those influences are, they never overwhelm his unique vision. Cepress’s voice and guitar anchor warm arrangements that evoke the era in both its multicolored splendor and its muted earth-tone intimacy. The visual imagery isn’t accidental. Cepress’s career has taken him through textile arts, fashion design, education and exhibit curation, but music – specifically this music – has remained at the center of his creative practice. A lifelong fan and student of the soundscapes of the late 1960s, he now creates songs that draw together these golden threads.

Right in step with his music, a deep passion for the cultural impact clothing and fashion can make has led Cepress to focus on the design of his own fashion label and costumes for theatre and stage performance. Upon receiving his Masters of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Washington in 2006, Cepress pursued his expertise in menswear and fine tailoring, and formed his own fashion label which produced seasonal collections and one of a kind wearable art pieces from 2005 to 2017, and has seen recognition in exhibitions around the world. Cepress has exhibited his works and lectured nationally and internationally as an authority on the historical importance of fashion as an art form, with his own hands as a skilled tailor and craftsman leading the charge. His successes and prowess as a designer have carried Cepress into higher education, where taught as an instructor at the University of Washington's School of Art for 12 years. There he created curricula on multiple facets of Fashion Design, Wearable Art, Fiber Arts and Textiles, and the cultural history of style and clothing.

In 2014, Cepress was invited to dress the Seattle Symphony Orchestra for their performances in the Spring for Music Festival at Carnegie Hall. Here the orchestra could be seen wearing hand-dyed silk creations by Cepress as they staged their Grammy-award winning performances of works by composer John Luther Adams. He has also worked as a costume designer with legendary theatre director Robert Wilson, and worked in collaboration with Wilson for performances at The Watermill Center on Long Island, New York. These artistic accomplishments of Cepress have been lauded in the Huffington Post, OUT Magazine, Surface Design Journal, FiberArts Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, and a host of books and exhibition catalogs on the subject of Wearable Art and Fashion Design.

In 2015, Cepress became Guest Curator at the Bellevue Arts Museum, and debuted a multi-floor museum exhibition titled "Counter-Couture," featuring over 150 authentic garments from the American counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s. This exhibition stands not only as a testament to the deep power and impact of a movement, but also expresses the soulful devotion Cepress has to an entire cultural ethos he works to preserve and uplift. A true torch-carrier and messenger of the goodness of the past, his work as a curator and storyteller brings it all into the modern moment, shining light on how we can move forward through the values of authentic peace and love he sings about. The songs, colors, garments, and poetry he shares all become one multifaceted faceted jewel that project these timeless messages for the masses.

In Summer 2016 Cepress was a guest instructor at the Penland School of Crafts, and in May 2016 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in his hometown of Wausau, Wisconsin.

In 2017 Counter-Couture was reimagined and showcased at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City, where it saw attention and acclaim in a range of publications including VOGUE, Womenswear Daily, The New Yorker, The New York Times, NY Magazine and more.

Now based in Seattle, Washington, Cepress continues his path as a musician and artist. In search of the truth and essence found within the changing landscape of American culture, Cepress has spent the last 4 years traveling over 70,000 miles solo across the United States playing music, gathering stories, writing songs, and continuing his work to know and express what sits at the heart of us all. What results is the soulful and incandescent life of an artist who calls us to join him and be free.