NEWS + PRESS
May 2022, Inside + Out, Jen Dragon, "REDISCOVERING OUTDOOR ARTS AT KAATSBAAN AND BYRDCLIFFE" -- "And there’s the slowly shifting performance bonfire of Michael Asbill and Michael Fortenberry tucked in an excavated corner of the property– an archaeological reclamation combined with the alchemical transformation of burning matter to ash..."
July 22, 2022, HUDSON VALLEY ONE, Lynn Woods, "'Shelter’ at White Pines: A Woodstock exhibition that’s a commentary on mankind's interaction with nature" -- "The show is a collective stock-taking that resonates with nature as well as the healing of human trauma. The pieces range from a site-specific temporary structure to a steel-rebar sculpture mostly fabricated in Brooklyn... Asbill and Fortenberry take a different but no less pure approach, in the sense of materials and methods used, in their piece Encroachments. They create a series of interventions on two sections of stone wall amid the wreckage of a fallen ash tree by filling in three gaps in the bluestone slabs with pieces of charcoal. Aside from these fillings, it is difficult to tell where the hand of man has interfered with the mind of nature, although one fallen log looks to have been cut and certain stones seem realigned. "
June 5, 2022, ART IN AMERICA GUIDE, "Shelter: Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition at Byrdcliffe’s Historic White Pines" -- "The exhibition’s premise is the idea of shelter, which has become particularly relevant during the Covid-19 pandemic, but is a basic need not only for humans, but animals, birds, insects, indeed all living organisms, and the endless ingenuity shown in the building of shelter."
July 9, 2021, TELLURIDE NEWS, Leslie Vreeland, “A historic reimagining: New vision for Transfer Warehouse will be unveiled Wednesday” -- "Michael Fortenberry, who was raised in Telluride, will exhibit new works in the warehouse. “The ability to shape our own progression as a species is what has separated us from other forms of life,” the artist has said of the inspiration for his work. It’s a spirit that inspires all artistic endeavors. And it will guide the creative transformation of the Transfer Warehouse, too."
September 21, 2021, TELLURIDE ARTS DISTRICT, "Featured Artist: Michael Fortenberry" -- "Most of my artistic inspiration is documented on the spot from moving through life, drawn on coffee cups, books, and my arms that I later might transcribe to a more permanent spot... looking forward to emulating natural environments to create a bridge between humans and the natural world in efforts to make symbols of coexistence to encourage the healing of our earth."
July 15, 2021, Telluride Arts District, "Michael Fortenberry Mixed Media Installation"
May 30, 2019, MANIFEST GALLERY, "Rites of Passage: 15th Annual Emerging Artists Exhibit" -- "Having arrived in Cincinnati from incredibly distant places, including coast to coast, from California to New Jersey, all to be a part of their exhibits' events at Manifest Gallery during Walk on Woodburn! ... At this time we would like to offer our sincere congratulations to Michael Fortenberry, who received the highest number of votes to earn the Best in Show Award for the 2019 Rites of Passage exhibit for his sculpture entitled “Transition”."
November 25, 2019, UNIVERSITY OF PUGET SOUND, DEPT. OF ART AND ART HISTORY, “Spaceshift? Earthship? Compost Bin?” -- "Earthships are off-the-grid homes constructed with recycled and renewable materials that use passive solar for heating and energy and contain an in-house ecosystem that allows the treatment and recycling of both greywater and blackwater. She is often the architect of record for many Earthship projects in and around Taos, NM."