_Peter Mikulak
By Selma Grows
Originally from inner city New Haven, Connecticut, where he had a thriving General Contracting business, Peter Mikulak now joins the Coachella Valley’s community of self sustaining artists.
Three years ago, due to the recent economic challenges, Peter Mikulak was forced to leave his 14 year career and suffered homeless conditions as a result. Times have been tough, but Peter knows he is being drawn into a new opportunity.
Peter Mikulak remembers nailing a canvas to an abandoned camper in the middle of the windmills at the West end of the Valley. He was not helpless, but he was homeless. Enduring life’s trials and following his heart to make a way for himself. The art he created that day would later be sold through Ryan Campbell’s Scrap Gallery (www.scrapgallery.com). That was Mikulak’s first opportunity to sell his art and he sold his pieces summing at over $1000.
Peter found support through Darla Burkett’s incredible team at the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission. (www.cvrm.org) Mikulak began to utilize every resource available to the people at CVRM. He experimented with “Repurposing,” an art form that almost crosses over into recycling. This fueled a professional gallery showing that lead to a permanent residency at the Renegade Gallery Palm Springs. (www.therenegadeartgallery.com) At this show he had also repurposed 6 wallets from the 99 cent store and Mikulak sold 3 of them for over $350 each!
Mikulak is no longer homeless and has been able to support himself with his art. ”It’s amazing to have a home again,” says Mikulak, who works with Joy Meredith Brown, head of the Down Town Palm Springs Board of Directors. You can find him there every Thursday spray painting the prints of Marilyn Monroe he has created. Mikulak is working on a special permit required to move his work under the Forever Marilyn Palm Springs erection.
Mikulak continues to actively pursue opportunities through galleries and commissioned work. His earned accomplishments include some exciting jobs. David Grey, General Manager at the Hyatt Palm Springs (www.palmspings.hyatt.com) has hired Peter to create 3 Marilyn Monroe pieces for the hotel lobby, and an outfitting of their 3 conference rooms with a series of 5 pieces per room depicting our beloved “Rat Pack.” He has also earned the opportunity to create a series of 4 pieces for the NestEggg (NestEggg.com) Financial Group’s 3 locations, Palm Desert, Palm Springs and Maui!
Commissions contact Peter Mikulak@selmagrows.org
To view more of Peters work, go to www.fineartamerica.com/mikulak and www.bluecanvas.com/mikulak “Proverbs 3:5-6” _ Peter Mikulak
Support and Education for Local Music and Arts, Coachella Valley Chapter 1
www.selmagrows.org
Comments are closed.