Although Graves has taken painting trips throughout North America, and parts of Europe and Asia, his favorite subjects continue to be of the simple farms, bucolic vistas, and rugged coasts of his native New England.  His artwork is and has been exhibited in dozens of galleries throughout the U.S. and is included in the permanent collection of the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio.  His paintings have also been selected eight times for inclusion in the national Arts for the Parks competition of the Top 100 Paintings of National Parks.  
 
Born in 1952, the son of a local tree warden, Graves grew up with a love of painting and a deep appreciation for the outdoors.  In the late 1970s, Graves met the renowned Cape Ann artist Bernard Corey (1914-2000). Corey became a lifelong friend and mentor and the two painted together nearly every day for over two decades.  Michael Graves is a member of the Rockport Art Association, the Hudson Valley Art Association, and the Old Lyme Art Association.  He is a friend and frequent painting companion of some of the most well known plein air artists of New England. Mike lives in Millbury, Massachusetts with his wife Pam.  He has two sons.

 

Awards

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• 1985 Towne Gallery Award:  Academic Artists Association National Show

• 1987 Bernard Corey Special Award:  Blackstone Valley Art Association

• 1988 Elsie Reinert Memorial Award:  North Shore Art Association

• 1989 1990 Arnold Banning Award ? Best of Show:  Blackstone Valley Art Assoc.

• 1989 Frank Van Steen Memorial Award:  Hudson Valley Art Association

• 1989 Guild of Boston Artists Award:  North Shore Arts Association

• 1990 American Artist Magazine Award:  Academic Artists Association

• 1990 Maurice E. Goldberg Memorial Award:  Rockport Art Association

• 1991 1993 First Prize (oil):  Blackstone Valley Art Association

• 1992 Harry Ballinger Award:  Rockport Art Association

• 1993 Eastern Container Corporation Award:  Academic Artists Association

• 1994 Frank Van Steen Memorial Award:  Hudson Valley Art Association

• 1994 John L. Cooley Memorial Award:  Rockport Art Association

• 1994 National Park Academy of the Arts:  One of top 100 U.S. Paintings

• 1995 Grumbacher Gold Medal:  Salmagundi Club

• 1995 Allied Artist of America: Silver Medal of Honor

• 1996 Art Student League Award:  Hudson Valley Art Association

• 1996 Florence Lonsford Award:  Salmugundi Club

• 1996 Helen VanWyk Memorial Medal:  Rockport Art Association

• 1996 National Park Academy of the Arts:  One of top 200 U.S. Paintings

• 1996 Elliot Luskin Memorial Award:  Rockport Art Association

• 1997 Lee M. Loeb Memorial Award:  Salmugundi Club

• 1997 Best of Show:  Images of Blackstone Waterways:  Massachusetts Audubon

• 1997 National Park Academy of the Arts:  One of top 100 U.S. Paintings

• 1998 Alice Pellington Award:  Hudson Valley Art Association

• 1998 Aldro Hibbard Award:  North Shore Art Association

• 1998 National Park Academy of the Arts:  Two of top 100 U.S. Paintings

• 1998 Elliot Luskin Memorial Award:  Rockport Art Association

• 1998 Marine Art Award:  National Park Academy of the Arts

• 1999 Vasari Award:  Academic Artist Association

• 2000 Grumbacher Gold Medal: Academic Artist Association

• 2000 Emile Gruppe Award: North Shore Art Association

• 2000 National Park Academy of the Arts: Top 100 U.S. Paintings

• 2000 Founders Favorite Award: National Park Academy of the Arts.

• 2000 Claude Parson Memorial Award: The American Artists Professional League

• 2001 Edmund F. Ward Award: Hudson Valley Art Association

• 2001 Lester Stevens Memorial Award: North Shore Art Association

• 2001 Claude Parson Memorial Award: The American Artists Professional League

• 2002 Painting accepted by the Butler Institute of American Art for permanent collection

• 2002 04 National Park Academy of the Arts:  Top 100 U.S. Paintings

• 2003 Amee B. Davis Memorial Award: Rockport Art Association

• 2004 Alden Bryant Memorial Award: North Shore Art Association

• 2005 Isabel Steinshneider Award: Hudson Valley Art Association

• 2005 Antonio Cirino Memorial Award (First Place): Rockport Art Association

• 2005 W. Lester Stevens Memorial Award: North Shore Art Association

• 2005 Samuel Armour Memorial Award: Academic Artists Association

• 2005 Marguerite Pearson Gold Medal: Rockport Art Association

• 2006 Virginia Karl Memorial Award: Rockport Art Association

• 2006 Guild of Boston Artist Award: North Shore Art Association

• 2006 New England Heritage Award: Academic Artists Association

• 2006 Philip Shumaker Award (Marine): Hudson Valley Art Association

• 2006 Alden Bryant Memorial Award: Rockport Art Association

• 2007 Antonio Cirino Memorial Award (First Place): Rockport Art Association

• 2007 Guild of Boston Award: North Shore Art Association

• 2007 New England Heritage Award: Academic Artists Association

• 2007 Alden Bryant Memorial Award (First Place): North Shore Art Association

• 2007 Amee B. Davis Memorial Award: Rockport Art Association

• 2007 Garie and Ken Perry Award: Rockport Art Association

• 2008 Academic Artist Award: Academic Artists Association

• 2008 Georgie Read Barton Memorial Award: Hudson Valley Art Association

• 2009 Jack and Eleanor Porter Memorial Award: North Shore Art Association

• 2009 Philip Shumaker Award (Marine): Hudson Valley Art Association

• 2010 Aldo Hibbard Award: Rockport Art Association

• 2011 Marguerite and Francis Walker Memorial Award: Academic Artist Award

• 2011 Honorable Mention: Land and Light Show Bryant Gallery, Jeffersonville, VT

• 2011 A. William Meyerowitz Award for the Best American Painting: Rockport Art Association 

Publications

• American Artist Magazine, "A Conversation with Michael Graves," February 1988. Graves was featured on the cover of the magazine with an article by well known Cape Ann artist and author, Charles Movalli.

• The New York Times, "Mentor and Friend: The Late Bernard Corey and Michael Graves, March 7, 2004. 

• The Best of Oil Paintings, compiled by Tom Nicholas, Rockport Publishing Company, 1995. Three of Graves’s paintings were featured alongside many of America's most prominent landscape artists. 

• New Hampshire Summer Colonies, Dublin and Cornish, Paul Tuller and Maureen Ahern. Graves was featured on the cover. 

• Island Light, Monhegan Island. Island Light, Isle of Shoals.