My Provenance

One rare piece that was inherited and has provenance is a treasure. One rare piece that you bought and has provenance is a treasure. Collections that consist of rare pieces and have provenance will be welcome at auctions and by dealers. Provenance is a written history or pedigree of a piece.

The Collector's Dilemma. Jeanne Siegel. 2006.

MY PROVENANCE

Michael A. Horvich, Evanston, Illinois, March 1, 2013

Michael received his BA in Liberal Arts and Sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana/ Champaign in conjunction with studies done at Hunter College in New York City. He received his MA as an Educational Generalist in the area of Gifted Education from the National Lewis University in Evanston. He did his Advanced Certificate work and ABDed in the area of Educational Supervision and Administration at the University of Illinois.

He has worked in a residential treatment research center with children in trouble with the law, helped found a school for children diagnosed with Autism, directed a day camp, and taught pre-school children and teenagers with developmental disabilities.

In the public school setting he taught fourth and fifth grades, junior high school Spanish, and created as well as served as administrator for the district wide program for Gifted Education students in Glenview Public School District 34. 

He has been an adjunct faculty member of National Lewis University, presented workshops and taught a course for the State of Illinois Department of Education, has had several articles published in educational journals, and twice was awarded a State of Illinois Fellowship in the area of Gifted Education.

In 1999, after thirty years as an educator, Michael retired to pursue other avenues of creativity. He received a grant from the Chicago Council on Fine Arts for his “Maybe-the-Clown and His Back Pocket Review,” which was performed all around Chicago. His Book Arts abilities were presented in a show at the Jane Adams Hull House in Chicago and his photographs and jewelry have been part of silent auctions at a number of charitable foundations. As a Supernumerary with The Lyric Opera of Chicago, he has been a Supernumerary (acting-extra) for the last ten years and has appeared in over twenty operas. 

Michael is a collector of collections. His miniature book collection has been on display at the Glenview and Evanston Public Libraries. His collection of North American Indian Arts and Crafts miniatures has been on display at both libraries as well as at the Mitchell Indian Museum in Evanston.

In 2010 Michael won, by competitive competition, a residence in Creative Non-Fiction at The Ragdale Foundation in Lake Forest, Illinois. 

He has created and is curator of “Michael’s Museum” a private collection of hundreds of thousands of miniatures, curiosities, discoverings, trinkets, oddities, artifacts, antiquities, and collectibles grouped into over 100 collections. Michael's Museum has been a permanent exhibit at the Chicago Children’s Museum on Navy Pier since May of 2011.

"Sit With Me A While" is a self published volume of the collected works of poetry that Michael wrote between 2000 and 2010. He did his first poetry reading performance at Curt's Cafe in Evanston during January 2013. He is currently working on his second volume of poetry: "Sit With Me A While Longer."

Michael maintains this BLOG with his writing and also one dealing with Alzheimer's Disease. Click here to visit his BLOG. Will open in a new window. He lives in Evanston with Gregory, his life partner of 36 years, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease in 2003. 

Fondly he remembers his departed pet cats Broadway, Hoover, and Mariah and currently gets great joy out of his new kitties Emma and Gigi.

Emma left, Gigi right.