Gretchen Foster has been a painter and potter for more than thirty years. She studied graduate painting at Michigan State University with Ralph Henricksen and Clif McChesney and watermedia painting with Richard O'Malley and Mark Mehaffey. She has participated in workshops conducted by Cheng Khee Chee, Kathleen Conover and Helga Flower, Jan Sitts and George James.

Together with painter and photographer Juanita Balwin, she founded the Lansing Area Artists' Connection in January, 2007. This group of between 30 and 40 experienced artists shows work exclusively at the new Mid-Michigan Professional Building, Lake Lansing Road, Lansing.

Memberships include: the Deckled Edge Artists' Group, International Society of Experimental Artists, Lansing Art Gallery, Michigan Water Color Society, Mid-Michigan Art Guild (president 2007-08), Shiawassee Arts Center.

Honors and Awards:

Banyan Gallery "Skin-the Human Body" honorable mention, 2007

Lansing Community College Purchase Award, 2007

Mid-Michigan Art Guild "Twelve by Twelve" show, 3^rd place, 2006

Mid-Michigan Art Guild Okemos Library Invitational show, 3^rd place, 2005

Michigan Water Color Society, Dulcie and Norman Rosenfeld Award, 2005

Lansing Community College, Purchase Award, 2005

Hope Borbas Library, Purchase Award, 2003

Mid-Michigan Art Guild Spring Exhibit, 3^rd place, 2003

Shiawassee Arts Center, Open Show, 2003

Shows and Exhibitions at Art Galleries

One-person show, Shiawassee Arts Center, Docent Gallery, 2006

Two-person show, Hope Borbas Okemos Library, 2006

Judging Assignments

Orchid Society of Greater Lansing, art show judge, 2008.

Her work can be seen at the Mid-Michigan Physicians Building, Lake Lansing Road, Lansing and on the Mid-Michigan Art Guild website and the Arts Council of Greater Lansing website.