Cecilia Mickelsen, Owner/Director
Prior to becoming an artist, Cecilia had a successful 20+ years as a self-employed management consultant working in countries around the world. It was during her last assignment, while visiting art galleries in Europe, that she developed a passion for art.
Having no prior knowledge, but letting her heart be her guide, she found many works moved her so greatly that she would talk excitedly to those around her. This resulted in her being offered management roles in 3 major galleries, when the owners mistakenly believed she knew about art. What she really knew was simply what she loved.
Upon returning to NZ in 2000, what started simply as an interest between projects quickly became the start of a new career in art, when personal circumstances took her to a small tourist town 3 hours from the nearest city. Drawing on her management background she found she was readily able to earn a living in her new career.
It did not take long to realize this was not the norm in the art world after seeing numerous artists “with more artistic training and talent”, struggle to survive day to day. It was with a desire to help talented but struggling fellow artists that Cecilia established Collaborations NZ.
After completing several successful collaborative projects involving artists from a range of disciplines (painting, engineering, poetry, photography, welding, and print making), Cecilia decided to take this concept abroad. In 2009, Cecilia moved to Wimberley, Texas, where she and Megan established Collaborations LC (dba Fe29). At the end of 2014, Cecilia moved back to Dunedin, New Zealand with Megan, and in late 2015 the two opened Fe29 Gallery in their home near the Saint Clair beach.
Megan Mickelsen, Director
With a Bachelor of Science and a Masters in Land Economics and Real Estate from Texas A&M University, Megan also has a varied background.
Prior to coming to NZ late 2014, Megan had spent 24 years as a self employed Real Estate Appraiser and Broker, working in both commercial and residential markets at various times. Prior to that, she worked in retail management, hospitality and ranch management (pure and cross bred cattle and Arabian horses). She is certified in artificial insemination and embryo transfer, and was a reproduction specialist on a registered Brangus ranch near Austin. Megan has also been a breeder of nationally ranked Bouvier des Flandres.
While not an artist herself, Megan gained an appreciation of art from her mother and other family members, who were talented artists.
Upon learning of the opportunity to be involved in a collaborative art projects company aimed at helping artists, Megan visited Cecilia in New Zealand to view the operations there. Seeing the excitement of the artists involved in the project, the quality of the art and its affect on visitors to the gallery, Megan’s interest was peaked. A second trip confirmed her initial positive reactions and Megan invited Cecilia to visit her in Wimberley.
After 12 months of investigations, the two agreed to take the next step. They together established Collaborations LC (dba Fe29) with a gallery in Central Austin, and later a gallery in their home in Wimberley. When the two decided to move permanently to New Zealand, they opened Fe29 Gallery.
Fe29 Gallery
What started as a gallery selling Cecilia’s work and some collaborative pieces, Fe29 took on a new life after artist friend Edward Povey (Wales) sent a shipment of paintings, drawings and lithographs to the gallery for the gallery’s first major exhibition. Soon after, sculptor Peter Nicholls approached the gallery offering his work and later those of his late wife Di ffrench. Peter also introduced jeweller and sculptor Tanya Ashken (Frances Hodgkins Fellow 1967) who offered her works and those of her late husband John Drawbridge (MBE). The works of Robert Macdonald (Wales) and Don Peebles (ONZM), friends of Ashken and Drawbridge followed.
Fe29 continues to selectively take on accomplished artists, with the goal of offering something new and exciting to the residents of, and visitors to, Dunedin.