Michele Burgess, Esteemed Artist and Educator, Passes Away at 64
Michele Burgess, a highly respected artist, educator, and co-director of Brighton Press with her husband Bill Kelly, has passed away at the age of 64. Burgess served as a lecturer at the San Diego State University (SDSU) School of Art and Design for over two decades, from 2000 to 2022. During her tenure, she taught a wide range of courses, including Book Arts, Printmaking, and Design.
A passionate advocate for projects that involve the book as an art medium, Burgess leaves behind a profound legacy as a mentor, creator, and champion of collaborative artistic expression.
Tina Yapelli, director of SDSU’s School of Art and Design, remembers Burgess as both a friend and an inspiring colleague. “Michele was a friend and colleague for over twenty years. We shared a love of cattle dogs and she was always accompanied by her boy, Decoy. Michele created deeply emotive artwork, had a passionate commitment to her students, and enthusiastically supported the work of other artists through Brighton Press. Her passing is a deep loss for all who knew her.”
Burgess’s dedication to education extended beyond the classroom through her work with the Prison Arts Collective (PAC), where she was a faculty associate from 2020 to 2024. She made significant contributions as PAC San Diego’s first Education Lead, helping to bring arts education to incarcerated individuals across the state.
“Michele has been a valued member of PAC in San Diego for the past five years,” said Annie Buckley, PAC’s founder and director. “She taught classes at RJD [Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility], served as a mentor to many of our teachers, and was the lead teacher for dozens of participants in prisons across the state enrolled in PAC's Arts Facilitator Training correspondence course. Personally, I will always remember Michele's warmth and kindness to me since I came to SDSU and her wonderful mentorship of our PAC team and participants.”
Burgess’s influence on her students and colleagues was deeply felt. Stacey Prince, a photography lecturer at SDSU, reflected on Burgess’s unique ability to guide students in exploring personal and complex themes through their art. “She profoundly touched many lives here on campus and within the book arts community. Michele had the remarkable ability to help students create art about their fears and curiosities. She will be missed,” said Prince.
Nelle Martin, a printmaking lecturer, described her as “thoughtful, courageous, talented, and dear to me; beloved by her students, faculty, and the whole department.”
Burgess mentored many of the teaching team in the Prison Arts Collective, including Carlo Jacobo (BA Studio Art, 2023). "What I admired the most about Michele was her empathy and compassion, which extended to everyone she met,” said Jacobo.
As the co-director of Brighton Press, Burgess collaborated with poets and visual artists to create fine press, limited-edition artist books that are held in over 100 public and private collections, including the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and the Getty Research Institute. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including a 2004 retrospective at the Musée d'Art Américain Giverny in France.
A graduate of the Cranbrook Academy of Art (MFA) and University of San Diego (BA), Burgess devoted her life to elevating the arts and fostering creativity in others. Her legacy will live on through her work, her students, and the countless lives she touched through her teaching and mentorship.
