Michael Anthony Poulton passed away on February 15th after a battle with cancer. Throughout his life, he always seemed to trust that things would work out as they were meant to, and so even through the difficulties of his sickness he remained kind, patient and unperturbed. His profound humility, along with his quick but gentle wit, and his generosity towards others were qualities that quickly won him the affection of many lifelong friends, who are greatly saddened by news of his death. 

Born in Winipeg the oldest of three brothers, Michael studied at Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts in London, England and led a rich and fulfilling life as an artist working in what seemed like a limitless range of mediums from painting and print making to installation art. His work was shown in over 20 solo exhibitions, and is included in collections such as the Nickle Art Museum, Calgary and Upsalla University, Sweden. His graphic design and illustrations won countless awards and he constantly challenged himself to try new things, such as collaborating on large scale architectural glass commissions in the U.K. and Canada. In his local arts community, he was a founder of the City of Kawartha Lakes Art Council and a two-time chair, and long time board member of Artspace Peterborough. 

While Michael was a fearless traveller, his life revolved around a turn of the century general store in a small rural village called Victoria Rd. The Museum of Temporary Art, or ‘The store’ as it was known to friends, became his gallery and home to himself, his beloved partner Marg McGraw, and their son Priam. Anyone fortunate enough to have visited the MTA will know it both as a showcase for Michael’s own work, and as a treasure house of objects and artifacts – a collection reflecting his own strong sense of the magic and the poetry of objects and the temporary and contextual nature of meaning and art. 

For all of us who knew him, Michael enriched our experience of the world immeasurably – and how much richer a place it remains, thanks to him. At the time of his death his son described a feeling of profound peace and a sense of air moving. His brother, in Tokyo for work at the time, described no loss or absence but his presence everywhere, as it he had melted, evaporated, flowed out into everyone and everything around him. 

The family will be holding a memorial at the Museum in Victoria Rd in the spring, and will also set up hours for visitors to see the museum. Those interested should visit michaelpoulton.com and provide their contact information.