M. Saffell Gardner holds BFA and MFA degrees in painting from Wayne State University. A sculptor, painter mixed media artist, muralist, videographer, art historian, curator, lecturer and educator, he teaches at private colleges and community colleges. Mr. Gardner has participated in arts mentoring programs. “Sankofa” one of Saffell’s larger sculptures will be shown at the Krasl Bienniel at the Box Factory in St. Joseph, MI 2022-23. Saffell’s sculpture “Lost Kings” was accepted into the 2021 Regional Bienniel at the Marshall M. Fredricks sculpture museum and his sculpture “Sankofa” was in the 2020-2021 Chelsea Sculpture Walk. 2015 Saffell was awarded a Kresge Fellowship. 2014 Saffell was invited to have a survey exhibit at gallery 9338 Campau. Mr. Gardner also participated in Artprize for 2014. Mr. Gardner was invited to Participate in “The Venice Biennale 2013”. 2012, Saffell co-curated “Vision in a Cornfield” for the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. In 2000, Mr. Gardner was selected as the Chivas Regal Artist in Residence at the Charles H. Wright Museum. A commissioned painting “Door of No Return” is in the museum’s permanent collection as a result of the residency. Commissions include a painted receptacle for Detroit’s “Pretty City” project as well as major commissions for the COBO Center (now Huntington Place) and the Detroit Public Schools. Mr. Gardner’s work is in the permanent collection of The Henry Ford Hospital, Blue Cross Blue Shield, DMC, Total Healthcare, The Federal Reserve, Chicago, Renaissance High School and Southeastern High School and Detroit School of the Arts. He has exhibited Brazil and Ghana, Africa.