Majel (Midge) Chance Obata
Majel (Midge) Chance Obata, July 20, 1927 – November 9, 2022
Majel (Midge) Chance Obata, an accomplished textile artist and educator, passed away
peacefully on Wednesday, November 9, 2022, surrounded by family. She was born on
July 20, 1927, in Grand Rapids, MI, where she grew up with her mother, Helene Lorch
Chance, a professional harpist, her beloved older brother, Bob Chance, an architect, and
her maternal grandparents.
Midge showed an early aptitude and love for textiles and was encouraged by her high-
school art teacher after graduation to attend a summer program at the prestigious Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills. Students usually rotated through all
departments – such as painting, ceramics, and weaving – but once Midge tried weaving,
that was it. She had found her passion and stayed there for the rest of the summer
working under renowned textile artists Marianne Strengell and Bob Sailors. Because of
her natural talent and work ethic, Cranbrook offered Midge admission to its
undergraduate program that fall. She later completed her art degree in 1979 at Webster
University in St. Louis.
While at Cranbrook, she met architect Gyo Obata, and they later married, settling in
Chicago, where he worked for Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). At that time, Midge,
still in her early 20s, established a design studio making custom-woven and hand-printed
upholstery and drapery fabrics for commercial clients. Her work was shown in several
exhibits during the late 40s and early 50s including the International Textile Exhibition
and Good Design Exhibition in Chicago, Designer Craftsmen USA, the 13th annual
Missouri Exhibition in St. Louis, MO, and the Fiber, Clay, Metal show in St. Paul, MN. At
Gallery 17 in Chicago, she exhibited her work alongside well-known fabric artists
including Dorothy Liebes, Maria Kipp, and her mentor, Bob Sailors.
In 1954, just a few years after she and Gyo moved to St. Louis, the Alton Evening
Telegraph described Midge as “one of the youngest among the talented private textile
designers in the country.” Although her marriage to Gyo ended in 1971, Midge continued
living in St. Louis until 1985, raising her family, and working as a commissioned artist for
public, private, and religious entities. She also taught hundreds of students weaving and
macrame at both public schools and Craft Alliance, a community gallery and art school
founded by a group of craft and fiber artists in 1964.
In 1985, she moved to Glen Arbor, MI, where she had summered since the late 60s.
Moving to this tiny town of 600 nestled between Lake Michigan, cherry orchards, and
forests, “was the best thing I ever did,” she told the Glen Arbor Sun in 2009. Once
settled, Midge, along with several other artists, including her close friends, Ben and
Ananda Bricker, John Huston, and Suzanne Wilson, started the Glen Arbor Art
Association, helped establish the Manitou Music Festival, and built a thriving community
around teaching and experiencing art and music.
Midge was happiest when spending time with her family and working on a project.
Eternally optimistic, quick to smile, funny, humble, and kind, she will be greatly missed
by her children Kiku Obata, Nori Obata (Esteban Prieto), and Gen Obata (Rebecca
Stith), six grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. Donations can be made to Craft
Alliance, Webster University, or Planned Parenthood. Memorial services are private.
What a remarkable woman! I wish I had known her, but I think I have some sense of her because I know Hee son and daughter-in-law. Eternal peace to you, Midge, and thank you for the beauty and kindness you have left in your wake.
I count myself as extremely extremely lucky to have been one of Midge’s students and to have known her for many years in Glen Arbor. She was one of the most remarkable and special people I have known.
I feel lucky to have known Midge and I will be ever grateful for her kindness, for her passion and dedication to sharing her gifts, and for being a treasured colleague and friend to our mother.
What a wonderful woman in so many ways. A life well lead.
As a girlhood friend of Nori’s from high school, my memories of Midge—and the entire Obata household—remain a revelation. Never had I met such a warm, funny and fun woman. Seeing Midge at work on her loom was like seeing a unicorn—no one in our little St. Louis suburb knew anyone “artistic” and who had a skill all her own. Midge was an Every Mom to all of us: welcoming and cultured. And so it remained over the years, regardless whether any of us continued seeing Midge; to us, she was always a force and a delight, and Nori was her ardent and devoted advocate and daughter. At the distance of some decades since I was the 7th grader first meeting Midge, her influence has remained, and it seems from talking to my old high school girlfriends, this is true for them, too. That’s remarkable. As was Midge.
Our sincerest condolences to Nori/Esteban, Kiku, Gen, the other members of Midge’s extended family and her closest friends.
Even as we read about Midge’s life’s accomplishments today we’ve learn new things about her that this very unassuming and humble woman would never boast about.
We first met Midge about 12 years ago in her Lake Street studio and instantly had a connection with her very warm personality and wonderful art.
What’s always amazed us about Midge is her drive…and need…as an artist to keep exploring different methods and mediums to express her creativity.
One moment she’d be working on her amazing loom weavings, at another instance she was obsessed with creating very intricate colorful geometric needlepoint…and even one summer her creative energy lead her to dipping dried fruit slices in chocolate. And without fail, these creations were all imaginative, unique Midge originals.
There’s no denying that her art is quite attractive…but what makes it particularly special and even more beautiful to us (especially as we’ve gotten to know her over the years) is that we always feel something magical about Midge shines through in each piece. Whether it’s her love of water that a special weaving reveals, her sense of youth and whimsy in a simple crocheted mouse that makes you feel like a kid again, or her handmade paper that reveals a beautiful sense of texture where you can almost feel her touch.
When we bring something into our home that Midge made we always know it brings good karma into our home…because there’s a little bit of Midge herself in each piece.
Midge, you have helped make Glen Arbor a community for artists (and art lovers). We are forever grateful.