MICHAEL VENSKE (b.1985) is a Saint Paul, Minnesota–based multi-disciplinary artist, celebrant, and audio storyteller whose work weaves together memory and place with cheeky pops of comedic energy.

He creates personalized audio keepsakes, legacy recordings, and oral histories for families and communities, ensuring that voices and stories endure across generations. This work is fueled by Michael’s curiosity, compassion, and a knack for finding laughter in unexpected places.

Venske is also the creator, producer, and host of Your Funeral Music on WFNU Frogtown Community Radio, a program that explores the intersection of song, mortality, and meaning.

As an actor Michael made his Twin Cities theatrical debut in 2001 with SteppingStone Theatre. Since he’s appeared on a number of stages around town with a focus on youth/educational theatre. Venske is an alum of Dudley Riggs’ Brave New Workshop, has toured the United States twice with the National Theatre for Children, and is a two-time solo show creator/performer.

Michael entered the solo theatre world in 2012 with Thumbs Up, a coming of age story about a father, son, and bonsai tree. The show premiered in Washington, D.C., as part of the Capital Fringe Festival where the DC Theatre Scene said…

“…the improv-trained Venske is at his best, unafraid to bust a move or pull out a silly dialect. His intensity is impressive, and each short scene ends on a poignant or fun note.“

Venske’s second full-length solo work, Home, is based on the three years he taught English to primary and middle school students in Zibo, Shandong, China. The show examines the juxtaposition of what home looks like, feels like, and means from Minnesota to China and back again. It premiered in the summer of 2018 at the Minnesota Fringe Festival.

Pieces of Mr. Venske’s experience living abroad are also published in a coffee table book, A Different Perspective: Expat Life, which explores the unique viewpoints expats have and how their adventures shape their perceptions of home.

Venske is an active volunteer in the community as a member of the Twin Cities Threshold Choir where he sings at bedsides for those at the end of life, as a precinct election judge in Ramsey County, and as a board member with Morels & Memories where he helps produce an annual fundraising event for Alzheimer’s research, and as a board member of the non-profit overseeing WFNU Frogtown Community Radio.

In his free time Michael enjoys spending time with his dog, Louise, and contemplating big questions while splitting and stacking firewood.

Thanks for stopping by!