Michelle Vrebalovich Edelman

Michelle Vrebalovich Edelman (born July 24, 1961) is a Norwegian-American entrepreneur, CEO and founder of TrafficArts, Traffic Creative Management, and co-founder of M&A Arts Sarl.

Career

In the mid-1980s, Edelman began as an ad designer at The Village Voice while freelancing as a fashion stylist, and was recruited into the world of branding and design, working for branding agencies Desgrippes Beauchant Gobé Cato and Lister Butler. Following her passion for photography, she became the photo editor for Mirabella and later joined the creative staff of the newly founded Allure (magazine) under the creative direction of Lucy Sisman. She later joined Sisman to build Sisman Design, before founding Traffic Creative Management (TRAFFIC) in 1995.

Traffic is a hybrid creative agency that represents artists, illustrators, photographers, creative directors, and copywriters, matching creative talent with corporate clients. The agency works with artists such as Izak Zenou, a fashion illustrator who served as the in-house illustrator for Henri Bendel. The agency also focuses on artist licensing. In 2019, Traffic and Wagner Custom Skis released a collection of skis embellished with the works of artists represented by the agency and continue to release artist collections each year. Today, she has expanded the agency to include contemporary fine artists such as Móyòsóré "Móyò" Martins and Britt Boutros-Ghali.

Edelman also works with her husband Asher Edelman to curate art shows at Edelman Arts and Artemus. In 2015, they curated a show at One World Trade Center in collaboration with the Durst Organization and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The show included work by José Parlá, Doug Argue, Fritz Bultman, Greg Goldberg, and Bryan Hunt. In 2018, they hosted an exhibition of Rose Hartman's photography. In 2023, they co-founded M&A Arts SARL, which is centered on art and finance and fractionalization of art.

Charity work

Michelle is an executive board member of Project Zero and The Coral Collective initiative, focused on the conservation of our oceans and coral. She was previously on the board of The American-Scandinavian Foundation and Gotham Chamber Opera. She spearheaded and chaired The Continuum Center for Health and Healing's first fundraising efforts. CCHH is affiliated with Beth Israel Medical Center and is the first medical clinic of its kind that integrates holistic medicine with traditional healthcare.

Personal life

Edelman was born in Oslo, Norway and raised in Norway, England, Germany, and Egypt. She moved to the United States in 1982 to attend the University of California, Santa Cruz, and later relocated to New York, where she currently resides.

Her mother, Britt Boutros-Ghali, is a painter who was inducted into the Order of St. Olav for her work. Boutros-Ghali was married to Raouf Boutros-Ghali, the grandson of Egyptian Prime Minister Boutros Ghali and the brother of former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali.

Her husband, Asher Edelman, is an art collector and financier. She has one son, Christopher Edelman a.k.a. ProdbyGekko, a music producer, engineer, and Founder of New Gotham Studios in New York City. She is a step-mother to Danielle, Lisa, and Alexandra.