Barbara Ann Michaels, known as the “Jester of the Peace,” is a performance artist and interfaith minister whose work uses humor as a powerful tool for humanitarian purposes. Based in the United States, Michaels brings over 30 years of experience as an arts facilitator, merging humor, art, and love to foster human connection, inspiration, and collaborative wellness.

She is the founder of HumorVille, an immersive pop-up town dedicated to humor and wellness, designed to offer relief, reset, and resilience in a time marked by growing loneliness and uncertainty. Through her multidisciplinary practice, Michaels creates interactive experiences that promote shared healing and empower individuals to move forward with renewed energy and purpose.

Her work spans corporate, conference, cultural, academic, and community contexts. She has facilitated programs for organizations including Airbnb, Industrious, ConnectMyApps; spoken at conferences such as SXSW, Creative Problem Solving Institute, Epic International Summit, and Barcelona Change Days; collaborated with cultural institutions like the Newark Museum of Art, Chashama, The Church Sag Harbor, and the Global Play Brigade; and engaged with academic institutions including Brown University, Nantucket Island School of Design and the Arts, The Hive at Claremont College. She is also active in community projects such as First Night Boston, Dance Parade NYC, and the Dragon and Phoenix Retreat in Hawaii.

In addition to her artistic and facilitation work, Michaels is a corporate and academic trainer specializing in body language and humor, helping professionals tap into authentic expression and deeper interpersonal connections.

Michaels holds degrees from Brown University, Massachusetts College of Art, and One Spirit Interfaith Seminary. She is also an award-winning wedding officiant, having performed over 560 ceremonies — including costume weddings, helicopter weddings, and some of the first legal same-sex marriages in New York State.

An Ambassador of the Global Play Brigade and a proud member of the World Experience Organization, Barbara Ann Michaels continues to champion the essential role of humor in human flourishing. Her mission is to “put humor back in the medicine cabinet” for generations to come, using laughter not just as entertainment, but as a form of vital emotional and societal care.