Melissa Vandenberg

Born and educated in Detroit, Melissa is a multidisciplinary artist and educator living in Eastern Kentucky. Her studio practice surveys national identity, folk art, ancestry, immigration, and the evolving perception of a “homeland.” Questions surrounding patriotism, pride and partisanship begin to emerge in work that is both satirical and idealistic. She gravitates to commonplace materials like stick matches, textiles, flags, stickers, wood, and other domicile objects. The resulting soft sculptures, photographs, performances, and non-traditional drawings have been exhibited in Canada, Germany, Luxembourg, Iceland, Sweden, Poland, and throughout the United States. Melissa received a BFA from Center for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan (1999), and an MFA from Southern Illinois University Carbondale (2005). She has been the recipient of numerous grants including a Kentucky Foundation for Women Artist Enrichment Grant, the Al Smith Fellowship, Great Meadows Foundation Travel Grants, and was shortlisted for the Luxembourg Art Prize in 2016. Melissa is currently an Associate Professor of Art at Eastern Kentucky University, where she has taught for the past decade.
Melissa is represented by Maus Contemporary in Birmingham, AL.