OVERVIEW
Melissa is an artist, photographer, and admissions coordinator at Adler University. Melissa holds an M.F.A. in Photography from the University of Iowa, and her work and trauma-informed art practice are devoted to examining the systems in place to help or harm victims of sexual and domestic assault on a micro/macro level.
She has spent 10 years in academia as a staff member and faculty member at various institutions across the United States, and applies this expertise in her role at Adler. Melissa’s art has been exhibited and published internationally and has been featured in major news organizations, including BBC World News and Wired Magazine.
Exhibitions
- June 2025 – Beyond Resilience, Museum of Art Fort Collins, curated by Hamidah Glasgow, Fort Collins, Colorado
- Feb 2025 – Worthy: an investigation of criminalized survivors, Solo exhibition, Center for Mad Culture, Chicago, Illinois
- June 2024 – Words & Pictures, Center for Fine Art Photography, curated by Aline Smithson
- February 2024 – Arson is a Woman’s Work, curated by Cherry Knot Chi, Superkhana International, Chicago, Illinois
- February 2024 – Distant Dialogues, Float Photo Magazine, February 2024
Presentations
Beyond Resilience: A Panel Discussion Exploring Art About Gendered Violence
2025
Museum of Art Fort Collins – Fort Collins, Colorado
Worthy: A Visual Journey of the U.S. Justice System & Criminalized Survivors: A Lecture
2025
Don’t Smile x Center for Mad Culture – Online
Documentary Photography & Worthy: A Lecture
2024
University of Illinois Chicago – Chicago, Illinois
Words & Pictures Virtual Reception
2024
Center for Fine Art Photography – Online
Worthy: A Visual Journey of the U.S. Justice System
2024
University of Illinois Chicago – Chicago, Illinois
