Born 1980 Waukegan, Illinois
Melissa Wilkinson received her BFA in painting from Western Illinois University in 2002. She then went on to receive her MFA in painting from Southern Illinois University in 2006. Her work has been featured in wide reaching publications throughout the country including three editions of New American Paintings and 4 editions of INDA: Manifest International Drawing Annual. She has shown in various galleries nationally and internationally including South Korea and India and has won numerous awards throughout her career. She has won numerous fellowships and grants including the Arkansas Arts Council Fellowship in Painting in 2012. Her work is amongst private collections throughout the country and abroad. She hikes regularly, enjoys making homemade pasta, and consistently attempts to make the best cup of coffee possible. She serves as art faculty at University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. She splits her time with studios in both Massachusetts and the Hudson Valley in New York.