MELISSA WILKINSON
Melissa Wilkinson is a lesbian watercolorist focusing primarily on the body as her subject. She 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. 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 several fellowships and grants including the Arkansas Arts Council Fellowship in Painting in 2012 and the Middle East Travel Grant in 2016 to perform research throughout Israel. She was named a "Woman to Watch" in 2016 by the Arkansas Arts Council touring her work for 18 months throughout the region. She has attended artist residencies in Boise, ID, and Arthouse, Holland. Her work is amongst private collections throughout the country and abroad and she exhibits currently at Greg Thompson Gallery and M2 Gallery in Little Rock Arkansas. She served as Associate Professor of Art-Painting at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro for 11 years. In 2021 she relocated to New York to pursue her work full time. She holds a studio in Warwick, NY, and lives with her wife and two dogs.
