We become who we are because of our families, our friends, our teachers, the books we read, the sports we play, the shows we watch, our curiosities; we collage these and more to form our unique self. Our identity is much more than a surface, it is also how we think, how we live and love. The exhibition Herald features playful ceramic figurines: that formally present flags designed by students at Woodland Hill Montessori School. Puppies, birds, bunnies, and cats serve as messengers of identity. During an interactive symposium, Melinda will share her creative process of collaging ceramic figurines, the inspiration for her work, and talk about how important it is to be confident in pursuing your passions.
Special thanks to students Hana Angell, Maila Assi, Bezyn Capezza, Rona Baker-Garrigue, Maeve Lillis, Olivia Steinborn, Izzy Stewart, Indiana Woodin, and teachers Shayna Vecchione and Megan Stasi.
EXPLORE THE WORK
Melinda McDaniel grew up in Florida, inspired by the visual overload of Walt Disney World and the endless light at the center of the state’s predictable weather. Her work explores an alternative approach to the photographic medium that has more recently reflected on the contradictions within the current political climate. She received a BFA in studio art from Florida State University and an MFA in photography from The Ohio State University. Her work has been exhibited at SPACE Gallery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the Governors Island Art Fair in New York, the BRIC Rotunda Gallery in Brooklyn, New York, and the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, Illinois. In 2014 Melinda received the Emerging Artist Award from the Arts Center of the Capital Region in New York. She calls Albany, New York home where she is also an assistant professor in the Visual and Performing Arts Department at Russell Sage College.
