Elissa Melaragno

❝GROWING UP BY THE SIDE OF MY SCULPTOR FATHER, I WAS INTRODUCED TO MUSEUMS, GALLERIES AND ARTISTS STUDIOS STARTING AT FOUR YEARS OLD. YET TO THIS DAY THE FORMALITIES OF THE ART WORLD ARE AVOIDED AND I AM MOST EXHILARATED BY WORKING ON SITES WHERE ART AND THE PUBLIC ENVIRONMENT MEET. PERHAPS BECAUSE MY FATHER WAS OFTEN WORKING ON MASSIVE FRIEZES AND SCULPTURES, OVER THE YEARS FOR ME THE MOST EXCITING PROJECTS HAVE BEEN THE ONES INVOLVING PUBLIC SPACES. ❞

While earning a bachelor’s degree in Fine Art, from the Lamar Dodd School of Art in Athens, Georgia, Elissa pursued public arts projects and worked within the community promoting the arts. She then spent 20 years creating site-specific public art installations and teaching drawing, painting and sculpture to students of all ages. Her work can still be seen in public spaces throughout Western North Carolina and Eastern Massachusetts.

More recently as an arts coordinator, a project manager, and artist in the “Arts in Healthcare” field, she has had fewer opportunities to add to her own body of work yet faced greater challenges placing art in the healing environment. Thanks to her collaboration with Pam Wilkins of Wilkins Art, Cape Cod HealthCare approved the installation of one of her earlier Ocean Mosaics and within a few short years, they became so popular that CCHC now owns over 25 pieces placed in both hospitals and offsite locations all over Cape Cod.

A strong background in interior design, renovation and marketing enabled her in Hendersonville, NC, to be responsible for the initiation of a 1% for art program for the new Henderson County Courthouse and the Main Library renovations, the co-direction of the conversion of a old children’s camp into Highland Lake Inn and Conference Center, the  creation of an art program for Veritas Academy, and the hosting of numerous art events for seniors, teens and children.

In 2001 and 2002 she participated in “The Kiev Project” joining Ukrainian and American artists in the creation of art, goodwill and the exchange of knowledge in Kiev, Ukraine.

On her archival website http://moriahstudio.com/STUDIO.html one will find a wide range of techniques from painting in the streets to large scale public commissions.  Where indicated you will see images of public art which incorporate her students

ARCHIVES - MORIAHSTUDIO.COM