LONDON 1995-2016 MAINE 2016-PRESENT
Melanie Essex grew up in rural eastern Long Island, spending her summers in Maine. After ten years in the film industry, she returned to school and studied painting at the New York Studio School for four years. She moved to London in 1995 where she lived and worked for two decades, raising a family and maintaining a series of studios - the last of which is pictured above. In 2016 she returned to the US and to the coast of Maine full time. When people ask her what it was like to move from London to Maine she replies - "the winters are better and the spring is worse". Her work continues to reflect the imagery and experience of her environment, influenced by years of looking at paintings, going to the movies, and watching the sky.
EXHIBITIONS
2023 "Ultramarine" Caldbeck Gallery, Rockland, ME
2021 “Drawings and Paintings” Caldbeck Gallery, Rockland, ME
2019 "Above us Only Sky" Caldbeck Gallery, Rockland, ME
2017 Camden Public Library, Camden ME
2009 Price Waterhouse Cooper, London, UK
2007 New Grafton at ICG, London, UK
2006 New Grafton Gallery, London, UK
2006 Whitney Artworks, Portland ME
2005 Caldbeck Gallery, Rockland ME
2005 New Grafton Gallery, London, UK
2004 Icehouse Gallery, Greenport, NY
2002 Cassian de Vere Cole Fine Art, London, UK
2001 Cassian de Vere Cole Fine Art, London, UK
1998 Caldbeck Gallery, Rockland ME
1997 The Groucho Club, London, UK
1994 The Rose Cafe, New York, NY
1992 New York Studio School, New York, NY
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023
A Room with a View, Vardan Gallery, Los Angles, CA
Winter Invitational, Blue Mountain Gallery, New York, NY
2021
Autumn Group Exhibition, Caldbeck Gallery, Rockland, ME
2020
Hot and Cold, Caldbeck Gallery, Rockland, ME
2019
Space Heater, Able Baker Contemporary, Portland, ME
Winter Invitational, Blue Mountain Gallery, New York, NY
Back to Nature, Caldbeck Gallery, Rockland, ME
Atmospheric Water, LC Bates Museum, Hinckley, ME
2018
Weather Pending Caldbeck Gallery, Rockland, ME
Visions of Place: 30 Contemporary Maine Artist, Thomas Moser, Freeport ME
2017
Summer Selects, Caldbeck Gallery, Rockland ME
2016
Winter Group, Caldbeck Gallery, Rockland ME
Summer Group, Caldbeck Gallery, Rockland ME
Family, Latymer Upper School Gallery, London, UK
2012
Holiday, Caldbeck Gallery, Rockland ME
2010
The Drawing Group, Mars Hall, Port Clyde, ME
2009
The Drawing Room, St. George, ME
2007
St. Pauls Collects, St. Pauls School, London, UK
2006
Winter, Caldbeck Gallery, Rockland ME
2005
ArtLONDON, New Grafton Gallery, London, UK
Five Women, Goldsmith Gallery, Boothbay Harbor, Maine
2004
Group Show, New Grafton Gallery , London< UK
Living in the City, The Cynthia Corbett Gallery, London, UK
Group Show, England and Co., London, UK
ArtLONDON, The Cynthia Corbett Gallery, London, UK
2003
ArtLONDON, The Cynthia Corbett Gallery, London, UK
2001
Beckoning Visions, New York Studio School, NY, NY
2000
Group Exhibition, Cassian de Vere Cole Fine Art, London, UK
On the City, New York Studio New York, NY
Islands, Caldbeck Gallery, Rockland ME
1999
Tatischeff Gallery, New York, NY
Art at 100, Dickson Russell at Hammersons, London, UK
Caldbeck Gallery/Sheepscott Wellspring Alliance, Rockland, ME
1999 - 2007
Art Views, Sophie Montgomery, London, UK
1998
Caldbeck Gallery, Rockland ME
1997
Cadogan Contemporary Art, London, UK
1996
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy, London, UK
1995
Transcriptions, Union College, Schenectedy, NY
1994
The Perceptual Pursuit, Fordham University, New York, NY
RESIDENCY
MonsonArts, Monson, ME 2020
AWARDS
Merit Award for Excellence in Painting and Drawing, New York Studio School, New York, NY, 1994
Milton Avery Scholarship, New York Studio School, 1992,93
Venice Travel Fellowship, New York Studio School, 1993
EDUCATION
New York Studio School, New York, NY, 1990-94
Institute National Superieur des Arts, Bruxelles, Belgium,1981-82 Rotary Fellowship
Harvard University, BA, Cambridge, MA, 1977-81
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