Melissa was born in 1978 in Hollister, CA. She graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a B.F.A. in Photography and Southeast Asian Art History. Since then, she has worked as a photography teacher and non-governmental organization photographer in Cambodia and the US, advocating “creative documentation.” This process provokes community members to contribute to programs they need, increasing program ownership by the community and finally resulting in documentation that will be useful to government, policy makers, and other communities with the same needs. Melissa’s work has been exhibited in galleries in Berlin, Germany; Chicago, Illinois; New York City, New York and California. Not only an art maker, Melissa is intrigued with the art business world and is a purveyor consultant of Fine Art and Antiques for an auction house in New York City.

Melissa was born in 1978 in Hollister, CA. She graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a B.F.A. in Photography and Southeast Asian Art History. Since then, she has worked as a photography teacher and non-governmental organization photographer in Cambodia and the US, advocating “creative documentation.” This process provokes community members to contribute to programs they need, increasing program ownership by the community and finally resulting in documentation that will be useful to government, policy makers, and other communities with the same needs. Melissa’s work has been exhibited in galleries in Berlin, Germany; Chicago, Illinois; New York City, New York and California. Not only an art maker, Melissa is intrigued with the art business world and is a purveyor consultant of Fine Art and Antiques for an auction house in New York City.

Melissa was born in 1978 in Hollister, CA. She graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a B.F.A. in Photography and Southeast Asian Art History. Since then, she has worked as a photography teacher and non-governmental organization photographer in Cambodia and the US, advocating “creative documentation.” This process provokes community members to contribute to programs they need, increasing program ownership by the community and finally resulting in documentation that will be useful to government, policy makers, and other communities with the same needs. Melissa’s work has been exhibited in galleries in Berlin, Germany; Chicago, Illinois; New York City, New York and California. Not only an art maker, Melissa is intrigued with the art business world and is a purveyor consultant of Fine Art and Antiques for an auction house in New York City.