BIO

Melodee Strong received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in Illustration and her Masters in Arts Education from the University of Minnesota. Her multifaceted practice as an artist allows her to create using a wide range of materials and techniques but her portfolio largely consists of children’s book illustration, portraiture, community outreach projects, and murals giving attention to diverse cultures, feminism, and social justice. Melodee has participated in many gallery exhibitions, book readings, as well as presented to an array of audiences throughout her career; including Target’s Children’s Book Festivals in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, New York, and Boston. Her illustrations have received awards from the Society of Illustrators Los Angeles and Society of Illustrators New York, and she received a Teacher’s Choice, Mom’s Choice, and Moonbeam Award for her illustrations in children’s books. She has completed over 60 mural and large-scale projects in the Twin Cities and Jamaica. She is currently teaching visual art at Franklin Middle School in Minneapolis and is an adjunct instructor at MCAD, Augsburg, Metro State, and the U of M teaching courses in foundational art studies, K-12 Art Methods courses, and professional practice in illustration. She has recently earned The Minneapolis Educator Leadership Award from the Graves Foundation in 2020 and 2022.