Melissa Dadourian is a Hudson Valley and Brooklyn based artist. She received a BFA from Pratt Institute and an MFA from Hunter College. She has been awarded residencies and fellowships at Dieu Donné, MASS MoCA, Vermont Studio Center, Virginia Center for Creative Arts, Hewnoaks, Textile Arts Center, American Academy in Rome and Citè Internationale des Artes in Paris. Dadourian has exhibited internationally including New York, Chicago, Connecticut, Texas, Armenia, and Brazil. Recently she has been included in exhibitions at Gold/montclair*, NJ; L’Space, NYC; the Dorsky Museum, NY; MoCA Westport, CT; ACCEA/Yerevan, Armenia; Albany Airport, NY; Cedar Crest College, PA; and the University of Buffalo, NY; forthcoming inclusion in exhibitions at Susan Eley Galleries in Hudson, NY as well as Bravin Lee Projects in NYC.
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Her work exists at the intersection of painting, object making, and immersive installation. Utilizing vintage threads, hand-dyed fabrics, paint, and clay, she embraces the tension and contradictions that coexist. What is soft is also firm, what is loose is also tight, and what is masculine is also feminine. Through this exploration, she expands the boundaries of what a painting can actually be.
EDUCATION
Hunter College, New York, NY, MFA Degree
Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY, BFA Degree with honors, Painting Award
ONE + TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS
Beyond the Strange, with Sarah Heinemann, Center for Visual Research, Cedar Crest College, Allentown, PA, 2023
Manhattan Park Pool Mural, Roosevelt Island, NY, 2021
Google Artist in Residence, Google Headquarters, New York, NY, 2021
Geometric Relations, The Yard, Brooklyn, NY, 2019
Soft Geometry, Courtyard House, Brooklyn, NY, 2018
What She Wants..., New Center for Contemporary Art, Louisville, KY, 2007
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024
The Golden Thread: A Fiber Exhibition, Bravin Lee Projects, New York, NY
Talking Threads, Susan Eley Gallery, Hudson, NY
SP-Arte, Gisela Projects, São Paulo, Brazil
Talk Shop 4.0, Verse Work/Shop,
2023
Honeysuckle Sips, Tracy McKenna/Gold/scopophilia, Montclair, NJ
FIBRATION, L’Space Gallery, New York, NY
Pedra Sem-mundo, Galeria de Arte em Pinheiros, São Paulo, Brazil
Collect, The Birge Mansion, Buffalo, NY
Summer Camp, Lexington House Gallery, Lexington, NY
Homespun, Dorsky Museum, New Paltz, NY
Over Under Sideways Down, ArtPort, Kingston, NY
2022
Soft Play, Collar Works, Troy NY
The Material, The Thing, Dorsky Museum, New Paltz, NY
The Future of Things Past, Atamian/Hovsepian Curatorial, New York NY
Women Pulling at the Threads of Social Discourse, MoCA Westport, CT
More Than Words Can Say, JEFF Gallery, Marfa, Texas
ArtSampa, São Paulo, Brazil
2021
Armenia-Diaspora in Contemporary Art, ACCEA, Yerevan, Armenia
Corporeal Attachments, DDAY Project Space, Woodstock, NY
I’ll Never Be Untrue, Fluffy Crimes, Chicago, IL
Cut & Color, Albany County Airport, NY
The Making of..., ArtPort, Kingston, NY
Changing a Point of View, All She Makes
2019
Take Five, University of Buffalo, NY
In Living Pattern, Arts Brookfield, New York, NY
Flash in the Pan, LoBo Gallery, Long Island City, NY
Possession and Creation, Chashama, Brooklyn, NY
Nestled in the Warm Embrace of Painting, Transmitter Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2018
Fluid Tapestry, Ground Floor Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Seen and Unseen, Collective Gallery, Woodstock, NY
Soft Weirdo, Times Club Gallery, Prairie Lights, Iowa City, IA
Line of Vision, In-Case, Brooklyn Fireproof, Brooklyn, NY
Uncertain, Norte Maar/CounterPointe Ballet performance at Actors Fund Art Center, Brooklyn, NY
The Sky Was Beautiful on Fire, Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpellier, Vermont
Spirit Rose a Metre, Sardine Gallery, Brooklyn NY
2015
If Walls Could Talk, Firework Gallery, Brooklyn,NY
2010
Double X, Visual Arts Gallery, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alabama
Schöner Arsch, Red Saw Gallery, Newark, NJ
2007
Point of Purchase, Dumbo Arts Center, Brooklyn, NY
2005
With Strings Attached, Ruby Green Gallery, Nashville, TN
CRITS' PIX, Black & White Gallery, Brooklyn,NY
Idyllic By Nature, Permanent Collection of the US Embassy/ART in Embassies, Yerevan, Armenia
RESIDENCIES + FELLOWSHIPS
2023
Dieu Donné Workspace Residency, Brooklyn, NY, Fellowship
Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, VA, Fellowship
2022
Hewnoaks, Lovell, Maine, Fellowship
2021
Google Artist in Residence, New York, NY
2019
Mass MoCA, Assets for Artists, MA, Fellowship
Vermont Studio Center, VT, Fellowship
2017
Vermont Studio Center, VT
2013
Textile Arts Center, AIR, Brooklyn, NY
2000
American Academy in Rome, Visiting Artist. Rome, Italy
Citè Internationale des Artes, American Center in Paris Award. Paris, France
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Corwin, Lena, “CLOTH”, 2025, Abrams Books
Spaans, Moniek, “Breien en Haken”, 2024, Textiel Plus Magazine, The Netherlands
Nafziger, Christina, “Soft Play” at Collar Works, November 2022, Create! Magazine
Avedian, Lillian, “The Future of Things Passed” celebrates contemporary Armenian art, May 2022, Armenian Weekly
Kravitz Hoeffner, Melissa, “Rainbow pool opens on Roosevelt Island”, June 2021, Time Out NY
Waxman, Lori, “60wrd/min COVID Edition: I’ll Never Be Untrue”, April 2021, New City Art
Maine, Stephen, “Artists Quarantine With Their Art Collections”, January 2021, Hyperallergic
Andrew, Jason, “On the Road: Take Five in Buffalo”, April 2020, Two Coats of Paint
Nash, Indiana, "Everyday Materials at use at Albany Airport", August 2020, The Daily Gazette
Adams, Bruce, "Women in the Abstract", December 2019, Buffalo Spree
Williams, Michelle, "A different kind of pinup", August 2007, Birmingham News
Sonnenborn, Katie, "PIN-UP", Pitch Magazine, November 2006
Maddox, David, "With Strings Attached", Number: an independent arts journal, Winter 2007
ARTIST TALKS / GUEST CRITIC / PANEL DISCUSSIONS
2023 Artist Talk with Tracy McKenna and Keiko Narahashi, Gold/montclair* Gallery, NJ
2023 Artist Talk with Sarah Heinemann and Kristen Mills, Cedar Crest College, Allentown, PA
2023 Artist Talk, L’ Space Gallery, New York, NY
2022 Panel Discussion with Jason Andrews, Collar Works, Troy, NY
2022 Soft Play, interview with Amy Talluto, Pep Talks for Artists Podcast
2020 Guest Critic, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY
2019 AIR Mentor, Textile Arts Center, Brooklyn, NY
2019 Artist Talk, Endicott College, Beverly, MA
2018 Panel Discussion with Sharon Butler, Norte Maar, Brooklyn, NY
2018 Artist Talk, Art and Design High School, New York, NY