Melissa Athey is a glass and mixed media artist. Originally from out West, she received her BFA in Fibers from Colorado State University (CSU). It is there that Melissa discovered glass casting has been entranced with the medium ever since. After a 2-year stint as a visiting artist and then 2 years teaching glass casting and fusing in the Sculpture Dept. at CSU, she decided to apply to grad school to further her knowledge. Melissa attended Virginia Commonwealth University where she received her MFA in Craft and Material Studies with a specialty in glass.

Melissa often utilizes a broad array of materials and processes within her art and her relationship to these is born from an involved and expansive research process. She uses both organic and synthetic components as well as collected objects to help articulate a personal narrative as well as catalog and document different aspects of her life. These materials and their inherent associations convey meaning within her work. Through this materiality she reflects her experience of living with chronic illness and explores themes of medicine and science and how they intersect with disability. She is interested in how society perceives illness, especially “invisible illness,” and how that contrasts with a person’s view of themselves.

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