b.1970, London, Canada.
Lives and works in Northern California

Mel Day is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, designer, and experimental contemplative working across a range of media including video, sound, drawing, photography, and social practice. In recent work, she continues to investigate the instability of belief systems of all kinds through a constellation of multi-sensory, multi-media, and multi-faith effects, most recently focused in a speculative series of “Study Guides for Experimental Contemplatives.”

Currently a Visiting Artist at the Experimental Media Arts Lab at Stanford University, CA, Mel Day will be part of an upcoming residency at The Lab in San Francisco with Sasha Petrenko + Pieces-of-You-Topia. Day recently completed residencies at Djerassi Resident Arts Program and Headlands Center for the Arts. Awards include the John D. and Susan P. Diekman Fellowship, the San Francisco Foundation’s Murphy Fellowship in the Fine Arts, the Eisner Prize in the Creative Arts and the Sam Francis Distinguished Alumni Award from UC Berkeley, as well as a commission to create a new work for the UC Berkeley Alumni Magazine, California. Her work has been exhibited and screened at national and international venues, including Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Southern Exposure Art Gallery and The San Francisco Film Society (San Francisco), The Berlin Office (Berlin), Pacific Film Archive (Berkeley), and Peak Gallery (Toronto). Day has been a visiting lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, the Art & Art History Program at Sheridan College and University of Toronto and currently serves on the Advisory Board for the Digital Media Art Programs at Diablo Valley and Mission Colleges, CA. She received a Masters in Fine Art from the University of California, Berkeley. Day is represented by Peak Gallery, Toronto.

05 MFA University of California, Berkeley

92 Bachelor of Fine Arts,Hons.,Queen's University ,Kingston, Ontario. Minor in Art History.

90-91 Exchange Scholarship to Glasgow School of Art and Glasgow University, Glasgow Scotland.

solo exhibitions

11 "study guide for experimental contemplatives" | Peak Gallery, Toronto, Ontario

08 The Berlin Office, Berlin, Germany | A collaboration with Miriam Dym: “Collision #1
The Berlin Institute, Berlin, Germany | A collaboration with Miriam Dym: “Collision #2

07 Certain Insecurity, Peak Gallery, Toronto, Ontario | review

06 “New Work” Headlands Center for the Arts, Project Space, Sausalito, CA

04 Early Flemish Paintings, Peak Gallery, Toronto, Ontario | review

02 Everyday Green (and other devotional works), Peak Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
New Painting, The Red Head Gallery Toronto, Ontario.
lily Pond Blue (and other devotional works), Bishop 's University Art Gallery Lennoxville, Quebec.
Untitled, Rotunda Gallery, Kitchener City Hall, Ontario.

01 Boy Girl Melissa Day & Andrew Wright (two person exhibition), Ballroom Studio Kitchener, Ontario.

00 From the Medieval Convent to Martha Stewart: Concepts of Interior Life. Union Gallery Queen 's University, Kingston, Ontario.

95 Seascapes. Dalhousie University Art Gallery Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Core Samples. Circulated: Sedco-471 Drill Ship; Halifax G7 Information Technology Exposition; Haliax G7 Ocean Information Technology Showcase, CSS Matthew.

selected group exhibitions

11 The Lab, San Francisco, CA | Residency and Project Space with Sasha Petrenko + The Imaginary Collective
Comment Online Magazine | Peace I give to you: http://www.cardus.ca/comment/article/2728/

10 San Francisco Film Society & Southern Exposure Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA | Cinema by the Bay
The Missing Peace - Artists Consider the Dalai Lama - travelling show: Tokyo Japan, Miami USA, Sibiu Romania

09 YBCA presents - "Through Future Eyes: The Endurance of Humanity" San Francisco, USA.

08 Traveling internationally (venues TBA), 88 artists representing 30 countries | “The Missing Peace: Artists Consider the Dalai Lama” http://gallery.tmpp.org/gallery/en/index.jsp
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts curated by JuanCarlos Quintana for Caleb Duarte at the Red Poppy Art House | “Bay Area Now 5”
Art Fair21, Cologne | McCaig Welles and Rosenthal Gallery
Southern Exposure, San Francisco, CA, curated by Valerie Imus | “Hopeless & Otherwise"

07 Superbien! Berlin, Germany, curated by Heidi Hove Pederson (DK), Jonn Herschend (US), David Keating (DE/AU) | “Deadpan Exchange”
Koh-i-noor Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark, curated by Jonn Herschend | “Deadpan II” &
The Lab, San Francisco, CA | “Deadpan III”
LowSalt Gallery, Glasgow, Scotland, traveling to the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, Scotland, curated by Alex Hetherington and Janie Nicoll | “The Consequence”
Trafalgar Hotel, London, UK, Spur Projects, CA | “Bridge Art Fair London”
Parkway Theatre, Oakland, CA, curated by Jonn Herschend | “Guilt by Association”
CafkaTV: Featured Artist, Contemporary Art Forum Kitchener and Area (cafkatv.com) | “How Great Thou Art”

Two Things at the Same Time, Peak Gallery, Toronto, Ontario | review

06 Photo Miami: The International Contemporary Fair of Photo-Based Art, Video, and New Media
image vs. music, Cologne Online Film Festival, curated by Agricola de Cologne, 2006
Spur Projects, Portola Valley, California

05 www.invisiblevenue.com, screenings in London, New York & San Francisco, curated by Christian Frock |
“You Don’t Know San Francisco: New Video Art from Bay Area Artists”
Pacific Film Archive, UC Berkeley | “Eisner Awards in Film & Video 2005”
Echo Park Film Center, Los Angeles, CA & ATC , San Francisco, CA | Free Fest Film Shorts”
Toronto International Art Fair, Toronto, Canada
Berkeley Art Museum, Berkeley, CA , curated by Heidi Zuckerman-Jacobson | “Irreconcilable”

04 Lyn Carter | Kathryn Dain | Melissa Day, Roam Contemporary & Peak Gallery, New York
The Antics Roadshow | Timbrespace Gallery, Los Angeles, California
Murphy Fellowhships Award Exhibition, The San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery, San Francisco, Calif

03 Atelier Mod. Los Angeles, California
Formal, California College of Arts, Hooper Complex, San Francisco Campus, California
MFAs, Worth-Ryder Gallery, University of Berkeley, California. Ohio Art League. Ohio, Columbus
Cluster III, Peak Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
Red hot,Ohio Art League, Ohio, Columbus
Good Friday, Haymarket Theatre, Palo Alto, California

02 Toronto International Art Fair ,Metro Toronto Convention Centre,Oct 17-21.
Studio Alert, Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, Ontario.
Cluster II, Peak Gallery,Toronto, Ontario.

01 Commute, ARC Gallery, Chicago,Illinois.
Evidence of Things Unseen,Tyndale College & Seminary,Toronto,Ontario.

00 Thirteenth Annual Miniature Exhibition Michael Gibson Gallery, London, Ontario.

99 Southwest Triennial. Curated by Andrew Hunter, exhibition catalogue. Museum London, Ontario.
Far & Wide Third Biennial Exhibition: A celebration of new work by 65 artists from across Nova Scotia. Exhibition catalogue. Circulated: Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (AGNS), Halifax, Nova Scotia;
The University College of Cape Breton Art Gallery, Sydney Nova Scotia; and the Western Branch of the AGNS in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

98 Responses : Wilma Needham Women 's Collaborative CD Rom Cover Project. AGNS, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The Nova Scotia Printmakers Association. Lunenburg Art Gallery, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.

96-97 Contemporary Nova Scotia Prints: Nova Scotia Printmakers Association. Juried and circulated to the Seagate Gallery, Dundee Scotland; and Bristol, England.
Faces: Toronto Open Studio Printmakers. Circulated York Quay Gallery, Harbourfront Centre,Toronto, Ontario;
Atelier Circulaire Montreal, Quebec; the Station Gallery Whitby, Ontario.

96 Multiple Choices: Nova Scotia Printmakers Association. Circulated the Anna Leonowens Gallery, Halifax, Nova Scotia.; and Enrgramme Gallery, Quebec, Quebec.

95-96 Multi-media exhibition: Sable Offshore Energy Project: Energy Beneath the Sea Computer Kiosk. Collaborated with multi- media company, on line communications to create an interactive computer kiosk incorporating core sample prints. Exhibit toured the Maritimes.

95 Visual Arts of Nova Scotia Members Exhibition.
Technical University of Nova Scotia (TUNS) Architecture Gallery, Halifax Nova Scotia.
Third Edition :Nova Scotia Printmakers Association. Juried and circulated to the Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU)Art Gallery;
The Beveridge Arts Centre, Wolfville Nova Scotia.
Umum-ism: Mosaic Mixed Media Artists. Circulated the Bermuda Society of Arts Gallery, City Hall, Hamilton; and The Clock Tower, Dockyard,Bermuda.

92 Images of the Halifax Explosion Anna Leonowens Gallery, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Graduating Show. Agnes Etherington Art Gallery, Kingston,Ontario.

90 Drawings And Monoprints. Glasgow University, Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow Scotland.

11 Experimental Media Visiting Artist (Winter & Spring), Stanford University, CA
John D. and Susan P. Diekman Fellowship, Djerassi Resident Program Award, Woodside, CA
California, Berkeley Alumni Magazine | Commission of new work for publication with three other artists
10 Djerassi Resident Artists Program (Fall), Woodside, CA

05 Headlands Center for the Arts, UC Berkeley Fellow (Residency from 2005-2006), Sausalito, CA
Eisner Prize in the Creative Arts, UC Berkeley, CA
The Sam Francis Distinguished Alumni Award, UC Berkeley, CA

04 Dedalus Foundation nominee, Master of Fine Arts Fellowship, New York
Murphy Fellowship in the Fine Arts, The San Francisco Foundation
Materials Grant, Department of Art, UC Berkeley

03 UC Berkeley Departmental Fellowship

01-02 Exhibition Assistance Grant, Ontario Arts Council

99 Exhibition Assistance Grant, Ontario Arts Council 95 Canada Council Explorations Grant Exhibition Assistance Grant, Nova Scotia Department of Education & Culture

90-91 Queen's University Exchange Scholarship Glasgow School of Art & Glasgow University

04 Conference panelist: When Is Art Research? Arts Research Center Annual Conference,
Consortium of the Arts, UC Berkeley

03 Artist Talk, Art 8 Foundation Course, UC Berkeley
Artist Talk, Undergraduate Painting, UC Berkeley

02 Public Lecture. City of Kitchener's Artist in Residence
Programme Lecture Series, Kitchener City Hall, April 11 Artist Talk. Bishop's Art Gallery, Bishop's University Art & Art History students, Lennoxville Quebec, March 13. Public Lecture. Bishop 's Art Gallery Public Lecture, Bishop's University, Lennoxville Quebec, March 14. Artist Talk. Bishop's Art Gallery, Champlain College Art & Art History students, Lennoxville Quebec, March14.

00 Public Lecture. Union Gallery, Queen's University, May 23

95 Public Lecture. Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD); Nova Scotia Society of Contemporary Art, Maritime Museum.

93 Artist in Residence. CSS Hudson, Halifax Nova Scotia. Participated as an artist in residence on an offshore expedition to the Eastern Canadian Arctic with scientists from the Bedford Institute of Oceanography. Experiences resulted in the seascapes a series of underwater seascape mixed media prints based on remote sensing imagery and grab sampling methods.

11 California: University of California Alumni Magazine, Spring | Interview & one page art work commission

10 Art Daily.org, Dec. 18 | Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Presents Work by 10 Renowned Artists

09 San Francisco Examiner, Christina Troupe, May 15, 2009 | Teens Curate Major Show

08 Journal of Aesthetics & Protest (Vol. 2. Issue 2 #6), Edited by Robby Herbst | Antiwar Survey: Peace I Give to You
Fecal Face Dot Com, May | Southern Exposure Art Gallery’s “Hopeless & Otherwise”
SF Weekly, Hiya Swanhuyser, June 11, 2008, Volume 27, Number 20 | Got Yer Nose: Hopeless and Otherwise
Stretcher.org, Cheryl Meeker, June 30, 2008 | Hopeless and Otherwise, curated by Valerie Imus at SoEx

07 Globe and Mail, Gary Michael Dault, Sept. 20, 2007 | Two Things at the Same Time at Peak Gallery

06 Globe and Mail, Gary Michael Dault, Jan. 9, 2007 | Melissa Day at Peak Gallery

05 Art Post Canada, Toronto Premiere E-magazine, Jan. 15 | Featuring Ken Lum, Alan Paiement, Melissa Day

04 Globe and Mail, Gary Michael Dault. Dec. 24 | Unsung oil pioneer gets her due
Toronto Star, Peter Goddard, Dec. 23 | The perils of painting

03 Suspended Spaces, Catalogue with essay by Maria Z. Brendel, Bishop's University Art Gallery 2001-2002.
The Lantern, Ohio State University. Curtis, Chad. Redhot Show, August 26, 2003

00 Documentary Film: Melissa Day. McBurney, Kate, Queen's University Film Department.
COGECO TV interview. From the Medieval Convent to Martha Stewart: Concepts of Interior Life, May 19.
CBC Radio 2 Arts Report. From the Medieval Convent to Martha Stewart: Concepts of Interior Life, May 30.
Queen's Alumni Review Magazine. Grad Show at Union Gallery, May/June 2000.

99 Third Biennial Exhibition catalogue: Far & Wide, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.
Coulson, Sandra. Mitchell? No One Here From There: New Exhibit at LRAHM Features Playful, Humorous, Experimental Work, London Free Press, November 29.