Melissa Borrell
Art Direction, Austin Texas United States
 
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Contact details
Tel: 512 512-912-7779
Brief Summary
Challenging expectations about how we perceive and interact with the world around us is my ongoing artistic goal. I like to create objects and artwork that play with the way people see things by making designs that inspire new perspectives. Blurring the lines between art and design, my work explores concepts of space, perception, color and form through jewelry, innovative product designs, and sculpture. Challenging the definitions that divide these categories, I create work that is at the same time functional and conceptual. Light bulbs that cast shadows, jewelry that hangs as art on the wall, window shades that give the illusion of another world outside, and pendants that transform from 2D to 3D are a few examples of the ways I play with your assumptions. I am intrigued by different materials and perspectives, and thrive on the challenge of developing new ideas.
Clients
Melissa Borrell creates client specific artwork and custom products for hospitality, healthcare, residential and corporate spaces. Her client list includes MoMA, Hyatt Regency, MFAHouston, Enter Architecture, and the Getty Museum. With a background in product design and an MFA from Rhode Island School of Design, she uses her extensive knowledge of different materials and fabrication techniques to create unique solutions for clients. Her approach integrates a sophisticated visual style and design know how to create beautiful and enduring installations. Working collaboratively from concept through production, Melissa has a talent for incorporating her client’s desires into an artistic expression.
Professional Experience
EDUCATION
Rhode Island School of Design, Providence RI, 2005
MFA, Jewelry and Light Metals- Magna Cum Laude
California College of Arts and Crafts, San Francisco, CA, 2000
Industrial Design 1999-2000
Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center, San Francisco, CA
Business Planning Course Aug-Dec.1999
Tufts University, Medford MA/ School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston MA, 1996
BA, French Literature/ Studio Art Minor- Magna Cum Laude
Tufts in Paris 1994-1995
Coursework in French at the Sorbonne, Science Po, and other French Universities, art courses at private ateliers


GRANTS, SCHOLARSHIPS, AWARDS, RESIDENCIES
2010 Star of Design- Decorative Center Houston
2005 Stein Family Summer Fund Grant for Interdisciplinary Collaboration
2004 Award of Excellence-Rhode Island School of Design
2004 Emerging Professional Studio Jeweler Showcase-Aaron Faber Gallery
2004 John A. Chironna Scholarship-Rhode Island School of Design
2004 Society of North American Goldsmiths Student Grant
2004 Helen Drutt Residency for Artists -Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
2004, 2005 International Precious Metals Institute Annual Design Competition-Honorable Mention

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2011 Movement (solo exhibition), Peel Gallery, Houston, TX
2005 How Do You Wear a Drawing? Solo exhibition, Peel Gallery, Houston, TX

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2012 People’s Gallery 2012, City Hall, Austin TX
2011 From Minimal to Bling, Society of Arts and Crafts, Boston, MA
Multiples, Heidi Lowe Gallery, Rehoboth Beach, DE
Crafting Live(s): 10 Years of Artists-In-Residence, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston, TX
ModelCitzen, Chelsea Art Museum, New York, NY
2010 Texas National, Stephen F. Austin Gallery, Nagadoches, TX
Earrings, Heidi Lowe Gallery, Rehoboth Beach, DE
Celebrate Texas Art, Williams Tower Gallery, Houston, TX
2009 The Earring Show, Fancy, Seattle, PA
Paper or Plastic, Luke and Eloy Gallery, Pittsburgh,PA
Paper Cut, Peel Gallery, Houston, TX
2007 NextDesigners, Design Within Reach, Houston, TX
2006 RISD NYC Biennial, Exit Art, New York, NY
Around the Flat, Spring 3-D Brooklyn, NY
Designboom at ICFF, Javits Center, New York, NY
Living Spaces, Supreme Trading, Brooklyn, NY
2005 Craft USA, Silvermine Art Guild, New Canaan CT
MFA Thesis Exhibition, RISD Museum, Providence, RI
2003 /’snag/n, Collector’s Gallery Oakland Museum Oakland, CA
The Art of California Gold, Crocker Art Museum Sacramento, CA
2002 Portfolio Exhibit, Aaron Faber Gallery New York, NY
50 Years in the Making, Velvet Da Vinci, San Francisco, CA
2001 2nd Annual Ring Show Invitational, Bayfront Gallery, Pensacola, FL
2001 Full Circle Exhibition, Collector’s Gallery, Oakland Museum, Oakland, CA
1999 American Craft Council Emerging Talent, Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA
1999 Selections: ArtSpan Juried Exhibition, Capella, San Francisco, CA
Exemplary Contemporary, Elouise Pickard Smith, Santa Cruz, CA

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
New Rings: 500+Designs from Around the World, 3-in-One Ring, Open Square Ring, Folded and Flocked Ring, Thames and Hudson, 2011
500 Silver Designs, Topography Necklace, Lark Books, 2011
500 Gemstone Jewels, Green Garnet Topography Pendant, Lark Books, 2010
Tangible: High Touch Visuals, Pop-Out Jewelry, Gestalten, Berlin 2009
500 Necklaces, Expanding Necklace, Tree Lace Necklace, Lark Books, 2006
“The Business of Craft,” Jose Solis, Cite Magazine, Winter 2011
“Top 100 Companies to Watch” Entrepreneur Magazine, July 2010
“Shady Business,” Mary Vuong, Houston Chronicle, August 2008
“Five Women Artists” Catherine Anspon, PaperCity Houston, March 2008
“Exposed” L.Hoppe, Tribeza Magazine, November 2007
“Is it a Sculpture or an Accessory?” Heather Staible, Houston Chronicle, August 9, 2007
“Nature Callling,” Pol-Oxygen, December 2006
“Very, Very Vintage,” Houston Chronicle, November 2005

LECTURES AND PANELS
Society of North American Goldsmiths Conference, Professional Practices Panel, Houston, TX 2009
Contemporary Art Museum Houston, Designers and Architects Panel Discussion Houston, TX 2008
AIA Houston, Portfolio Presentation, 2007

MEDIA COVERAGE
That’s Clever, Grid Earrings and Topography Necklace, HGTV, 2005

EXPERIENCE
Founder and President, Melissa Borrell Design, Austin, TX 2006-present
Design, produce and wholesale product lines. Develop and manufacture custom products for individuals and institutions. Create commissioned artwork for museums and hotels.
Jewelry Instructor, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI, 2003-2005
Jewelry Instructor: plan syllabus, demonstrate techniques, critique student designs and process, lead discussions about design choices and problem solving
Studio Artist, San Francisco, CA 1999-2003
Design and fabricate handmade jewelry pieces, manage inventory, create custom work for private clients, sell production jewelry through galleries and craft shows
Production Assistant, Claudia Kussano Designs, San Francisco, CA 1998
Production Assistant: Fabricate jewelry for orders- solder, polish and finish pieces, set up booth, sales at wholesale shows
Production Designer Double Spaced- Berkeley, CA Summer 2005
Plan film shoot schedule, coordinate costume and make-up changes
Co-Curator: This is Jewelry- Providence, RI Jan 2005
Co-Produce Jewelry Exhibition, design marketing materials, exhibition design and installation
Founder/President ArtFusion- San Francisco, CA 2000-2003
Plan and organize yearly art sale. Coordinate monthly meetings to facilitate exchange and interaction among jewelry artists in the Bay Area.

Awards and Recognition
GRANTS, SCHOLARSHIPS, AWARDS, RESIDENCIES
2010 Star of Design- Decorative Center Houston
2005 Stein Family Summer Fund Grant for Interdisciplinary Collaboration
2004 Award of Excellence-Rhode Island School of Design
2004 Emerging Professional Studio Jeweler Showcase-Aaron Faber Gallery
2004 John A. Chironna Scholarship-Rhode Island School of Design
2004 Society of North American Goldsmiths Student Grant
2004 Helen Drutt Residency for Artists -Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
2004, 2005 International Precious Metals Institute Annual Design Competition-Honorable Mention
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