Melodee Strong

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 allows her to create using a wide range of materials and techniques, however her portfolio largely consists of children’s book illustration, portraiture, community outreach projects, and murals giving attention to diverse cultures, including her Peruvian heritage; 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 at book and art festivals. 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 80 mural and large-scale projects in the Twin Cities and abroad. She is currently teaching visual and media arts at Franklin Middle School in Minneapolis and is an adjunct instructor at Augsburg. She earned The Minneapolis Educator Leadership Award from the Graves Foundation in 2020 and 2022.