A native of Greenville, Melanie earned a BFA in Commercial Art from the Mississippi University of Women in 1978. In addition to working as a freelance graphic artist for several years, she worked alternately for a printing company and a local advertising agency before starting a family. Raising children showed her that perhaps there might be another outlet for her creative leanings, and she moved toward a career in arts education. Melanie has been the elementary and middle school visual arts instructor at Washington School since 1996, and currently serves the Greenville Arts Council as Gallery Chair. Her preferred medium is printmaking, but teaching children of all ages allows her to explore and enjoy a variety of media.