Artist Statement

I love Black people, I love Black women, and I love being a Black woman. My work interrogates the racist cultural narratives that have long reduced Black women to stereotypes—docile caregivers, sassy sapphires, or angry threats. Drawing from domestic artifacts, the wisdom of Black women scholars, and my training as a psychologist, I approach art as inquiry: what cultural soup have we been marinating in? Utilizing handwork in embroidery and letterpress printing, I reimagine degrading images into truths that honor dignity and complexity. My practice is rooted in community and centered on Black women.

Bio:

Melissa Blount is an artist, letterpress printer, writer, and licensed clinical psychologist based in Evanston, Illinois. Her work explores Black womanhood, trauma, and white supremacy in America—often using antique household linens as canvases to reimagine narratives of domesticity and resilience. Through community sewing circles and public actions, she creates spaces where collective reflection and healing take root.

A dedicated activist and cultural organizer, Melissa co-founded MEET (Making Evanston Equitable Together), OPAL (Organization for Positive Action and Leadership), and Artist Book House, working at the intersections of advocacy, politics, and the arts. She is also an experienced clinician and national lecturer on Black health, trauma, and the transformative possibilities of art for healing and community building.