Check Out Melissa Schainker’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Schainker.

Melissa, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin? 
I’m a New York-based full-time fine artist. I landed here in 2013 after living all over the country, from Saint Louis to San Francisco, and a few stops in between. I am a formally trained painter and attended art school at the University of Southern Indiana on a full-ride scholarship, half academic and half talent. I finished my Bachelor’s degree at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with an emphasis in Graphic Design, Painting, and Metalsmithing. I later pursued graduate studies in Web Design and New Media at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and was just short of completing my MFA. I began my career in advertising and graphic design in Saint Louis and made the transition to full-time fine art in 2017. Through perseverance and a strong network of fellow artists, I’ve been able to build my workspace from my dining room table to my own studio in Tribeca. Over the years, I’ve exhibited globally and have continued to see growth in my practice. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
To say it has been a straight, easy path would be a lie. I started in graphic design and showed my work intermittently for nearly a decade post-art school. While in graduate school, I gave birth to my first child prematurely and dropped out of my program to care for him. I was a stay-at-home parent for eight years to my two children, continuing my art, but only exhibiting occasionally. Throughout the course of all of this, I moved across the country twice. I only found real traction in regular sales and exhibitions during the pandemic. Even though I have been creating art for my entire life, it took a shift in focus to really gain progress. Once a few galleries had picked up my work, it snowballed from there. Now, I have exhibited all over the world and have been published in British Vogue, Canvas Rebel, The Untitled Magazine, Shout Out LA, and House and Garden UK, just to name a few. I’m always humbled by my success due to the life-long pursuit of making art. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a figurative surrealist oil painter, and I dabble in street art. I am equally at home in fine art galleries and on the streets doing murals. I am most proud of and recognized for my distinctive style. While there are other surrealists working in contemporary art in New York City, I find that I have a unique and recognizable style. I’m not attempting to emulate anyone else. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mschainkerfineart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mschainkerfineart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/schainkerm
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-schainker-403b695/

Image Credits
Hideki Aono
Justin Muñoz