ABOUT

Melissa Pierce Murray's practice considers how engagement, interactions, objects and materials can facilitate and deepen awareness of our place in the world. Often interactive or participatory, her sculptural works use an aesthetic driven approach to interweave materials, emotion and narrative, creating a tactile allure and unnerving edginess. Melissa’s practice is informed by interdisciplinary studies and interests in literature, physics and dance, while her sensitivity to place and material arises from her roots in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado. 

Melissa Pierce Murray has shown work extensively across the UK and Internationally including: Artwalk Wakefield / Index Festival / Yorkshire Sculpture International, Wakefield, 2022; The Hostry, Norwich and University College, Oxford, 2019-20. She was also invited as a keynote speaker for Mestizajes International Conference on Art, Literature and Science, Spain, 2021. Melissa holds a BA (English Literature, Physics, University of Colorado) and MA Fine Arts (Norwich University of the Arts, U.K).

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS AND COMMISSIONS

2023

Tipping Point Residency, Aldeburgh Beach Lookout Tower
Conversation, Sculptures and Spaces, Event, Cambridge

2022

Undisclosed, The Hostry, Norwich Cathedral, Norwich
Falling and Rising, Artwalk Wakefield, Wakefield Cathedral
Selected Works, University College Oxford

2021

Stepping Stones, Jesus Green, Cambridge
Summer Exhibition, Royal Society of Sculptors, London

2020

Tumbleweeds, University College, Oxford
Carbon, (online film), University College, Oxford

2019

Visitor in the Creative Arts, Residency 2019-2020, University College, Oxford
Finalist, Royal Society of Sculptors First Plinth Award
Awkward Objects, Solo Exhibition with Performance, Wakefield Cathedral, part of INDEX Festival and Yorkshire Sculpture International
Drawing Space, Caravanserai Residency, Cambridge Artworks
Body and Place Historic Drawing Residency, The CoLab
Permeable Spaces, Exhibition, Art at the Alison Richard Building, University of Cambridge

Parallel Lines, The Lightbox, Woking

2018

InteractionObject, participatory sculptural events at Heong Gallery, Downing College, and Artspace, Cambridge
NanoVignettes, Mind the (Nano)Gap, Cambridge Science Festival, Cambridge and Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition, London
Ashurst Emerging Artist Art Prize 2018, Ashurst Emerging Artist Gallery, London
SciArt at the Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge Science Festival, Cambridge

2017

Stasis, Solo Exhibition, Cambridge
RBS Bursary Awards Exhibition, Royal British Society of Sculptors, London
Nasty Women, Cambridge Artworks, Cambridge

2016

Commission: Breaking Boundaries Live Art Installation created with Diana Scarborough for the Passion For Knowledge Science Festival 2016, San Sebastian, Spain
Constellation, The Undercroft, Norwich
Into Boundless Space I Leap, Maxwell Centre, University of Cambridge, curated by Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge

2015

Streams Of Living Water, Norwich Cathedral
NanoArt: Perceiving on the Smallest Scales,  Festival of Ideas, University of Cambridge
3+2, Anteros Gallery, Norwich
Art in the Chapel, Holt Festival, Norfolk
Dialogues, Norwich University of the Arts
Inspired by Science, Welbourne Arts Festival, Norfolk
Art in and Out of the Garden, Cambridge

2014

Quantum, (with Turning Worlds Dance Company), Barcelona Science Festival at the Museum of Modern Art (MACBA),  Barcelona
Commission: Stone Age Technology, Chesterton Community College, Cambridge
Cambridge Art Fair, Represented by Atelier Art
Buy Art Fair, Manchester, Represented by Atelier Arts

2013

Quantum, (with Turning Worlds Dance Company) Ruskin Gallery, Cambridge
Commission: Alabaster Swan, Rosie Maternity Garden, Addenbrooks Hospital, Cambridge
Commission: Untitled, Portland Limestone, Private Collection, Cambridge.
Art in and Out of the Garden, Cambridge

2012

Commission: Portrait of Youth (brother and sister), Bronze, Private Collection, Cambridge
Open Gardens, Cambridge

2011

Summer Exhibition, Carina Haslem Gallery, Great Missenden, Bucks
Art for Blue Smile, Anstey House, Trumpington, Cambs
Cambourne Art, The Manor House, Cambourne, Cambs

2009

Summer Exhibition, Courcoux and Courcoux,Hampshire
Spring Exhibition, Rowley Contemporary Art, Winchester, Hampshire
Commission: Portrait of a Young Dancer, Bronze, Private Collection, Cambridge

2008

Commission: Young Athlete, Bronze, Private Collection, U.S.A.

2007

Commission: Llama, Welded Steel, Private Collection, Bournmouth

2002

Summer Exhibition,The Garden Gallery, Hampshire
Beatrice Royal Gallery, Eastleigh, Hampshire
Art in the Garden, Hilliers Arboretum, Hampshire

2001

Art in the Garden, Hilliers Arboretum, Hampshire
Summer Exhibition,The Garden Gallery, Hampshire

2000

Art in the Garden, Hilliers Arboretum, Hampshire
Summer Exhibition,The Garden Gallery, Hampshire
Commission: Swan, Bardiglio Marble, Eastleigh City Council, Hampshire

1999

Vessel, Portsmouth Cathedral, Portsmouth
Tactile Art, Maltby Contemporary Art, Winchester

1998

Body, Form and Process, Solo Exhibition, Hampshire Sculpture Trust
Art from Life, RIBA Gallery, Cambridge
Commission: Two Cows, Welded Steel, Private Collection, Sussex

AWARDS AND RESIDENCIES

2022               The Art House, Artwalk Wakefield

                        Dialogues Peer Mentoring, Mark Devereaux Projects

                        Glass Casting, Angela Jarman Studios

2021               DYCP Artist Development Grant, Arts Council England

                        Studiobook(Online), Professional Development Mentoring

2020               Visitor in the Creative Arts, (2019-2020) University College, Oxford

2019 Finalist, Royal Society of Sculptors First Plinth Public Art Award
2018 Shortlisted, Ashurst Emerging Art Prize
2017 AA2A Residency, College of Art and Design, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge
2016 Bursary Award, Royal British Society of Sculptors
2016 Connect! Artist mentoring programme, shadowing lead artist Aowen Jin for the Museums at Night event at Compton Verney, Warwickshire
1997               Art for Everyone National Lottery Grant for artist development and outreach

Selected Talks and Workshops 

2022               

Interdisciplinary Creativity Workshops, CDT in Fluid Dynamics, University of Leeds

2021               

El Encanto del Estetica, Metizajes Conference, San Sebastian, Spain

2020               

How Not to Draw Conclusions, NanoPhotonics Group, University of Cambridge

2018

Using Materials to Think, Intellectual Forum, Jesus College, Cambridge
Material and Metaphor, Cambridge School of Art, Anglia Ruskin University

2017             

Form in Art, Issac Newton Institute for Mathematical Science, University of Cambridge
Drawing on Science, NanoDoctoral Training Centre, University of Cambridge
Materia y Metafora, Mestisajes Conference, San Sebastian, Spain 

2016             

Drawing and Making, Swindon College, Wiltshire

2015

Koons in Context, Interaction and Oureach,Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery         

Selected Teaching 

2017-18       Visiting Lecturer, Norwich University of the Arts, Norwich
2016-18       Weekly Experimental Drawing Classes, for Access Art, Cambridge
2008-12       Co-Facilitator, Walk-In Studio, Corona House Women’s Shelter, Cambridge
2010-13       Cover Teacher and Workshop Leader, Stephen Perse Foundation, Cambridge
2002             Sculpture Workshops,Henry Beaufort Secondary School, Winchester
1999-2002  Stone Carving, Cambridge Artworks

Publications

2017 Other Kinds of Knowledge, in #Nodos, DIPC, Next Door Publishers, Pamplona, Spain (English translation forthcoming June 2019)

EDUCATION

2015 MA Fine Art (Distinction), Norwich University of the Arts.
1992 BA (Honours) Physics, English Literature, University of Colorado, USA.