FINE ART: Art has always been a part of Melissa’s life starting from an early age. In 2000 she earned an Art History degree from MSU, and for the next decade she spent working in the advertising/marketing/event industry. In 2011, she was finally able to pick up the brush again and has not put it down. Melissa’s work primarily focuses on the landscapes of Montana and recently she started exploring still life and florals. Since 2013 her work has been part of the Bozeman art scene; participating in local juried art shows, various Downtown Bozeman Art Walks and annually contributing to area fundraisers that support our non-profits and thriving art community.  Melissa is past member of Montana Contemporary Arts Collective, Three Rivers Artists Guild and The Artists Gallery in the Emerson. She has studied and/or attended workshops with a variety of local and national artists including Jake Gaedkte, Kara Tripp, Loretta Domaszewski, Greg Scheibel, David Mensing, Ray Campeau and the late Mark Sullivan. Over the years she has won a handful of awards, including in 2020 Sweet Pea Festival of the Arts People’s Choice Award, 2016 Christmas Stroll Poster Winner and others. Melissa feels so fortunate to be a “native Bozemanite”, she continues to live and create art in her hometown while raising her family alongside her supportive husband. 

You can often find her work in a wide variety of places all over Gallatin Valley- check out her SHOWINGS page to see current locations.

ART EDUCATION CLASSES When Melissa is not in the studio, you can find offering art enrichment education to elementary students. For the last decade she has been offering artist in residence programming across the valley. Her art lessons for grades K-5 focus on fundamentals of art often with an art history twist, they incorporates a wide variety of mediums and styles. She will be entering her sixth year 24-25 as the P.A.C. supported Art Specialist at Morning Star Elementary in Bozeman. In the past -Melissa has also taught artist in residence programing at the Bozeman Public Library, Emily Dickinson Elementary School and at Belgrade’s Ridgeview Elementary, Whittier School.

AWARDS                                                                                     

2020: Recipient of the Montana Arts Council: Montana CARES Recovery grant and Montana CARES Individual grant

2020: Sweet Pea Juried Art Show: People’s Choice Winner

2018: 3rd Place Gallatin County Fair: Fine Art Division

2016: Downtown Bozeman Christmas Stroll Poster Winner

2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 : Sweet Pea Juried Art Show                                             

2014: Zoot Calendar Artist Winner                                     

STAY IN TOUCH:

email: melissa.summerfield@gmail.com 

tele: 406.585.9815 

Follow her on instagram msummerfieldfineart

Supported in part by a grant from the Montana Arts Council, an agency of the State Government, and the National Endowment for the Arts.