Melissa Beck

Education and Credentials

• Beck earned a masters of  fine art in sculpture from Pratt institute
•  Bachelor in studio art from Point Loma Nazarene University.
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Melissa Beck is a sculpture and installation artist and art professor based in Brea, California. She holds an MFA in Sculpture from Pratt Institute and a BA in Studio Art from Point Loma Nazarene University.

Her immersive installations and sculptures are often colorful, whimsical and often invite viewers to touch the work. Much of her process developed while living in Brooklyn, where she was drawn to the thickly painted surfaces of brownstones and subway interiors. She adapted this layered accumulation into her own practice, building paint over objects until surface becomes form, a material language she has refined for over a decade. Her practice also involves sculpting with unexpected materials such as clothing, household items and food such as cereal and bread. In 2025, she had a solo exhibition and artist talk at Concordia titled Undetected which featured several sculpture, installation and 2D works with hidden aspects, reflecting the often unseen but very much faithful work of God.

Her work has been exhibited at Bread & Salt, Vanguard Culture, SDAI’s Project Space, SoHo20 Gallery (NYC), Tularosa House, Lorimoto Gallery, Graft Art, the Friend of the Artist Volume 7 book and was spotlit in a National Geographic episode on creativity in San Diego. She has also completed large-scale commissions, including a dimensional installation for Compass Diversified in Costa Mesa that incorporated the company’s own products into the work.

She has participated in artist residencies at Vermont Studio Center and with Spark & Echo Arts. During her residency with Spark & Echo, she created interactive sculpture and video works inspired by scripture passages. Her professional experience includes work as a Display Artist for Anthropologie, the first Gallery Coordinator at W83 Event Center in Manhattan, and a Curatorial Assistant at LUX Art Institute, as well as coordinating art within church communities.  Since 2018, she has been teaching art and design courses at Concordia University, Biola University and California Baptist University.

Completed large scale commissions in the costa mesa area

Beck has also completed large-scale commissions, including a dimensional installation for Compass Diversified in Costa Mesa that incorporated the company’s own products into the work..

Courses Taught

• Art 111:experiences in art
• Art 202: 3D design and visualization
• Art 341: Ceramics 1

Areas of Expertise

• Display Artist for Anthropologie, the first Gallery Coordinator at W83 Event Center in Manhattan,
• Curatorial Assistant at LUX Art Institute
• coordinating art within church communities.
• Teaching art and design courses at 3 different colleges