Melanie Tlaseca Verde is a multidisciplinary, queer, Mexican-American artist — fibers, glass, painting & photography are some of their favorite mediums to tell stories with.

Based in Newark, NJ and a graduate of Phillips Academy Andover and Colgate University, Melanie discovered their creative talents thanks to the guidance of nurturing art teachers at these institutions.

In 2023 they were selected to participate in the coveted Glassroots x Peters Valley Fellowship in Newark, NJ where they gained exposure to the professional art world in the Northeast and furthered their artistic techniques.

Melanie's creations range from embedding words of self-affirmation on hand-dyed clothes using embroidery and batik, to intervening in textile pollution by upcycling fabric scraps into ties via machine and hand sewing, to painting portraits of family members to be passed down to future generations. For Melanie, creative practice and expression is this deep way of knowing that they use to connect with children, elders, Earth, and everybody in between.

Melanie plans to nourish the creative voices of future generations in Newark as a teaching artist.