ARTIST BIO

Melanie Elyse Brewster (b. Miami, Florida) lives and works in New York City where she is currently completing her MFA at the School of Visual Arts (SVA). Brewster’s interdisciplinary art and scholarship focuses on how marginalized communities cope with stress and stigma. Her 2D and 3D works address the peculiarities of spirituality under late-stage capitalism and create faux ‘wellness’ practices via fiber, collage, and assemblage.

She previously earned her PhD from the University of Florida in 2011 and is a licensed psychologist and professor at Teachers College, Columbia University in the Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology. Brewster has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles and a book, Atheists in America, on experiences of minority stress in the United States. Her work has been featured in media outlets such as CNN, NPR, Vice News, and the CBC.