Since childhood, I’ve sensed a magical layer to reality hovering just out of sight. The walls of my house and the objects within it carried a mysterious presence; I felt they were portals, their existence overlapping this world and an alternate one. My art practice is a way of searching out the hidden through material, touch, and close attention. As a sculptor, I press against the membrane of reality to trace the contours of its unseen structure.
I remake, cast, and invert everyday objects, trying to locate the threshold where they shift from usefulness into their own presence. I’m looking for that moment when something reveals its inner layer—the space beneath its surface where memory, spirit, and labor converge. My work is an ongoing exploration to make visible the presence within the materials of ordinary existence.
Melissa Russell is a Las Vegas high school art teacher and passionate advocate for art education. She recently obtained her MFA from the University of Nevada, Reno to deepen her personal practice and expand interdisciplinary approaches within the classroom. Through developing her own artistic voice, she seeks to model creative inquiry for her students and help them use art to navigate both personal and social themes. In her personal work, she seeks to unearth the spiritual hidden beneath everyday reality.
On exhibit at Enterprise Library Gallery from January 22 through March 31, 2026
Gallery Reception: Thursday, March 26, 2026 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Monday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Tuesday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Wednesday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Thursday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Friday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Saturday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Sunday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
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