Melanie Bilenker Explained

Melanie Bilenker
Native Name Lang:	English
Birth Place:	New York City, US^[1]
Education:	Crafts and Jewelry, (BFA) University of the Arts, Philadelphia
Alma Mater:	University of the Arts, Philadelphia
Credits:	, which produces label "Notable credit(s)"; or by
Works:	, which produces label "Works" -->

Melanie Bilenker (born 1978) is an American craft artist from New York City who lives and works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her work is primarily in contemporary hair jewelry.^[2] In 2010 she received a Pew Fellowship in the Arts.^[3] Bilenker uses her own hair to "draw" images of contemporary life and self-portraits. The use of hair is an attempt at showing the person, and the moments left or shed behind.^{[4] [5]}

Collections

• Donna Schneier Collection^[6]
• Metropolitan Museum of Art^[7]
• Museum of Fine Arts, Boston^[8]
• Museum of Fine Arts, Houston^[9]
• Philadelphia Museum of Art^[10]
• Racine Art Museum^[11]
• Smithsonian American Art Museum
• Yale University Art Gallery^[12]

Exhibitions

• 40 Under 40: Craft Futures (July 19, 2012 - February 3, 2013), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Renwick Gallery, Washington, D.C.^[13]
• Wear It or Not (March 12, 2013 - June 2, 2013), Museum of Art and Design, New York^[14]
• Jewelry, From Pearls to Platinum to Plastic (June 27, 2015 - January 1, 2017), Newark Museum, New Jersey^[15]
• Outrageous Ornament: Extreme Jewelry in the 21st Century (October 21, 2018 - January 27, 2019), Katonah Museum, New York^{[16] [17]}

Awards

• 2015 Peter S. Reed Foundation Individual Artist Grant
• 2010 Pew Fellowship in the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship
• 2007 Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship
• 2003 Sienna Gallery EA Award

Source: ^[18]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Melanie Bilenker. Smithsonian American Art Museum. en-US. 2019-03-10.
2. Web site: About. Melanie Bilenker. en-US. 2019-03-10.
3. Web site: Melanie Bilenker. admin. 2016-11-30. The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. en. 2019-03-10.
4. Web site: About . Melanie Bilenker.
5. Web site: 2021-01-10 . This Artist Crafts Victoriana Miniatures Out of Her Own Hair . 2022-03-22 . Vogue . en-US.
6. Book: Suzanne, Ramljak. Unique by Design: Contemporary Jewelry in the Donna Schneier Collection. 2014-05-02. Metropolitan Museum of Art. 9781588395542. en.
7. Web site: melanie bilenker. www.metmuseum.org. 2019-03-10.
8. Web site: Garden brooch. 2018-12-23. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. en. 2019-03-10.
9. Web site: "Pants" Brooch The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. www.mfah.org. 2019-03-10.
10. Web site: Philadelphia Museum of Art - Collections Object : Chocolate. www.philamuseum.org. 2019-03-10.
11. Web site: Celebrating female innovators at the Racine Art Museum. 2017-09-18. 10Best. en. 2019-03-10.
12. Web site: "Oatmeal" Brooch ("Morning Ritual" Series) Yale University Art Gallery. artgallery.yale.edu. 2019-03-10.
13. Web site: 40 under 40: Craft Futures. Smithsonian American Art Museum. en-US. 2019-03-10.
14. Web site: Wear it or Not: Recent Jewelry Acquisitions. madmuseum.org. en. 2019-03-10.
15. Web site: Jewelry, from Pearls to Platinum to Plastic Newark Museum Artsy. www.artsy.net. en. 2019-03-10.
16. Web site: KMA: Katonah Museum of Art Exhibition Archive. www.katonahmuseum.org. 2019-03-10.
17. Web site: Outrageous Ornament: Extreme Jewelry in the 21st Century. ArtfixDaily. en. 2019-03-10.
18. Web site: Awards & Collections . Melanie Bilenker.