For over two decades, New England-based artist Melissa Scheid Frantz has created vibrant oil paintings using only her fingers—no brushes. This tactile approach allows her to capture the intimate interactions and conversations between colors, a process central to her artistic expression. Drawing inspiration from both her international travels and the natural beauty of her own backyard, with its lush mountains and trees, Melissa's work embodies a unique form of abstract realism.

Beyond her passion for creating colorful, dynamic art, Melissa is also deeply committed to social change. Throughout her career, she has worked to empower and support marginalized communities in educational and professional settings. This dedication to social justice is woven into the fabric of her recent artwork, reflecting her ongoing commitment to creating positive change.

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Selected Group Exhibitions and Representation

• “Arts in Bloom” - Hopkinton Center for the Arts, Hopkinton, Massachusetts; April - May 2024

• “Stronger” - Aplomb Gallery, Dover, New Hampshire; November 2021 - February 2022

• “Community Small Works Exhibit” - Sawmill River Arts, Montague City, Massachusetts; August 2021

• “Creative People Leading Climate Action”- Augusta Savage Gallery, UMass Amherst, Digital Exhibition on view April 16 - June 30, 2021

• “Created Equal” - Arlington Center for the Arts, September 25, 2020 - January 15, 2021

• “Showing Up: for Our Neighborhoods, Our Communities and Each Other” — Berkshire Art Association Biennial Show; The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, Pittsfield, Massachusetts; juried art show, October - November 2018

• "Restructured" -- Nave Gallery Annex; Somerville, Massachusetts; juried art show, November - December 2017

• "Nonobjective NOW: New England Artists Explore Abstraction" -- Davis Art Gallery; Worcester, Massachusetts; juried art show, September - December 2017

• “Portrait” -- Trescott Gallery; Taunton, Massachusetts; juried art show, January 2016

• "Small Works Exhibition" -- Porter Mill Gallery; Beverly, Massachusetts; juried art show, December 2014

• “01301: Art by, for, and about Greenfield”-- Greenfield, Massachusetts; juried art show by the Greenfield Local Cultural Council, October 2012

• The White House Inn -- Wilmington, Vermont; 2012

• Young & Constantin Gallery — Wilmington, Vermont; 2005 - 2012

• Exhibition at Grafton – Grafton, Vermont; juried art show, August - September 2007

• Windham Art Gallery — Brattleboro, Vermont; 2001 - 2006

• Battelle Harding Gallery — Greenfield, Massachusetts; December 2003 - April 2004; invitational show, October 2003

• New England Bio Labs — Beverly, Massachusetts; two-person show, January - February 2004

• Object Image Gallery — Brooklyn, New York; 2002 - 2003

• Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires — Lenox, Massachusetts; 2003

Selected Solo Exhibitions

• Works Bakery Cafe -- "Take a Seat," Brattleboro, Vermont; July 2013

• Baystate Franklin Medical Center -- Greenfield, Massachusetts; Fall 2010

• Cell Signaling Technologies -- Danvers, Massachusetts; Fall 2008

• Tusk 'n' Rattle Cafe — Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts; April 2006 - January 2008

• CHA Gallery — Cambridge, Massachusetts; October – December 2006

• Main Gallery — "Vietnam Terraces," Hampshire College, Amherst, Massachusetts; January 2006

• Geissler Gallery — "(Re)Turning to Vietnam," Stoneleigh-Burnham School, Greenfield, Massachusetts; September – October 2005

Awards and Residencies

• Artist Residency — Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, Vermont; June 2004

• Norm Krampetz Scholarship recipient, Windham Art Gallery, 2002
  
  

Reviews

• The Valley Advocate by James Heflin, January 12, 2006

• The Keene Sentinel by Marianne Shaughnessy, June 3, 2004

• Art New England by Diana Lischer-Goodband, December/January 2003

• Brattleboro Reformer by Diana Lischer-Goodband, July 25, 2002
  
  

Collections

• Foraker Labs — Boulder, Colorado

• Meditech — Canton, Massachusetts
  
  

Publications

• Course catalog cover art, Green Mountain Academy for Lifelong Learning, winter 2010

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