Melissa M. Haims is a sculptor who creates knit graffiti, soft sculpture, and large-scale installations using knitted and crocheted materials.  Additionally, she sews unconventional quilts using vintage fabrics and subversive text. The majority of her work is produced using post-industrial, pre-consumer waste from textile manufacturers.

After attending a long list of East Coast art schools studying sculpture, painting, and printmaking, her career began in New York City in the 1990s. Eventually, life led her back to Philadelphia, where she now lives with her husband and daughter. 

Ms. Haims' work has been shown in galleries, museums, and is held in private collections throughout the United States. In 2014 she was featured on an A&E network program about artists who make work out of unusual materials. She has been yarn-bombing internationally since 2010.

Since 2012, Haims has focused on creating work about death, dying, and mental illness. She draws viewers in with color, texture, and the promise of a tactile experience (every piece of work is meant to be touched, loved, and handled). They then deliver a “one, two punch” with a challenge to think and talk about difficult subjects.  More specifically, her work has largely focused on America’s endemic gun violence and its impact on our communities. Part of her practice is the documentation of children from 0-17 who have been killed by a gunshot wound. Each child is represented by a small piece of a large sculpture or weaving.

She has been exhibiting work on the contemporary art fair circuit since 2010 during Miami Art Week. Most recently she was represented at SOFA Chicago (2019), SPRING BREAK/ Art Show (2019, 2018), Art Expo NY (2019), and Art Palm Beach (2019). She's thrilled to announce her return to Satellite Fair in Miami this coming December 2023.

Ms. Haims has worked on a number of large scale, site specific sculptures. In 2020 she built a 35' wide American flag for March for our Lives. This was a voter registration event on the iconic Philadelphia Museum of Art’s staircase. In 2021 she created a 12' high sweater for the League of Conservation Voters at the State House in Concord New Hampshire to draw attention to the Build Back Better program. Currently she is working on a gigantic friendship bracelet that will be touring college campuses around the country to talk about mental health.

October 2023

Education

1996 / BFA Painting / University of Rhode Island

1996 / BA Marine Affairs / University of Rhode Island

1992 / Sea Education Association / Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute / Boston University

1991 / Tyler School of Art / Temple University

1990 / Parsons School of Design

1990 / New School for Social Research

1989 / Moore College of Art + Design

1989 / Philadelphia College of Textiles + Science

Fellowships + Awards

2021 / First Place Award / Yeiser Art Center: 2021 Fantastic Fibers / Paducah, KY

2018 / Acquisition Award / Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation / Chicago, IL

2017 / Trocaire Leadership in the Arts Award / Gwynedd Mercy Academy / Gwynedd, PA

2015 / Pulse Prize / Nominee/ Pulse Contemporary Art Fair / New York City, NY

2014 / Artist of the Year / Nominee / RAD Girls / Philadelphia, PA

2014 / National Book Award / My Favorite Friend / Blurb.com

2013 / Best in Show / Fabrics + Fibers / Markeim Arts Center / Haddonfield, NJ

2011 / Tomorrow Stars Award / Verge Fair / Art Basel Miami

2011 / New Courtland Fellowship / Center for Emerging Visual Artists / Philadelphia, PA

Curatorial Projects

2022 / Chronic Creativity; Art + Activism by Jessie Jane Lewis / CRAWFORD GALLERY / PHILADELPHIA

2020 / Sam Feinstein: The Early Years / Crawford Gallery / Philadelphia, PA

2019 / Lit / Crawford Gallery / Philadelphia, PA

2019 / Selections from the Permanent Collection / Crawford Gallery / Philadelphia, PA

2019 / Welcome to the Funhouse / SPRING BREAK / Art Show / New York, NY

2018 / Achromatic / Crawford Gallery / Philadelphia, PA

2017 / Achromatic / Mount Airy Contemporary / Philadelphia, PA

2016 / Design Philadelphia at Park Towne Place with InLiquid / Philadelphia, PA

2014 / Domesticity with InLiquid / Satellite Art Fair during Art Basel / Miami, FL

2012 / Stitch Witchery / Nichols Berg Gallery / Philadelphia, PA

 Select Solo Exhibitions

2016 / Wrapped Up / The Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania / Philadelphia, PA

2016 / The Foragers / Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education/ Philadelphia, PA

2015 / Pulse Contemporary Art Fair / Featured by InLiquid / New York City, NY

2014 / In Retrospect: 10 Years of Fiber Arts / The Painted Bride / Philadelphia, PA

2013 / Spring Forward: Contemporary Fibers in Historic Homes / Philadelphia Museum of Art

2013 / Offering / 3rd Street Gallery / Philadelphia, PA

2012 / Cold Comfort / Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education / Philadelphia, PA

2013 / Purge / 3rd Street Gallery / Philadelphia, PA

2009 / Heaven and Hell / Highwire Gallery / Philadelphia, PA

2008 / Short Stories / The Showroom / Philadelphia, PA

1998 / Boxes / Kavehaz Gallery / SOHO / New York City, NY

1997 / Memory Dresses / Sai Gallery / SOHO / New York City, NY

1996 / Finding Family / Stephen Gang Gallery/ Chelsea / New York, NY

Contemporary Art Fairs

2019 / SPRING BREAK Art Show / Inliquid Art + Design / New York City, NY 

2019 / Art Expo NY / Artblend Gallery / New York City, NY

2019 / Art Palm Beach / Artblend Gallery / Palm Beach, FL

2018 / Spectrum Art Fair / Artblend Gallery / Art Basel [Miami Art Week] / Miami, FL

2018 / SPRING BREAK Art Show / Inliquid Art + Design / New York City, NY

2016 / Satellite Fair / Inliquid Art + Design / Art Basel [Miami Art Week] / Miami, FL

2015 / Pulse Contemporary Art Fair / Inliquid Art + Design / New York City, NY

2015 / Miami Project / CM Gallery / Art Basel [Miami Art Week] / Miami, FL

2014 / Select Fair / Inliquid Art + Design / Art Basel [Miami Art Week] / Miami, FL

2014 / Multiples: Critical Craft and Fine Art Fair / Chicago, IL

2013 / Select Fair / Art Basel [Miami Art Week] / Miami, FL

2012 / Select Fair / Art Basel [Miami Art Week] / Miami, FL

2011 / Verge Fair / Art Basel [Miami Art Week] / Miami, FL

Select Group Exhibitions

2019 / Your Plus One / Mount Airy Contemporary / Philadelphia, PA

2018 / Achromatic / Barbara Crawford Gallery / Philadelphia, PA

2018 / Responses to Gee’s Bend / Swarthmore College / Swarthmore, PA

2018 / Van Der Plas Gallery / New York City, NY

2017 / Achromatic / Mount Airy Contemporary / Philadelphia, PA

2017 / The Woodmere Annual / Woodmere Art Museum / Philadelphia, PA

2017 / Art in the Age of Injustice / Women’s Caucus for the Arts / Philadelphia, PA

2017 / Feminist Fiber Arts / Virago Gallery / Seattle, WA

2017 / Conversations / Philadelphia Sculptors / Legend Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

2016 / The Faces of Politics: In/Tolerance / The Fuller Craft Museum / Brockton, MA

2016 / Between the Threads / Rowan University / Glassboro, NJ

2016 / Natural Threads / Heritage Museum and Gardens / Sandwich, MA

2016 / By Hand / Blue Line Gallery / Roseville, CA

2016 / Black Lives Matter / Gallery 51 at MCLA / North Adams, MA

2015 / Bushwick Arts Weekend / Pop Up Gallery / Brooklyn, NY

2014 / Multiples: Critical Craft and Fine Art Fair / Chicago, IL

2014 / Reanimate / Philadelphia Sculptors / Pop UP Gallery / Philadelphia, PA

2014 / Four Corners / The Painted Bride / Philadelphia, PA

2013 / Out of the Loop / West Hartford Arts League / Hartford, CT

2013 / Renegade / Rockwell Gallery, Ridgefield, CT

2012 / Stitch Witchery / Multiple Locations / Curator / Philadelphia, PA

2011 / Opposites Attract / Philadelphia Sculptors / University of the Arts/ Philadelphia, PA

2010 / New Visions IIII / Goggleworks Center for the Arts / Reading, PA

2010 / The Journey / Philadelphia Sculptors / URBN Gallery / Philadelphia, PA

2009 / On the Fringe of Fiber / City Hall Gallery / Philadelphia, PA

1998 / Women / Papp Gallery / SOHO / New York City, NY

1997 / Five Women, Quickly / Sai Gallery / SOHO / New York City, NY

Select Press + Publications

2019 / Philadelphia Inquirer

2018 / The Chestnuthill Local

2016 / The Courier Post

2016 / The Boston Globe

2016 / The Patriot Ledger

2016 / The Philadelphia Inquirer

2016 / Broad Street Review

2016 / Newsworks.org

2016 / Knithacker.com

2015 / Fiber Art Now Magazine / Excellence in Fibers

2015 / The Sacramento Bee

2015 / Art News

2015 / Artnet News

2015 / The Philadelphia Inquirer

2014 / City Paper

2013 / The Knight Foundation

2013 / The Philadelphia Inquirer

2013 / Empty Kingdom

2012 / Newsworks.org

2012 / The Philadelphia Inquirer

2012 / The Knight Foundation

Professional Positions

2014 - Present / The Handwork Studio / Consultant / Narberth, PA

2008 - 2014 / The Handwork Studio / Curriculum Developer / Narberth, PA

2011 - 2013 / Fiber Philadelphia 2012 / Executive Team Member / Philadelphia, PA

1996 - 2007 / Corporate Interior Design / Various Companies / New York City + Philadelphia

Affiliations

2016 - Present - Women’s Caucus for the Arts / Philadelphia and National

2013 - Present / Philadelphia Guild of Hand Weavers / Philadelphia, PA

2013 - Present / Surface Design Association Member / Philadelphia, PA

2011 - Present / Philadelphia Sculptors Member / Philadelphia, PA

2011 - Present / Inliquid Member / Philadelphia, PA