About Melo

Mel “Melo” Dominguez is an artist, muralist from Los Angeles who has lived in Tucson since 2007. Mel’s community outreach began as a Getty intern at Self Help Graphics & Art in East Los Angeles. Mel’s artwork is a direct expression of their Chicanx culture, political issues, social issues and environmental issues. Mel enjoys using creativity and activism to create a difference throughout the Tucson community.

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION

Painting, Murals, Serigraph/Fine Art Print Making, Mixed-media/Installation, Environmental Art, Social Justice Art

AWARDS | RESIDENCIES

2013 Art & Social Justice Award, Pan Left Productions, Tucson, AZ

2013 GLOBALL—Arte y Cambio Climático, Pozodeagua & Fundación Union, Montevideo, Uruguay

2012 Tucson Pima Arts Council Lumies Art & Business Awards, Emerging Artists Nominee, Tucson, AZ

2012 Serigraph Atelier LIII ‘The Jornalero Papers’, Self Help Graphics & Art, Los Angeles, CA

2011 ART LAB: Border Biosphere Exploration/Residency, Oracle, AZ

2010 Serigraph Atelier ‘Border Issues’, Self Help Graphics & Art, Los Angeles, CA

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2014 Mixtec Tux, PopCycle, Tucson, AZ

2013 Los Antepasados, PopCycle, Tucson, AZ

2012 Community Artwork, Joel Valdez Main Library, Tucson, AZ

2011 The Exploited, My Addiction Gallery, Tucson, AZ

2010 Short Stack, Arts Marketplace, Tucson, AZ

2010 Jazzamataz, 5th on 6th Art Gallery, Tucson, AZ

2010 Dura, Fragment Gallery, Tucson, AZ

2009 Melo in Technicolor, Bohemia, Tucson, AZ

2009 The Ill in Illustrator, Shot in the Dark, Tucson, AZ

2008 Elementals, Tucson, AZ

SELECT INVITATIONAL EXHIBITIONS

2015 Speaking for the Dead, ASU School of Human Evolution & Social Change, Innovation Gallery, Tempe AZ

2015 Nosotr@s Somos, presented by Entre Nosotr@s, The Hive Gallery, Phoenix, AZ

2014 CALACA’s Time of Corn, Frontal Lobe Gallery, Phoenix, AZ

2014 VIVA La Causa, La Plaza de Cultura y Artes, Los Angeles, CA

2013 GLOBALL—Arte y Cambio Climático, Fundación Union,  Montevideo, Uruguay

2012 Art of All Possibilities, Biosphere 2, Tucson, AZ

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2015 Summer Exhibition, The Anderson Center at Tower View, Red Wing, MN

2014 Dia De Los Muertos, Pita Jungle, Tucson, AZ

2013 Hasta el Fin, Contreras Art Gallery, Tucson, AZ

2013 Dia de los Muertos Ofrendas, Arte de la Vida, Tucson, AZ

2013 Circus, Yikes Toy Store, Tucson, AZ

2013 Dia de los Muertos, Tohono Chul Park Gallery, Tucson, AZ

2012 The Border Project, University of Arizona Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ

2012 Dia De Los Muertos, Pita Jungle, Tucson, AZ

2012 Healing in Tucson, UAMC South Behavioral Health Gallery, Tucson, AZ

2011 Velociprints, Borderlands Brewery, Tucson, AZ

2011 Project Ethos, The Mint, Scottsdale, AZ

2011 Dia De Los Muertos, Xico Arte y Cultura, Chandler, AZ

2011 Camino De La Muerte, Calaca, Phoenix, AZ

2011 Dia De Los Muertos, Contreras Art Gallery, Tucson, AZ

2011 Mi Musica, Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery, Tucson, AZ

2011 Milagros, Contreras Art Gallery, Tucson, AZ

2011 Skateboard Art, Soul Skating, Los Angeles, CA

2011 Mujeres!, Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery, Tucson, AZ

2010 Dia De Los Muertos, La Malinche Gallery, Tucson, AZ

2010 Dia De Los Muertos, Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery, Tucson, AZ

2010 Post No Bills, Fragment Gallery, Tucson, AZ

2010 Mujeres!, Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery, Tucson, AZ

2010 SOHO, Soho Hair Salon & Gallery, Tucson, AZ

2009 Infinite Libraries, Crewest Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

SPECIAL PROJECTS | MURALS

2015 Summer Celebration Community Mural, Anderson Center at Tower View, Red Wing, MN

2015 Street Art Community Mural, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Scottsdale, AZ

2015 ‘The Distorted Mirror’ Author Panel Moderator; Claudia Gudalupe Martinez & Isabel Quintero, Festival of Books, Tucson, AZ

2014- 2015 Color the Mural (www.colorthemural.com), Safos Dance Theatre, Tucson, AZ

2014 Conserve to Enhance Water Cistern Mural, Henry Elementary School, Tucson, AZ

2014 ‘Pictures & Words’ Author Panel Moderator; Duncan Tonatiuh & Xavier Garza, Festival of Books, Tucson, AZ

2014 Eco-Themed Mural, Manzo Elementary School, Tucson, AZ

2013 Tree of Hope, University of Arizona Institute of the Environment, Festival of Books, Tucson, AZ

2013 Nuestra Raices Stage Mural, Tucson Festival of Books, Tucson, AZ

2012 Lowrider mural panel, Tucson Meet Yourself, Tucson, AZ

2012 Live Glass Painting, SGA Flame Off, Rialto Theater, Tucson, AZ

2012 Youth PSA murals, John Valenzuela Youth Center, South Tucson, AZ

2011 Baja AZ mural panel, Hip Hop Peace Summit, Homes & Tuttle Boys & Girls Clubhouse, Tucson, AZ

2011 Unity mural panel, Unity Festival, Tucson High, Tucson, AZ

2011 Art Lecture, Reforma Tucson, REA Media, Tucson, AZ

2009 Live Painting, Tiki Unveiling, The Hut, Tucson, AZ

2009 Live Painting, Surging the Mend, Bohemia, Tucson, AZ

2008 Live Aerosol Art, Wintafresh Aerosol Art Expo, Tucson, AZ

2008 Hand Painted Clothing Fashion Show, Fashion Equinox, Bohemia, Tucson, AZ

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Neto Portillo Jr. “Neto’s Tucson: A Chicanx artist makes her mark”, November 30, 2019 https://tucson.com/news/local/netos-tucson-chicanx-artist-makes-her-mark/article_3dccc673-a8da-5e2a-bcb8-72e50fedaf1a.html

Ruth Nerhaugen “Cultural Kaleidoscope”, July 10, 2015 http://www.republican-eagle.com/news/3781294-cultural-kaleidoscope

Patrick McArdle “Exploring Tucson Arts, The Now of Melo Dominguez”, December 2014  http://access.tucson.org/video/69963.mp4

Joan Calcagno “Pleased to Meet You”, 3Story Magazine, November, 2014 http://3storymagazine.com/mel-dominguez/

“Walls that Talk”, Tucson Meet Yourself Borderlore Blog, April 29, 2014 http://www.tucsonmeetyourself.org/walls-that-talk/

Scarlet McCourt, “Color the Mural Unifies the South Tucson Community”, El Independiente, April 14, 2014  http://arizonasonoranewsservice.com/color-mural-unifies-south-tucson-community/

Joseph Treviño, “El espíritu de Sur Tucsón cobra vida”, La Estrella de Tucson, January 30, 2014 http://azstarnet.com/laestrella/ciudad/el-esp-ritu-de-sur-tucs-n-cobra-vida/article_fcaece07-1a50-57ca-8a23-3b67fb4b15a6.html

Tim Doyle, “Love, Death and Tradition”, Eyes on Tucson Art, December 14, 2013 http://www.tucson-art.com/2013/12/carmen-sonnes-love-quietly-waiting-melo.html

Susanne Kaplan, “Local Artist,Teens transform eyesore into garden art”, Community Gardens of Tucson Newsletter, October, 2013 http://www.communitygardensoftucson.org/main/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/cgt-fall-2013-newsletter.pdf

Mari Herreras, “Honoring Melo Dominguez”, Tucson Weekly, April 25, 2013 http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/city-week/Content?oid=3711940

Elena Acoba, “Saving the Planet-One Tree at a Time”, Arizona Daily Star, December 23, 2012 http://azstarnet.com/lifestyles/home-and-garden/saving-the-planet—one-tree-at-a-time/article_6675422c-d691-53a3-aae8-a253880fe470.html

Mari Herreras, “Q& A Melo Dominguez”, Tucson Weekly, November 22, 2012 http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/t-qanda/Content?oid=3584172

Patrick Mcardle, “Artist Returns From Mars”, Examiner.com, November 19, 2012 http://www.examiner.com/article/artist-returns-from-mars

Carolyn Classen, “Local Artist Mel Domignuez’s art selected for Biosphere 2 show”, Tucson Citizen.com, November 14, 2012 http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/2012/11/14/local-artist-mel-dominguezs-art-selected-for-biosphere-2-show/

Mariana Dale, “Foodtruck Roundup”, TheSentinal.com, January 29, 2012 http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/arts/report/012912_foodtruck_roundup/hundreds-herd-downtown-food-truck-roundup/

Lori Mervin, “UofA Art Gallery promotes healing”, Explorer, January 4, 2012 http://explorernews.com/news/article_05f6260e-3657-11e1-be01-001871e3ce6c.html?mode=jqm

Diane, Hhartman, “The Border Project”, UA News, November 18, 2011 http://uanews.org/story/border-project-celebrates-arizonas-statehood

Kelsey Merkel, “The Border Project”, Borderline Brilliance, November 14, 2011 http://borderlinebrilliance.wordpress.com/2011/11/14/the-border-project/

Becky Bartkowski, “Local Artwork at Project Ethos”, November 14, 2011 http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/jackalope/2011/11/the_premisethe_catchthe_result.php

Matt Lechuga, “Tamales for Local Happiness”, Border Beat October 19, 2011 http://borderbeat.net/food/1770-tucson-meet-yourself-tamale-story-working-title

Xicoinc, “Artist Interview”, Xicoarteycultura, October 5, 2011 http://xicoarteycultura.wordpress.com/2011/10/05/artist-interview-melo-dominguez/

Carolyn Classen, “A” Mountain Artwork”, Tucson Citizen.com, February 2011, http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/2011/02/22/a-mountain-artwork-by-mel-dominguez-featured-on-cover-of-pima-county-librarys-magazine/

Howard Salmon, “Amazing Artist Alert!”, SLIT Music Fanzine, October 19, 2010 http://slitmusicfanzine.blogspot.com/2010/10/amazing-artist-alert-mel-dominguez.html

D.J. Ochoa, “Street Art Live!”, Tucson Weekly, July 1, 2010 http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/street-art-live/Content?oid=2057287

Patrick Mcardle, “Fragment Gallery, the “Dura” show by Mel Dominguez”, Examiner.com, June 2010

http://www.examiner.com/slideshow/fragment-gallery-the-dura-show-by-mel-dominguez#slide=9919131

Veronica Cruz, “Latina Artist Finds Niche in Tucson”, El Independiente, Tucson, AZ , March 12, 2009