PRESS:

January 13th, 2026 Interview with Misty Granade on creativity and sustainability

August 1st, 2025 Kelsey Rodriguez - Building a Launch Strategy for The Hikers Way with persistent bloom

March 11th, 2025 Drink Tickets Podcast - Mel Mitchell-Jackson - Everything You Want To Know about Art School

January 5th, 2025 Christina Kent - Building an art career without galleries | a conversation with artist Mel Mitchell-Jackson

October 10th, 2024 Ka Pow Comics Pod - The TRUTH about Art Schools!! chat with Mel of Persistent Bloom

December 5th, 2023 Manero Brushes - Artist Spotlight: Mel Mitchell-Jackson

July, 8th 2019 Emily Cox. Cheap rent and studio spaces are rapidly vanishing from Kansas City’s arts landscape. What now?

June 1, 2018 Julie Denesha, KCUR, Amid Kansas City’s First Friday Festivities, Guerrilla Docents Try To Actually Talk About Art

June 11, 2016 Cindy Hoedel, Kansas City Star, Rocket Grant winner Mel Mitchell wants to bring informality to art

May 17, 2016 Cindy Hoedel, Kansas City Star, Winners of Rocket Grants include projects about queer space, a socialist salon

January 12,2016 Liz Cook, The Pitch, Subterranean Gallery’s Mel Mitchell prepares to move up and out

February 17, 2014 Tracy Abeln, The Pitch, Justin Beachler’s Enterface with the recent past at Subterranean

November 2014 Tracy Abeln, The Pitch, There’s still plenty of First Friday in November

March 2014 Blair Schulman, Cupcakes in Regalia, Young Women in Full, Across the Universe; Two Artists in Counterpoint

March 7, 2014 Tracy Abeln, The Pitch, Layers, lairs and lords: your First Friday hit list

August 22, 2013 Scott Wilson, The Pitch,  Subterranean Gallery's Ayla Rexroth: the exit interview

Diy PROJECTS:

2018-2019 PDF Club @ H&R Block Artspace, KC MO

2013-2019 Founder + Editor @ Informality Blog

2016-2017 Co-Director @ PLUG Projects, KC, MO

2013-2016 Director, Subterranean Gallery, KC, MO

PUBLISHED WRITING:

2025

Persistent Bloom in the Studio: how my "smart" watch made me lose trust in myself

Persistent Bloom in the Studio: ritualizing creative practices free from monetization

Persistent Bloom in the Studio: why was I avoiding my creativity - working thru week zero of the hikers way

Persistent Bloom in the Studio: how I healed my art after art school

Persistent Bloom in the Studio: why we never finish "the artists' way"

Persistent Bloom in the Studio: what painting outdoors has revealed to me

Persistent Bloom in the Studio: how I bricked my phone to put creativity before doomscrolling

Persistent Bloom in the Studio: my grandma's driving habits revealed a roadmap to rest

Persistent Bloom in the Studio: this is what happens when you leave instagram

Persistent Bloom in the Studio: Carving out creative time as essential for survival

Persistent Bloom in the Studio: Working on the "Wrong Things" Taught me the Right Lessons

Persistent Bloom in the Studio: Leaving Instagram for Clarity and Creativity

2024

Persistent Bloom in the Studio: Timelines and Messageboards - Turns out teen me found the best part of the Internet.

Persistent Bloom in the Studio: On Quitting my Job One Year Ago: A Dispatch From My Journal

Persistent Bloom in the Studio: How I went from the dream of academia to retreats

Persistent Bloom in the Studio: How I found my way back to Art... — Believe it or not, I quit making art more than once

2020

Informality: Welcome to Campus

2019

Informality: Wild Open Spaces and Structures for Futures Unseen

Informality: a conversation with yellow: on the work of b becvar

Informality: Counterpublic : a Future-Visioned Triennial

2018

Informality: From Fleetwood Mac to BDE: Angela Dufresne Makes a Scene

Informality: Meditation for Your Computer

Informality: A love letter to a pillow

Informality: Three Local Shows on Intention Setting in Late Capitalism

Informality: Such Great Heights: The Potentials in Well Loved Ones and All Tomorrow’s Parties

Informality: Home & Away: Diverging Approaches to Landscape with Philip Bakala and Emily Wilker

2017

Informality: A Conversation with Sean Starowitz About Artist-Run Community Catalysts

Informality: Dylan Mortimer on The Drugstore Studios and Connecting Faith Communities to the Arts

Informality: Glenn North on Verbal Attack, and the History & Collaboration in Kansas City’s Spoken Word Community 

Informality: A Conversation with Caleb Taylor on the Polish and Perseverance of PLUG Projects

Informality: Artist-Run KC: An Introduction Remembering Beginnings with Garry Noland

VICE The Creators Project: Essay: Open Space, Easy Living Creates Space for Thought in Kansas City

2016

Informality: Keys and Codes: Corey Antis’ Works and Days

Informality: Surprise Ceramics in A Tisket A Tasket at Front/Space

Informality: Guerrilla Docents: Shifting the Carnival (edited)

Art Focus Oklahoma: Guerrilla Docents: Subverting the Carnival

2015

Informality: All is Fair on the Flipside: a Conversation with Peregrine Honig

Informality: Art Hidden Beneath the Sugar Sweat: KC First Fridays

Informality: Blanket Undercover Uncovered: an Interview with Megan Mantia and Leone Anne Reeves

Informality: Why Are We Just Standing Here? Dean Levin at Bill Brady KC

Informality: Hotel Art: An Interview with Madeline Gallucci

2014

Informality: #Awkward Addressing Discomfort thru a Social Media Lens

Informality: Alongside The Outside of the Left Side of the Inside: An Interview with James Woodfill

Informality: More on its way in The West Bottoms from 50/50 KC

Informality: Emily Kenyon and the American Dream Informality: Take Stock: The Artistic Dichotomy Forming in the West Bottoms

Informality:  Short Review: Farstad and Donner Powerful Storytellers at Plug Projects

Informality:  A Conversation With Jessica Borusky

Informality:  First Friday Informal// Inform Review 

8&1/2 x 11: Can Artists Using Tumblr Learn Something from the Music Industry?

Informality: Write Now

2013

Informality: Tumblr Reblogging: We Can Own an Experience of Objects

Informality: The Last Time I Made a Sim of Myself: Finding Ourselves Through Fictional Worlds

Informality: iPhone Mementos: How the Camera Roll is Changing How We Recollect

Alt Crit: How The Attention Economy of MySpace Fostered Scene Hair

KCAI PNTG: OK| KC : An Exploration of Midwestern Regionalism

KCAI PNTG:  Alumni Feature: Molly Kaderka

KCAI PNTG: A Strenuous Nonbeing: The Cat Video and Accessibility

KCAI PNTG: If Only a Fool: Exhibition at City Ice Arts Building and Interview with Chris Daharsh

2012

Subterranean Gallery: Studio Visit With Amanda Gehin

Subterranean Gallery:  A Night With Archie Scott Gobber & Mike Erickson

Subterranean Gallery:  An Evening with Kate Hackman & Raechell Smith

Subterranean Gallery:  A Night with Hesse McGraw & Josh Shelton

EDITORIAL PROJECTS:

2018-2020

Lessons Learned: A Guide to Defunct Artist-Run Spaces      

2017

ARTIST RUN KC ZINE

Against the Screen at La Esquina                    

2016

Sensible Disobedience at La Esquina        

Que Pasa, USA an Exhibition at La Esquina      

8 ½ x 11” ISSUE 3

AWARDS | GRANTS | RESIDENCIES:

2015-2019 Drugstore Studios Resident

2016, 2019 Charlotte Street Foundation Rocket Grant Recipient

2015 Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition Art Writing and Curatorial Fellowship           

2015 Charlotte Street Foundation Rocket Grant Editorial Program     

2013 Arts KC Inspiration Grant Recipient 

2013 Chicago Artist Coalition Launch Invitational Residency

Makers Market/Art Fairs:

2024 The Patchwork Show, Sacramento, December — Sacramento, CA

2024 Girl Gang Craft, Oakland, December — Oakland, CA

2024      The Patchwork Show, Oakland, June — Oakland, CA

2024 Walnut Creek Art & Wine Festival, June — Walnut Creek, CA

2024 Mothers Day Pop Up @ Bees N Blooms Farm, May — Santa Rosa, CA

2024 Farm Trails Booth @ Bees N Blooms Farm - April — Santa Rosa, CA

2024 Creative Communal Market - March — Berkeley, CA

2023 Holiday Pop Up @ Bees N Blooms Farm, December — Santa Rosa, CA        

Gallery EXHIBITIONS:

2024

Sketchbook Show @ KC Artist Coalition - KC, MO

2020

see also: variable performances of a well-designed site index   @ PNCA Center for Contemporary Art& Culture - Portland, OR

2019

Mirror Mirror @ PULLPROOF Studio - Pittsburgh, PA

Command+Shift+3  (solo exhibition) @ JonLovesArt Gallery - Lincoln, NE

Lived Interiors  (solo exhibition) @ Flock Gallery - KC, MO

Strata - Layered Meaning @ SPIVA Art Center - Joplin, MO

2018

Run Riot @ PLUG Projects - KC, MO

Cruel Optimism @ Gallery 115 at the University of Central Missouri - Warrensburg, MO

Reality @ Leedy-Voulkos Art Center - KC, MO

2018

Kansas City Flatfile @ H&R Block Artspace KC, MO

2017

25th Annual Drawing Show — The Gig Economy  @ Boston Center for The Arts - Boston, MA

Open House @ 3402 Harrison St - KC, MO

Paintbrush Ball: Fundraising Exhibition  @ Marwen - Chicago, IL

Impact: Alumni Exhibition @ Marwen - Chicago, IL

Attach Files @ 50/50 - KC, MO

2016

trans_late @ PLUG Projects - KC, MO

2016 Kansas City Flatfile @ H&R Block Artspace - KC, MO

Made Fresh All Day  @ The Drugstore - KC, MO

2015

What Am I Looking At? @ Kiosk Gallery - KC, MO

2013

Year Zero @ Parallel Gallery - KC, MO

VISITING ARTIST LECTURES | PRESENTATIONS | CRITIQUES:

2018 Undergraduate Critiques, Fiber Department, Kansas City Art Institute,

2018 Lecture and Panel Discussion, University of Central Missouri

2018 Visiting Artist, Critiques, Printmaking Department, Kansas City Art Institute

2017 Undergraduate Studio Visits, Exhibition Juror, University of Central Missouri

2017 Undergraduate Critiques, Ceramics Department, Kansas City Art Institute

2016 Lecture, Professional Practice Writing Workshop, Kansas City Art Institute

2015 Lecture, Professional Practice Alternative Spaces, Kansas City Art Institute

CURATORIAL WORK:

2017

Lactobacillus Amongus: S.E.Nash @ PLUG Projects — Kansas City, MO

TerraForm: Alexandra Phillips, Gillian Tobin and, Caleb Taylor   @ PLUG Projects — Kansas City, MO

The Models Origin: Beyond the Core @ KCAI Center for Contemporary Practice — Kansas City, MO

Future Human: Shelby Burchett , Kevin Heckart, Thad Kellstadt, Anne Vieux, and Angela Washko  @ PLUG Projects — Kansas City, MO

UN_Earthed: Sarabeth Dunton @ PLUG Projects — Kansas City, MO

2016

You'll Never Be Younger Than You Are Today: Frank Abruzzese, Jonathan Apgar, Lyndon Barrois Jr.,  Matt Bollinger, Kathy Liao, and Vera Iliatova @ PLUG Projects — Kansas City, MO

Teaching and Learning: Jessica Kincaid  @ PLUG Projects — Kansas City, MO

Say I Am: Lauren Frances Adams, Caroline Wells Chandler, Pixy Liao, and Yvonne Osei @ PLUG Projects — Kansas City, MO

Yoonmi Nam: Momentarily @ PLUG Projects — Kansas City, MO

Traces and Trajectories — a Seven Year History of the Rocket Grant @ La Esquina — Kansas City, MO

The Glory Days Will Not Last Forever an installation by Amy Kligman @ Subterranean Gallery — Kansas City, MO

2015

Somebody’s Home:  Juliana Noelle Lynn and Erin Dodson @ Subterranean Gallery — Kansas City, MO

Z-SPEC Michael Rose @ Subterranean Gallery — Kansas City, MO

ENTERFACE work by Justin Beachler @ Subterranean Gallery — Kansas City, MO

2014

[refresh] + [redraw] New Work by Eric Scrivner and Eric Fickes   @ Subterranean Gallery — Kansas City, MO   

Kansas City FlatFile August Salon Wall @ H&R Block Artspace — Kansas City, MO

HOME // SPACE : New Work by R. Shrum @ Subterranean Gallery — Kansas City, MO

Barred Meadows:  New Paintings by Rachel Gregor @ Subterranean Gallery — Kansas City, MO

EDUCATION:

2013 - BFA in Painting - Kansas City Art Institute Kansas City, MO