So often art imitates life, but on occasion, as is the case with anyone born to follow a certain career path, life is directed by art.
Melanie Hickerson was one of 8 siblings growing up in the “oil patch” of north west Texas. Her mother was an artist in her own right, and encouraged music, dance and painting even though she had given up her creative career with her growing family.
Melanie with her Siblings (plaid blouse far left)
Melanie’s first memory of her own creative work is of her mom giving her a section of wall in their home to paint how she saw fit. The wall was to be torn out in a few months for a remodel, but Melanie, age 10, put a dragon on it! Years later she depicted this time in her life with a “tribute” to her mom called 1956 (West Texas).
“1956 (West Texas)” acrylic on canvas by Melanie Hickerson
In the painting, the art on the wall replicates the actual piece her mom painted and hung there. Of course the flying parent cooking is her mom and her youngest brother Riley (Demon Boy) shoots underfoot along with Foxy their dog.
So from the beginning Melanie had art in her veins. But, as many children of the 50’s will attest, art did not seem a practical life path. In 1964, her dad said he would help her go to college as long as she did not major in art. After one year, she dropped out and left for love and adventures in California. She never gave up pencil and paints though, and by 1977, accepting that art was in her blood, she had her first one person exhibit in a book store in Austin. She designed a cover and art for an underground newspaper (The Gar) but adventure called again.
Having divorced in ’76, she left for Italy with her school age son and painted small scenes of the Italian ruins and countryside. Hickerson estimates she painted 4-5 of these pieces a week for 7-8 months.
Ruins in Piazza Navona circa 1978 by Melanie Hickerson
Commissions and murals paid for plane tickets back to the US in ’78. By 1980 she finally started the education she wanted, graduating with an MFA in 1985 from UT in Austin. She had another successful one person show at the edgy Data Gallery, then she taught at SWTSU (San Marcos) and Laguna Gloria (Austin.)
Common with many artists, Melanie yearned for more opportunities and creative energy. She described it as “wanderlust.” So in 1986, off she went, this time to NYC with her son.
Following some exhibits in commercial galleries, she eventually joined the Ceres gallery (also called the NY Feminist Art Institute) targeting women artists at a time when they were just not shown as frequently as their male counterparts. She was active on the Women’s Caucus for Art and worked as an artist for the City of New York. Many grants, commissions and also teaching made her 12+ years in NYC a challenge and an adventure, contributing heavily to her artistic growth.
I asked Melanie how the art world for women artists changed from the 80’s (possibly in NYC or Austin) to today…
According to Melanie, “The art world has IMPROVED a lot, but less so than banking for example. Tradition has had tremendous influence in the art world plus subjectivity and women still get less than 15% of spaces and jobs (except administration) overall. In the 90’s I participated clerically in gathering stats on women in galleries, museums, universities and we came up with about 5%. Nevertheless, nowadays it isn’t just assumed that a woman artist is present only to stretch canvases for the guys.”
Melanie Hickerson 2015
By 1999, Hickerson returned to Austin in her home state once again. She was finally universally defined not only by herself, but by her family and fellow Texans as an artist.
With thousands of pieces attributed to her pencil and brush, Melanie continues to teach at ACC in north Austin and shares her love of the world and life. I asked how these young artists differ from her early years…
Melanie relates, “The young artists coming up now have such a different perception of art. They are much more engaged in multiples, not a one-of-a-kind concept. Reproduction materially as well as electronically. That is a big question. The internet is so new. The digital world is having broad effect. One thing is for sure, we need more art, for the culture and for the individuals in this culture. The taste, or experience [of art] is in danger of becoming so homogenized that the individual disappears. Like the disappearance of nature. Opportunities to quietly contemplate, experience, are more rare. Opportunities to connect are changing but it is a “noisy” (crowded) world. ”
“Me and My Mom” acrylic on canvas by Melanie Hickerson
As far as Melanie’s creative mother… A work Melanie did of her mother’s final days in the nursing home before she passed on will be featured in a 2015 exhibition at the Austin City Hall February 27th sponsored by the Cultural Arts Division, Economic Dept of the City of Austin.
“Mom in Nursing Home 2013” acrylic on canvas by Melanie Hickerson
Melanie has focused primarily on portraits in recent months, capturing so many others as they follow their path through life. Maybe those of us who have a creative path notice the paths of others just a little closer.
Colorful Portraits by Melanie Hickerson – acrylic on canvas
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