Melinda Young Abridged Curriculum Vitae
Selected Education
2020 – present PhD Candidate (APA Scholarship) Geography & Sustainable Communities, University of Wollongong, NSW
2000-2002 Master of Visual Arts, (Jewellery and Object Design), Sydney College of the Arts (SCA)
1995-1999 Bachelor of Visual Arts, Honours, (Jewellery and Object Design), SCA, University of Sydney
Selected Solo and Two Person Exhibitions
2019 #putaplantonit, Radiant Pavilion, Melbourne (with Lauren Simeoni)
2018 Landlines (I-Land Home), Atta Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand; Landlines, Ihnen Atelier, Sydney
2016 New Work, Off the Wall @ Atta Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand
2015 silver city dreams, Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery, Broken Hill, NSW & Studio 20/17, Sydney
2014 Scent & Scentability, Personal Space Project, Canberra, ACT
2013 The world is a pearl… Studio 20/17, Sydney; unnatural Tendencies, The National, Christchurch, NZ & Studio 20/17, Sydney (with Lauren Simeoni); Fruitopian Dreams, gaffa Gallery, Sydney
2012 unnatural Tendencies, Craft, Melbourne (with Lauren Simeoni)
2011 Unnatural Tendencies, Fingers, Auckland, New Zealand; unnatural, Naturally, JamFactory, Adelaide (with Lauren Simeoni)
2010 threadworks, Pablo Fanque at the Sherman Art Foundation, Sydney; unnatural, Naturally, Quoil, Wellington & Masterworks, Auckland, New Zealand & Pieces of Eight, Melbourne (with Lauren Simeoni)
2009 unnatural, Naturally, metalab, Sydney (with Lauren Simeoni); Take a ball of thread... Craft Victoria, Melbourne & Zu Design, Adelaide
2008 Take a ball of thread... Pablo Fanque, Sydney
Selected Exhibitions since 2010 (participant in over 250 group exhibitions in Australia & overseas since 1997)
2023 remade/reloved, curated by Bridget Kennedy, Australian Design Centre; Frame, Munich, Germany with Atta Gallery; Objects of Desire, Sturt Craft Centre, NSW; Speculation Nation; Craft ACT, Canberra; Transformed: Shirts Reimagined, Sturt Craft Centre, NSW & Barometer Gallery, Paddington; Pin 9, ANCA Gallery, Canberra ACT
2022 Finalist Meroogal Women’s Art Prize, Sydney Living Museums Meroogal House, Nowra, NSW; Profile, Australian Design Centre (ADC) & Hazelhurst Regional Art Gallery; petite, Wangaratta Regional Art Gallery; Lobe, Fingers, Auckland, NZ; Second Look, Barometer Gallery, Sydney & Tamworth Regional Art Gallery, NSW; twelve, ATTA Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand; Hope, Gallery of Small Things, Canberra, ACT; remade/reloved, Bridget Kennedy Project Space, North Sydney
2020 – 2021 Finalist Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize, South Australian Museum & National Archives of Australia,
2021 The Neck, Craft ACT, Canberra; Transformations, Craft ACT, Canberra; Second Look, Barometer Gallery, Sydney
2020 isolate/make – Creative Resilience in a Pandemic, ADC, Sydney; design/isolate, ADC, Sydney
2019 The Neck, Bridget Kennedy Project Space; Finalist Profile 2019, ADC, Sydney
2018, 2020 & 2022 Finalist Seed Stitch Textile Award ADC, Sydney & Tamworth Regional Art Gallery, NSW
2018 - 2026 Island Welcome, craft, Melbourne; ADC, Sydney; Migration Museum, Adelaide; Gallery Central, Perth & Regional Gallery Tour, South Australia
2018 - 2021 Seashape, Bridget Kennedy Project Space, Sydney; craft, Melbourne; Black Room, Flinders, Vic
2018 Pin of Interest, Atta Gallery, Bangkok; reminiSCENT, May Space, Waterloo, NSW
2017 Finalist Pro Hart Outback Art Prize, Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery, Broken Hill
2017, 2019 & 2022 Finalist, National Contemporary Jewellery Award, Griffith Regional Art Gallery & Sturt Craft Centre, NSW
2017, 2019, 2021 & 2023 Finalist, Contemporary Wearables, Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, QLD (works acquired 2019 & 2023)
2016 Mari Funaki Contemporary Jewellery Award, Gallery Funaki; Grow Your Own, Craft ACT; Six, Atta Gallery, Bangkok
2015 R.A.W. (Reactions after Wunderrama), Gallery One Oh Eight, Auckland, NZ
2014 - 2016 A Fine Possession: Jewellery and Identity, MAAS Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
2014 Intimately Connected, .M Contemporary, Sydney; 10th Anniversary Group Show, The National, Christchurch
2013 Over here from over there, Lopdell House Gallery, Auckland, NZ; Year of the Snake, The National, Christchurch, NZ; Unsettled: Recent Acquisitions of Australian Art, Art Gallery of SA
2012 - 2013 Life in your hands: Art from solastalgia, Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery, Booragul, NSW and National Tour; Once more, with love, Workshop Bilk, Manuka, ACT; Studio 20/17, Waterloo; Northcity4, Melbourne
2012 20 Years: Rhianon Vernon-Roberts Collection, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, SA
2012 - present Fingers Annual Group Show, Fingers, Auckland, NZ
2011 - 2014 Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor, Artisan, Brisbane, QLD and National tour
2011 - 2013 Unnatural Acts, Velvet da Vinci, San Francisco; craft, Melbourne; The National, Christchurch; Artisan, Brisbane; Studio 20/17, Sydney
2011 - 2012 New! Contemporary Australian Decorative Arts, Art Gallery of South Australia; Woohooh! Contemporary Jewellery, Hong Kong, Sydney, Taipei & Bangkok
2011 The Art of Engagement, Objectspace, Auckland, NZ; Made in the World, Norwegian Museum of Art, Architecture & Design, Oslo, Norway and Touring Norway
2010 Blue, Object Gallery, Sydney; By Example, The Museum of Arts and Crafts, Itami, Japan
Selected Recent Professional Experience
2023 Board Member, Australian Design Centre
2021 - present Editorial Board Member/Story Keeper, Garland Magazine
2018 - present Workshop Facilitator for MakeShift Non-Profit Community Creative First Aid Provider
2017 - 2020 Co-curator & Education Kit Author made:Worn Australian Contemporary Jewellery Touring exhibition, ADC
2017 - present Associate Lecturer, School of Art & Design, Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture, University of NSW
2015 - present Jewellery Workshop Teacher for The Indigenous Jewellery Project; Ernabella Art Centre, APY Lands, SA; Jewellery Workshop Teacher, Bulayi Project, Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Art Centre, Yirrkala, NT; ANU for Craft ACT & IJP; Gab Titui Art Centre, Thursday Island; Walgett IJP & Australian Design Centre, NSW; Bawrrungga Nyami Gawbarrigam, Bowraville IJP & Australian Deign Centre
Selected Individual Grants, Awards & Residencies
2022 Highly Commended Profile – JMGA NSW, Australian Design Centre;
2021 Gunyah Artist Residency, NSW;
2020 Highly Commended Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize, South Australian Museum;
2019 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, UNSW Art & Design;
2015 Australian Design Honouree, Australian Design Centre, Sydney;
2014 Artist in residence, Broken Hill City Art Gallery, Broken Hill, CASP Grant, Regional Arts NSW;
2008 Profile Award 2008 - Established Artist, Jewellers and Metalsmiths Group of Australia NSW
Public Collections
The Art Gallery of South Australia; Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery; Broken Hill City Art Gallery, NSW; Norwegian Museum of Art, Architecture & Design, Oslo, Norway, National Maritime Museum (in collaboration with Djuwakan 2 DJ Marika); State Library NSW
Selected Publications & Media
- Julie Power, ‘Lockdown: measuring your life in morning teas, photos and a stitch in time’, 4 September
2021 https://www.smh.com.au/national/lockdown-measuring-your-life-in-morning-teas-photos-and-astitch-
in-time-20210902-p58o72.html
- Meredith Hinchcliffe, ‘Provocative, inspiring exhibition exploring the neck’, Canberra City News , 7 June
2021 https://citynews.com.au/2021/provocative-inspiring-exhibition-explores-the-neck/
- Emily McCulloch Childs, The meeting of two rivers – Walgett Jewellery Project
https://australiandesigncentre.com/object-platform/essay-meeting-two-rivers-walgett-jewellery-project/
- Hannah Francis, ‘Wearable treasures sprouting in city laneways’ The Age, 9 September 2019, p. 2-3
https://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/wearable-treasures-hidden-in-citylaneways-
20190905-p52oea.html
- Megan Backhouse, https://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/plotlines-preciousweeds-
20190829-p52m6p.html
- Emily McCulloch Childs, Emily Beckley, Susueri
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0002/2206/8795/files/Emily_Beckley_essay_FINAL.pdf?514
- Kevin Murray, http://garlandmag.com/article/discover/
- Emily McCulloch Childs, Bulay(i): The Indigenous Jewellery Project and Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka
https://australiandesigncentre.com/media/uploads/files/Bulayi._Emily_MCulloch_Childs_October_2017..p
df Mari Gold; https://garlandmag.com/article/not-for-sale/
- Emily McCulloch Childs, Bulay(i): Contemporary Yolŋu Jewellery: The Indigenous Jewellery Project
meets Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka http://garlandmag.com/article/bulayi/
- Kevin Murray; https://garlandmag.com/article/%EF%BB%BF%EF%BB%BFin-ernabella-doors-open-foraboriginal-
jewellery/
- Kerry-Anne Cousins, ‘Review: Citizens of Craft and Grow Your Own at Craft ACT’, The Canberra Times,
26 September 2016
- Debbie Pryor, Grow Your Own catalogue essay to accompany exhibition at Craft ACT
https://www.languageoflabour.com/home/2017/6/18/debbie-pryor
- Kristin D’Agostino, Artist Interview, Overview, July 2015, Published by the Jewellers Guild of Greater
Sandringham; Print version & available online at http://www.jewellersguildofgreatersandringham.com
- Artist Profile – Regional Arts NSW – April 2015 http://regionalartsnsw.com.au/2015/05/artistprofilemelinda-
young/
- Vanessa Low; Featured Artist October/November 2014 The Monday Issue
http://themondayissue.com/featured- artist/
- Suzanne Boccalatte & Meredith Jones (eds), Blood – Trunk Book Vol. 2, Boccalatte, Surry Hills, 2012 - -
- Stephanie Wood, ‘High Five – Handmade Jewellery’, The Sydney magazine – Sydney Morning Herald,
28 April 2011, p.32
- Louise Schwartzkoff, ‘Hang in the Balance’, Spectrum – Sydney Morning Herald, 16-17 April 2011, p.26
- Louise Schwartzkoff, ‘A Bit on the Slide’, Spectrum – Sydney Morning Herald, 7 August 2010, p.16-17
- Audio Design Museum: artist interview, profile and image. Curators Kate Rhodes & Vivianne
Stappmanns for Object, Australian Centre for Craft & Design. Accessible online at:
http://www.audiodesignmuseum.com/#/sydney/surry_hills_&_darlinghurst/
- Zoe Walker, ‘Sisterhood of the Travelling Sketchbook’, Viva – The New Zealand Herald, 17 February
2010, p.21 Susan Kasson Sloan, 500 Plastic Jewellery Designs, Lark Books, Asheville NC, USA, 2009
- Alice Blackwood, ‘Getting Hands On’, DQ (Design Quarterly), June/July 2009
- Kelly Robson (ed), gaffa Book Part One, Published by gaffa Gallery, Sydney, 2009
- Suzanne Boccalatte & Meredith Jones (eds), Hair – Trunk Book Vol. 1, Boccalatte, Surry Hills, 2009
- Damian Skinner, The Icky and the Crappy – Considering Jewellery by Lisa Walker & Melinda Young,
March 2009 http://pauadreams.co.nz/texts/the-icky-and-the-crappy/
- Andy Lim (ed), The Compendium Finale of Contemporary Jewellers, Darling Publications, Cologne &
New York, 2009
- Emily Howes, ‘Refashioning the Fashion’, object, #57, December 2008
- Louise Martin-Chew, ‘The Great Materials Double Dip’, object, #46, pp.16-23
Selected Research/Written Work
2022 Education Kit Author - Sixty: The Journal of Australian Ceramics 60th
Anniversary 1962-2022, Australian Design Centre Touring exhibition
Commissioned essay Design Isolate Book, Australian Design Centre
2020 Commissioned essay for You are doing it again Zoe Brand solo exhibition, Craft
ACT https://craftact.org.au/blogs/news/you-are-doing-it-again-1
Commissioned Article, Mapping the Tideline, Garland magazine
https://garlandmag.com/loop/mapping-the-tideline/
also published at https://australiandesigncentre.com/object-digital/article-mel-youngmapping-
tideline/
Catalogue essay “Everything and nothing – jewellery beyond adornment”
Made/Worn Contemporary Australian Jewellery, Australian Design Centre Touring
Exhibition
https://artjewelryforum.org/library/everything-and-nothing-jewellery-beyond- adornment
Education Kit Author - Made/Worn Contemporary Australian Jewellery,
Australian Design Centre Touring Exhibition
https://australiandesigncentre.com/media/uploads/files/MADEWORN_
2019 Sydney Craft Week commissioned essay – Play, Australian Design Centre, Sydney
https://www.sydneycraftweek.com/news/pressing-play-sydney-craft-week-2019/
https://garlandmag.com/loop/sydney-craft-week-2019-%e2%9c%bf-learning-to-playplaying-
to-learn/
Education Kit Author – Living Treasures : Masters of Australian Craft - Prue
Venables, Australian Design Centre Touring Exhibition
https://australiandesigncentre.com/prue-venables/education/
2018 Education Kit Author – Obsessed : Compelled to Make, Australian Design Centre
Touring Exhibition
https://australiandesigncentre.com/media/uploads/files/REDUCED_Obsessed_EdKit_FIN
AL.pdf
2016 – Present Researcher, Curatorial Advisor and Workshop Convenor - The Indigenous
Jewellery Project
2010 Education Kit Author – Excessory Contemporary Jewellery Touring Exhibition,
Museums and Galleries NSW
2005 Research Assistant, Living Treasures – Les Blakebrough Ceramics & Woven Forms –
Contemporary basket making in Australia, Object, Australian Centre for Craft and Design
touring exhibition