Melissa Joseph with her Brooklyn Museum commission, Tender. Photo: Paula Abreu Pita
EFA Studio Member Melissa Joseph Scales Up Poignancy in Public Spaces With ‘Tender’
“It is not always easy for an artist to meet the demands of public scale—especially when their practice is grounded in material intimacy, process and the translation of deeply personal narratives. But Melissa Joseph, an artist who has rapidly gained recognition in recent years for her use of wool felt in work that reanimates emotional moments drawn from her family archive, was up for the challenge. Even as her mode of work lends itself to more contained formats that echo the quietness of memory through touch and introspection, she accepted commissions at the Brooklyn Museum and art storage firm UOVO’s Brooklyn location that showcase her work in expansive form designed for broader public engagement.
Reflecting her rising visibility not only in the market but also in institutional circles, Joseph participated in the Art Production Fund’s Art in Focus program at the Rockefeller Center. This year, she was awarded the prestigious UOVO Prize in partnership with the Brooklyn Museum—an annual honor that recognizes an emerging Brooklyn-based artist with a solo exhibition at the museum, a $25,000 cash award and a large-scale billboard presentation at UOVO’s Bushwick facility, on view through June 2026.”