Originally from Brodnica, Poland, Monika Meler earned her B.F.A. from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. She continued her studies at Purdue University, where she earned an M.A., followed with an M.F.A from the Tyler school of art, Temple University. While at Tyler, Monika spent a year studying in Rome, Italy.
Monika is an Assistant Professor of Art at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. She has completed residencies at The Kala Art Institute in Berkeley, Emmanuel College in Boston, the Center for Contemporary Printmaking in Connecticut, the Frans Masereel Center in Belgium, the Cork Printmakers in Ireland, and the Women’s Studio Workshop in New York. Solo Exhibits include The Distance Between at the Limerick Printmakers Gallery in Ireland and Contain/Retain at the Cocoon Gallery in Kansas City.
"MIAD was an amazing opportunity for me to learn and grow as an artist and gain the tools to pursue a creative career. I learned so much through observation, a skill emphasized in almost every class I took at the school. I not only observed and absorbed what was taught formally in the classroom, but what my faculty were doing outside of the classroom. I saw how engaged they were in their own research and practices and realized quickly the kind of dedication that pursuing this career would take. While the idea of making art was a huge priority of the curriculum, so was writing, the business of art, and social responsibility. The most important aspect of the education was the immersive creative community that MIAD fosters. I have now dedicated myself to creating this community for my students, as it was one of the most inspiring aspects of my education. It is because of the excellent example my faculty set for me that I was able to attain important fellowships and assistantships for graduate study. Because MIAD is full of wise artists that have practiced for a long time, I find that bits of wisdom they gave me more than ten years ago are just now starting to be relevant in my work. Having these artists as mentors continues to be a very powerful resource."
