Arts
Having spent several years training across the visual arts and design in her teens and early twenties, gone on to work on numerous arts and other creative projects across her career, cofounded the world’s first online digital visual arts awards in the early 00s, founded a second internationally renown digital arts in the mid 00s, served as a senior juror to one of the world’s most prestigious film, gaming, and digital visual arts awards, and designed several events working with world-leading suppliers from across fields as diverse as lighting, costume and sound design, Melissa has wide-ranging experience of working on pioneering arts projects. Find select items from her arts folio below…
Iconique Societás Awards
Iconique Societás Awards
fashion arts
fashion arts
Cofounder & Director
Cofounder & Director
2007 - 2010
2007 - 2010
Launched in 2007 by Melissa - then founder/director of sustainable creative consultancy, collaborative laboratory, and think tank Societás - and Joost van Gorsel of digital fashion and arts magazine Iconique.com, the 'Iconique Societás Awards' brought the global spotlight to the best emerging talent in fashion photography, illustration, styling, and art direction.
The jury included the likes of acclaimed Dutch photographer Ari Versluis, maverick fashion designer Arkadius, couture milliner Louis Mariette - who had been dubbed one of the 250 most influential creatives in the world by I-D Magazine, award-winning New York designer and writer Natalia Allen, and acclaimed stylist and regular contributer to Italian Vogue, Michael Dye.
Attracting global entries and press, they were the first online fashion arts awards to launch worldwide, and ran for four consecutive years, during which they helped launch and propel the careers of finalists in as far and wide as Northern America, Asia, and Europe.
The award’s 2008 promotional video is seen right.
(Above) Article on sponsorship of fashion arts projects, led by Melissa Sterry when a director of the world's first online event network (2001 - 2003)
(Above) Article on sponsorship of fashion arts projects, led by Melissa Sterry when a director of the world's first online event network (2001 - 2003)
Creative Graduate Prize
Creative Graduate Prize
visual arts
visual arts
Cofounder & Director
Cofounder & Director
The world's first online visual arts awards, Creative Graduate Prize kick-started the careers of talented emerging visual artists worldwide, bringing their work to the attention of international leaders in the creative industries. Cofounded by Melissa - then founder/director of sustainable creative consultancy, collaborative laboratory, and think tank Societás - and fouding director of the original Medium Magazine (MM), Laurie Cansfield.
Categories spanned photography, painting, illustration, installation, short film and digital media. Supported by pioneering visual arts magazines, institutes, networks and galleries globally, the prize attracted entries and media coverage from several continents. Winners spread as far and wide as USA, China, UK and Europe.
