Northside Muralist leaves behind a legacy of color and light
Photo of Melodee Strong. Provided by Elissa Cedarleaf
By Azhae’la Hanson, Reporter
Muralist, illustrator and Franklin Middle School art teacher Melodee Strong passed away in June in a battle with cancer. Her love for the multicultural richness of Minneapolis lives on in more than 60 large-scale murals, including those that grace Lake Street, the Midtown Greenway and North Minneapolis.
An outpouring of love on social media followed the announcement of her passing.
“Melodee touched countless lives through her creativity, generosity, and commitment to making art accessible and meaningful,” wrote Melissa Rands, the vice president of academic affairs at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. “Her impact will continue to be seen not only in the murals and public artworks she leaves behind but also in the students, colleagues, and community members she inspired.”
When you met Strong, you were met with a smile and open arms.
At the Northside Mural Fest last year, Strong beamed at her mural on the Sanctuary Church building. Her pride came from images inspired by her art students at Franklin Middle School, which feature two children at the center nurturing a plant. She spent the day riding around in a golf cart, enthusiastically making sure the other artists were taken care of.
She started the Northside Mural Fest to ensure Northside artists were well represented and had opportunities to share their work with businesses. Art from the day is still displayed in Northside spaces today. It was a small glimpse of what she had done throughout her life, earning her the nickname "light" from many in the Minneapolis art community.
“She loved North Minneapolis,” Crystal Sokuu, local artist and mentee of Strong, said. “The Northside was her favorite. She always spoke about the Northside and the changes that she wanted to make.”
She was among the artists to lead the renewal of East Lake Street following the uprising that followed George Floyd’s murder in police custody. She was an award-winning illustrator of children’s books. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and later a Master's in Arts Education from the University of Minnesota.
Her work brought bright colors to all corners of the city. She was known for her art that celebrated culture and highlighted social justice, diversity, and positivity in diverse communities.
On her website, Strong wrote that her earliest memory was being an artist in third grade. She was inspired by Ernie Barnes's work on the TV show “Good Times” to create art featuring people of color in their everyday settings. She didn’t see representations of people of color in Minnesota art spaces. She grew up in a predominantly white area and wanted more exposure to people who looked like her. As a result, her art is continuous advocacy.
“I prioritize my work in advocacy and representation of multicultural people, communities of color, women, and social justice for this very reason,” she wrote on her website. “I want to contribute to the movement for social change and the acceptance of all people. I want to play my part in ensuring a little Brown child sees themselves in an illustration in a children's book, in a painting hanging in a gallery space, or their beauty depicted on a wall in the middle of a neighborhood. I want them to know they matter and that they have a place in this world.”
Sonya Nelson, her best friend for over three decades, told North News that Strong was the first person to support new and upcoming artists, even if it meant that she was the only one in the room.
“For new artists, she was the person that they never forgot,” she said.
Sokuu credited Strong with being the reason she pursued a career as a muralist.
“She was a force, the perfect representation of a female artist: bold, colorful, strong,” Sokuu said. “She had so much tenacity, and she was a true light. She’s just a beautiful soul, very colorful in every way; she had the biggest heart, and she really was like an angel on earth.”
Strong referred to herself as a “Minneurvian”, a blend of her Minnesotan and Peruvian heritage. She was described by Nelson as a “foodie”—a lover of trying new foods, a loyal Vikings fan, and someone who attended every event in fear of missing out.
Elissa Cedarleaf Dahl taught alongside Strong for three decades and said Strong loved her “Northside babies”, her art students at Franklin Middle School. Every year, Strong hosted shows at Homewood Studios to showcase her students' work.
“If there was a chance for her to lift up her kids and make them feel special, she would go above and beyond for them,” she said.