MELODY GOLDING
photographer − author − artist
Melody Swaney Golding was raised in Holly Springs, Mississippi; she is a seventh-generation Mississippian. She comes from a long line of artists. Melody believes that most of the power of photography comes from within, and like poetry, fine photography often communicates through metaphor. She lives in Vicksburg with her husband Steve and their two sons.
Artist Statement
"I try to capture in my work a sense not only of timelessness but also of grace. To convey an observance of order out of the usual chaos of visual forms. God has given me this gift to share what I see in this world both as a patient and ardent observer, and as a participant in what I see, with the camera being the conduit of expression in my photography. For me, photography is a visual communication that is an adventure absolutely fueled by relentless challenge. When the photography and adventure become one, the experience is exponential."
Selected Awards
- 2008 Mississippi Humanities Council Recipient for Chair’s Special Service Award for Public Achievement in the Humanities
- 2007 Congressional Recognition from U.S. Congressman Bennie Thompson
- 2007 Presidential Letter from President George W. Bush
Recent Acquisitions
- 2009 – Katrina: Mississippi Women Remember, solo documentary photography exhibit with supporting materials, acquired by the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History Archives Center. The collection is already used at colleges and universities not only as a gallery show, but also as a teaching resource for gender studies, sociology, art, history and meteorology, among other subjects. The photographs and documents capture a wide cross-section of Mississippi Coast residents of all ages, genders and backgrounds.
Recent Exhibits
- 2010 — Horse Conscious Quilt. National Quilt Museum/World Equestrian Games, Lexington, Kentucky.
- 2006-2009 – Katrina: Mississippi Women Remember. More than a dozen exhibition sites, including the Walter Anderson Museum of Art (Ocean Springs, Mississippi), the Masur Museum (Monroe, Louisiana), and the National Museum of Women in the Arts (Washington, D.C.) Used as exhibit and educational resource at the University of Mississippi, Mississippi College, and Mississippi State University.
- 2007-Ongoing: Selections from Katrina: Mississippi Women Remember on display in the Congressional Hearing Room at The Department of Homeland Security, Washington, DC.
- 2009 – Contrast: A Visual Exploration. Multi-artist Photography Exhibition. The Warehouse in partnership with The Gallery@wiljax, Cleveland, Mississippi.
- 2009 – Fly Me To The Moon. American Cancer Society Benefit, Monroe, Louisiana.
- 2008 - My South Event. Providence Hill Farm, Flora, Mississippi.
- 2007 - Intersecting Visions: Anniversary Show. Multi-artist, multi-media exhibition. The Attic Gallery, Vicksburg, Mississippi.
- 2007 – Photographs of Blues Legend Son Thomas. “New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music” Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibit Services (SITES), with Mississippi Humanities Council.
- 2007 – Bit of Art Horse Auction, Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, Mississippi.
- 2006 – CHAIR-ish the Children. Louisiana Children’s Museum, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Selected Publications
- 2010 (Title Unreleased). University Press of Mississippi: Jackson, Mississippi
- 2008 John Hopkins University Press NWSA Journal (National Women Studies Association): Volume 20, Number 3, Fall 2008
- 2007 Katrina: Mississippi Women Remember. University Press of Mississippi: Jackson, Mississippi
- 2005 Photos featured in The Royal Photographic Society Awards Journal. London, U.K.: October 2005.
