Melvin Leon Woods

Painting

Born: Kingstree, SC
Education: Winston-Salem State University, NC
Degree: BA, Fine Arts
Notes:
Mr. Woods was born into a family of talented artists and craftsman, his grandmother was a quilt maker and his grandfather, a blacksmith. As a child he began drawing pictures and comic book characters with encouragement from his parents. In 1993, he decided to leave the family cement business and turned professional as a woodcarver and sculptor welder. He also returned to school at Winston-Salem State University, Winston-Salem, N.C. to

earn a four-year degree in fine arts.

In his last semester of classes at the university, Woods was offered a position as assistant gallery director for the Winston-Salem State University Diggs Gallery. Upon leaving that position he worked as an adjunct instructor at the school before accepting a position in 2005 as a Gallery Assistant, Artist in Residence, and Sculptor and Ceramics instructor at Benedict College in Columbia, SC.

Woods’ carvings reflect a strong African influence. The main themes he seeks to present in his art work are everyday life, his African and African American culture, his past, and his present. Also, he is inspired by the natural things he sees around him. His work has been exhibited in the Carolinas, Virginia, and Italy. Mr. Woods lives with his wife Marcella in Columbia, SC.

Phone: 803.740.2748 or E-Mail: woodsm@benedict.edu