Melissa Guido

Melissa Guido is a multidisciplinary printmaker and illustrator whose work draws inspiration from fashion and costume design of the 1920s, as well as Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Bauhaus, pattern design, and religious iconography. Currently, her creative pursuits focus on traditional textile arts, including natural dyeing, embroidery, weaving, and knitting, in Iceland. Melissa is the recipient of the prestigious Student Fulbright Open/Study Research Grant for 2024 – 2025, supporting her nine-month exploration of Iceland’s sustainable textile practices and unique plant sources for natural dyeing. A graduate of the School of Visual Arts, she earned a BFA in Illustration in 2013 and completed the Illustration as Visual Essay master’s program in 2022. With over a decade of professional printmaking experience, she has collaborated with numerous businesses and artists. Melissa is proficient in all major printing techniques—including screen printing, letterpress, etching, lithography, and relief printing—and has worked on print editions for exhibiting fine artists alongside master printer Jennifer Mahlman at Ribuoli Digital. Additionally, she spent nine years as a Printmaking Assistant in the Fine Arts department at the School of Visual Arts. Melissa began teaching university level printmaking at New Jersey City University in 2023. As the co-founder of Sourwood Press, a design and printing studio established with Brittany Emerson, Melissa leads a female-run business specializing in designing, producing, and selling products such as bandanas, stationery, and tote bags. Sourwood Press also collaborates with designers and businesses to create bespoke printed goods and products. Throughout her career, Melissa has cultivated a wide range of tactile skills and continues to explore furniture restoration, woodworking, textiles, bookmaking, and her enduring passion for printmaking.