Evolution & Experience

Prior to founding Seymour Projects and focusing on her own practice, over the course of her four decade career, Melissa worked with a wide variety of individuals and organizations. She has held long term positions at the following cultural institutions: Tribeca Productions, Disney’s Jumbo Pictures, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, artnet, and the Creative Growth Art Center.

Melissa began her professional journey in the late 1980s as a studio assistant to fashion and culture photographer Patrick Demarchelier, this internship was an extension of her formal photography studies and influenced by her late uncle, photographer Pierre Houlés.

In the early 1990s in London & Los Angeles, she worked as a production manager on music videos for director Ralph Ziman. Soon after, back in NYC, she held various production crew positions on feature films including The Age of Innocence, Quiz Show, and A Bronx Tale. During this decade, she also spent several years as a personal assistant, first to Daniel Day-Lewis, and later to Robert De Niro.

From 1999-2004 Melissa was Vice President of Media Outreach at the Ad Council where she was responsible for managing national partnerships with U.S. media outlets including television, radio, print and outdoor. Her efforts helped expand the reach of dozens of public service campaigns. In recognition of her contributions, Melissa received Ad Council President Peggy Conlon’s Award for Exceptional Performance.

From 2004-2006, Melissa was Manager of Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac in Paris. She guided the team, upgraded efficiency of operations, and supported the presentation of large-scale exhibitions featuring a wide range of prominent artists.

From 2007 to 2011, just prior to her founding of Seymour Projects, Melissa was a freelance production, marketing and communications consultant for individuals in the arts, cultural organizations, and creative brands such as: artnet, Galerie Christian Berst, Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld, Vingt Paris, the Creative Growth Art Center, and many more.

In the early 2000s, Melissa was also a founding member of the ephemeral special events collective HELLO, MY NAME IS BILL where she collaborated on the conception and hosting of a series of underground happenings in Paris.

Education

Melissa holds a Baccalauréat degree in Philosophy from Lycée Français de New York (1985) and B.A. in English from Tufts University in Massachusetts (1989) which encompasses literary analysis, storytelling, linguistics and communication studies. Melissa also studied photography at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, her focus was on Humanist and Existential visual narratives.

Born in Manhattan in 1967, Melissa has since balanced her life between France and the United States.