Melanie Hovey
I’d certainly call myself an artist, but I think my primary calling has been that of an arts advocate. My legacy in this life, and the work that has brought me the greatest joy, is empowering visual artists and developing arts initiatives that serve this much loved community. I graduated in 1987 from UW-Parkside with a degree in Psychology, and a second major in Sociology. Additional post-grad coursework includes nonprofit and arts management. I’m married to my best friend, Stephen Hovey Sr., a handsome, hardworking and extremely patient man who builds amazing iron railings, and splendid metal sculptures which decorate our yard.
Lemon Street Gallery & ArtSpace, Inc., which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2019, is the development I'm most proud of, along with Kenosha Union Park Project, and Kenosha ArtMarket. These businesses and events support artists, and are neighborhood development initiatives that strengthen the modest neighborhood surrounding Lemon Street Gallery, and designate it an arts district. In 2003, I was asked to sit on a committee to develop Kenosha HarborMarket, which has become a superb European-style mixed market. I served on its board for 16 years, until retiring in 2019. I LOVE getting things started for the arts and artists! For my own art-making, I’m a painter, like my mom and one of my three sisters, and I build stained glass windows by commission. My artwork has historically been bright abstracts, though vibrant humans of every stripe have been intriguing me for the last seven years or so. |