Melissa Parhm
Baby Blue Featured in the De Young Opening 2023-2024
Featured in the de Young Open Exhibit “On the Edge,” 2020-2021
MELISSA PARHM. "The land is not my subject. It is my ancestor."
Melissa Parhm is a classically trained fine artist whose work has been exhibited at the M.H. de Young Museum in San Francisco — twice — and whose practice spans oil, watercolor, silverpoint, fiber, sculpture, and fresco restoration. Trained in the French-Dutch atelier tradition in both the United States and Europe, she brings Renaissance-era techniques to deeply contemporary subjects: the California landscape under fire and drought, the spiritual geometry of the natural world, and the quiet intelligence of living systems.
Her silverpoint series Upturned Roots — drawn from walks through oak groves devastated by the 2018 California fires — was selected for the de Young Open Exhibition "On the Edge" (2020–2021). Her painting Baby Blue was featured in the de Young Open 2023–2024. She was also selected for the prestigious Sonoma Valley Museum of Art Biennial in 2009.
Melissa holds an MFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design, A BA in Psychology form Furman University and has engaged in the Interreligious Chaplaincy program at the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley. Her work is held in private collections and institutional spaces including the California Academy of Sciences, the Dharmata Foundation, and fresco restoration in the Otranto Cathedral (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Annunziata) in Italy.
She is based in Mill Valley, California, and accepts private commissions for collectors, estates, and site-specific installations.
“Melissa Parhm is a truly gifted artist. Her painting of Mt. Kailash brings a powerful sense of magic and sacredness into my home, allowing me to feel transported. Gazing at it makes me feel that I am standing right at the foothill of one of the holiest sites on Earth." Anam Thubten Rinpoche, Spiritual director of the Dharmata Foundation
Melissa Parhm
My pieces offer viewers a connection to this elemental world, inviting a sense of reverence and contemplation. They serve as a grounding presence, a source of quiet energy in a dynamic world. Whether it's the subtle shift of light on a silverpoint surface or the rich depth of color and light reflection in the oil painting, my art provides a space for reflection and a reminder of the interconnectedness of humanity and nature. I am passionate about collaborating with clients to realize their unique visions, creating pieces that resonate deeply and bring a lasting sense of beauty and meaning into their lives.