Tewodross "Tee" Melchishua

Associate Professor

Tewodross "Tee" is an associate professor for the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at Bowie State. He holds a bachelor's degree in art/photographic media from Morgan State and a master of fine art's degree in imaging and digital arts from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. He also coordinates the Computer Graphics Art (VCDMA -Visual Communication & Digital Media Arts) Program and the VCDMA internship program.

Professor Melchishua says digital art, animation and new media chose him. As a visual artist he became interested in combining traditional art/media with digital technology, communication design, time-based media (video film) and more specifically animation. He became fascinated with rhythm and cultural memory and narrative.

"Working at Bowie State has really enhanced my career," says the professor. "I've enjoyed building a first-rate art/design and technology program, which has led to a wide variety of partnerships, having the flexibility to research, create and work as a visual artist and an independent animator/producer."

There have been many memorable and proud accomplishments in professor Melchishua's career at the University. He says his most memorable accomplishment is creating courses in internship, self-promotion and marketing in the arts and hip hop/urban and contemporary art courses in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts which allow the students to get exposure and valuable experience in the visual and performing arts industries. Another accomplishment Melchishua cites is having expanded the Computer Graphics Program into the Visual Communication and Digital Media Arts Program. He continues to expand the program.

Professor Melchishua's accomplishments are many including being the recipient of a Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Fellowship. The seminar was titled, Faces of Islam in Africa, and allowed him to travel to Senegal and Morocco. It was from this experience that he was able to visit these two nations to research African and Islamic art, music and culture. He also received the "Bringing The Lessons Home" research fellowship from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, which allowed him the opportunity to travel to Israel to conduct research on the influence of propaganda in art/design in Nazi Germany, and develop lessons to teach the history of the Holocaust to high school students.

He has conducted workshops and participated in panels and lectures on animation and has received numerous awards and recognition for his work in video and animation such as The SONY Innovator's Award in Animation, Sony Corporation, New York, NY; First Place for Animation from The Maafa Film and Video Festival, Brooklyn, NY, and The Paul Robeson Award in Film and Video, Newark Museum of Art, Newark, NJ.

This summer 2009, he will curate and be a featured artist in M3: MC's, Mics and Metaphors at the Flashpoint Gallery in Washington, D.C. The exhibition will feature artists, photographers, designers and filmmakers from across the country all focusing on words, metaphors, lyricism, and poetics used in hip hop music and culture. Particular focus will be on the "golden years" of classic hip-hop music.

Professor Melchishua also works extensively with community based programs as a mentor/sponsor with Designer's Without Borders (DWB); an international, design and mentoring program to students studying design in Africa. He is also a member, and serves as the chair of the Education Committee for FocusOnDesign (formerly The Organization of Black Designers, OBD-DC); Publicity and Outreach Coordinator and member of The National Association of Artists of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (NAAHBCU); The Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers (AIVF); SIGGRAPH and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. He is the founder of Visual Jazz Media Group, and the SOULSUITE: an online media arts & studio collective, where he serves as Creative Director/Consultant and Producer.