contemporary fine art gallery located in Austin's east end IBIZ District

Melanie Hickerson received her MFA from the University of Texas in Austin, TX, in 1985. She is an experienced artist whose work is in the permanent collection of The University of Texas at San Antonio plus many private collections around the world. Ms Hickerson continues to actively exhibit and execute commissions.

She has lived and worked in Rome, Italy; Berkeley, California; New York, New York and Austin, Texas and has traveled broadly. Ms Hickerson had two one person exhibits at Ceres, NY, NY in 1993 and 1996. Ms Hickerson now lives in Austin, Texas. Her work has been exhibited at the Austin City Hall In 2011, 2015 and 2016.

Benné Rockett received a dual BA in multi-disciplinary art and pre-law from the University of Louisiana Lafayette, LA. This was followed by an MA in Art Therapy and MFA from Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, CA. 

She was active in the Austin art scene for over 20 years, contributing arts writer for the Austin Chronicle for and director of Gallery Lombardi, both for 4 years, She received multiple grants from the City of Austin and the Texas Commission on the Arts as well as opened a gallery and workspace for artists in the former Mrs. Baird´s Bread Factory on Tillery. 

Prior to leaving Austin Benné also had a 20-year career as an Art Therapist. She has spent the last 10 years living and working between Mérida, Yucatan, MX where she owns a home, and New Orleans, LA, her native city. 

The duality of professional careers and experience of place has lent itself to a  layered foundation for her visual work. Her current body of work, Repairing Nature, is an examination of humanity´s struggle with nature - the physical, spiritual, cultural, and psychological.  The diverse selection of materials and techniques gives us a glimpse into the complexity of our own natures.