Meli Bandera, "We wear it on the inside (pero lo llevamos nosotros donde que vamos)"
Meli Bandera
SDA’s 2025-2026 Artist in Residence
Meli Bandera (they/them) is a Chicana multi-disciplinary artist, curator, and educator based in the Midwest. They are from South Bend, IN. Their work focuses on the interaction of ancestral fiber techniques and contemporary practices, such as Chicano Tattoo traditions to investigate cultural shifts and the effect migration and place contribute to a cultural identity. Through black and gray linework, bold saturated color, and story driven narrative, Meli explores Mexican and Catholic histories, and family legacy. They hold a BFA in Drawing and Painting from Indiana University South Bend and an MFA in Fiber from Cranbrook Academy of Art. Meli is currently the Associate Curator at the Krasl Art Center.
In 2018, Meli was an artist in residence at the South Bend Museum of Art and at Praxis Fiber Workshop in 2023 within their Digital Weaving Residency with the TC2 loom. In 2024, they were awarded the Robert C. Larson travel grant to T.E.X.E.R.E. in Santa María del Tule, Oaxaca, Mexico. As an educator, Meli has taught youth programming at the South Bend Museum of Art, University of Notre Dame, Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, and Detroit Institute of Arts. Meli’s work has been exhibited nationally at the Box Factory for the Arts, South Bend Museum of Art, Colfax Cultural Center, Notre Dame Center for Arts and Culture, The Scarab Club, Playground Detroit and Buckham Gallery.
