Melodee Strong

Melodee Strong is a Latinx muralist, illustrator, and teaching artist based in Minneapolis. She holds a BFA in Illustration from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and a Masters in Arts Education from the University of Minnesota. With over 80 large-scale murals across the Twin Cities and beyond, her work centers multicultural representation, social justice, and community voice. She has published nine children's books, received awards from the Society of Illustrators in both Los Angeles and New York, and teaches visual arts at Franklin Middle School. Muralist, illustrator and Franklin Middle School art teacher Melodee Strong passed away in June of 2026 from a battle with cancer. Her love for the multicultural richness of Minneapolis lives on in more than 60 large-scale murals, including those that grace Lake Street, the Midtown Greenway and North Minneapolis.