EDUCATION
Magnum Foundation Fellow, 2018
International Center of Photography-Bard College, Master of Fine Arts in Advanced Photographic Studies, 2016
Syracuse University, Bachelor of Arts in Art Photography, magna cum laude, 2006
SELECTED SOLO & TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2017 Perdidos: En Foco’s Apartment Gallery Series Series at AAA3A Project Space, Bronx, NY
2016 El Nombre Mío, Ajeno, ICP-Bard MFA Studios, Long Island City, NY
2013 Ni Aquí, Ni Allá: Neither Here, Nor There, CUNY Center for Worker Education. New York, NY
2010 Family Work, New York Public Library, Aguilar Branch, New York, NY
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2024 Project A Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica, The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, NY
2024 Mighty Real/Queer Detroit (MR/QD), Galerie Camille, Detroit, NY
2021 Estamos Bien: La Trienal 20/21, El Museo del Barrio, New York, NY
2019 Pelea: Visual Responses to Spatial Precarity, The Latinx Project, King Juan Carlos Center at NYU, New York, NY
2019 WOTY: Our Word of the Year, Hunter East Harlem Gallery. New York, NY
2018 Daybreak: New Affirmations in Queer Photography, Leslie Lohman Museum, New York, NY
2018 Bordering the Imaginary: Art from Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and their Diasporas, BRIC Arts. Brooklyn, NY
2017 The Eclipse Show, Blue Sky Gallery, Portland, OR
2017 Notas al Futuro/ Notes to the Future, Espacio el Pasajero, Bogotá, Colombia, Galeriá Breve, Juarez, Mexico City
2017 The Live Out Loud Lecture Series, The Metropolitan Community Church of New York, New York, NY
2016 The 2016 Annual Juried Competition, Honorable Mention, Baxter Street at the Camera Club
of New York
2016 Fotofest’s 2016 Meeting Place Portfolio Review, Scholarship Artist, Houston, TX
2016 The Ties that Bind curated by Charlotte Cotton, Baxter Street at the Camera Club of New York. New York, NY
2016 All at Once, Rita K. Hillman Education Gallery, International Center of Photography, New York, NY
2015 Territories, Projecto ‘Ace, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2015 Alternate Currents: New Art from the Diaspora, L’Artocarpe, Le Moule, Guadeloupe
2013 On Photography: Culture, History, and the Narrative curated by LaToya Ruby Frazier, Mason Gross Galleries, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
2013 Converging Cultures: Works by Latino Artists, University of Mary Washington Galleries, Fredericksburg, VA
2013 En Foco/In Focus: Selected Works from the Permanent Collection, Venice Arts, Venice, CA, Aljira, a Center for Contemporary Art, Newark, NJ, Art Museum of the Americas, Washington, DC, Light Work, Syracuse, NY
2013 Portraits 2013 curated by Charles Guice, The Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO
2013 Dreamers, Roy C. Moore Gallery, University of North Georgia, Oakwood, GA
2013 Otros Soñadores, Oconee Campus Gallery, University of North Georgia, Oakwood, GA
2013 NYT Lens Blog Portfolio Review, One of the 160 selected out of 2,700 entries, New York, NY
2012 Art in Embassies, US Department of State, Montevideo, Uruguay
2011 Women in the Heights, Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, New York, NY
2010 BETA Spaces: As Seen on TV, Arts in Bushwick, Brooklyn, NY
2009 Fotógrafee, John Jay College Gallery, New York, NY
2008 Basin Art Barn, Brooklyn, NY
2008 The Society for Photographic Education Multicultural Caucus Exhibition, Denver, CO
2006 Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, China.
2006 Soho Photo National Photography Competition, Soho Photo Gallery, New York, NY
2006 Family Work, Spark Contemporary Art Space, Syracuse, NY
RESIDENCIES AND AWARDS
2016 The 2016 Annual Juried Competition. Honorable Mention. Baxter St at the Camera Club
of New York
2016 Fotofest’s 2016 Meeting Place Portfolio Review. Scholarship Artist. Houston, TX
2013 NYT Lens Blog Portfolio Review, 1 of the 160 selected out of 2,700 entries. New York, NY
2015 International Artist Exchange between Diaspora Vibe Arts Incubator and L’Artocarpe, Le Moule, Guadeloupe
2011 Proyecto ‘Ace Artist in Residence International Program, Buenos Aires, Argentina
ARTIST TALKS & LECTURES
2018 Daybreak: New Affirmations in Queer Photography Artist Walkthrough. Leslie Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, New York, NY
2017 The Live Out Loud Lecture Series. The Metropolitan Community Church of New York, New York, NY
2011 Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, New York, NY
2010 New York Public Library, Aguilar Branch, New York, NY
2009 SPE Northeast Conference. Introduced Doug DuBois.
2007 Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
2006 Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY.
PROJECTS
2016 Martha + Groana Collaboration. New York, NY.
Guest blogger for Baxter Street at the Camera Club of New York from October to December.
2016 Mexican Tertulia. Martha + Groana Collaboration at Baxter St at CCNY, New York, NY
2016 After the Fact. New York, NY
2015 ICP-Bard MFA Slidefest. New York, NY
PUBLICATIONS & EXHIBITION CATALOGUES
The Archive, Cover, Issue 63, Spring 2018.
Ferrer, Elizabeth. Latinx Photography in the United States: a Visual History. University Of Washington Press, 2021.
Lapin Dardashti. “Bordering the Imaginary: Art from Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and their Diasporas.” Brooklyn: 2018.
Latina Magazine. “Temples of Beauty”. October 2010
Nueva Luz Photographic Journal. “Groana Melendez.” Volume 14 #3.
Romais, M, & Schmichler, D. “En Foco/In Focus: Selected works from the Permanent Collection.” Bronx: 2012.
Romais, Miriam. “Groana Melendez.” Nueva Luz Photographic Journal, Volume 14 #3, 2010. En Foco Inc. Bronx, NY.
Tse, Ka-Man and Matt Jensen. “Daybreak: New Affirmations in Queer Photography.” The Archive, Issue 62, Winter 2017.
PRESS
Aranda-Alvarado, Rocío. “What is Latinx? See El Museo’s La Trienal for the Answer.” 13 April 2021.
Beckert, Michael, et al. “35 Queer Photographers Illustrate What “Pride” Really Means.” W Magazine, 25 June 2019.
Berman, John S. "Art Roundup: Brooklyn." The Woven Tale Press, 22 June 2018.
Black, Led. “Groana Melendez – It’s a Family Affair.” The Uptown Collective, 2010.
Bynoe, Holly. “En Foco/In Focus: Selected Works from the Permanent Collection at Aljira.” ARC Magazine Contemporary Caribbean Visual Art Culture, 28 June 2012.
Cascone, Sarah. “Editors' Picks: 16 Things Not to Miss in New York's Art World This Week.” Artnet News, Artnet News, 5 June 2018.
Cotter, Holland. “El Museo Looks to Define ‘Latinx Art’ With a Major Survey.” The New York Times, 26 March 2021.
“DAYBREAK: New Affirmations in Queer Photography.” Leslie-Lohman Museum, 15 June 2018.
Eckardt, Stephanie. "21 Queer Photographers Illustrate What 'Pride' Really Means." W Magazine, 22 June 2018.
“En Foco (In Focus) | AMA | Art Museum of the Americas.” Art Museum of the Americas, 2011.
“Fourth AVR Features Sofia Dona, Groana Melendez, Curated by Stamatina Gregory.” The National Herald, 24 April 2021.
Gallant, Andre. “Hispanic and Latino Art Show in Oconee.” Athens Banner-Herald. January 14, 2013.
Garry, Greg. “Subtle Grace: The New Queer Photo Exhibit Worthy of a Double Take.” Out Magazine, 30 July 2018.
Kauffman, Aubrey. “Frazier on Culture, History, and Personal Narrative.” U.S.1. October 9, 2013.
López, Clara. “Fotógrafos Que Exploran La Distopía Contemporánea.” Infobae, 04 November 2017.
Mighty Real/Queer Detroit (MR/QD)
Meyers, William. “Families in Focus, Harlem at Night.” The Wall Street Journal, 2010.
Nuñez, Ramon. “Photographer Groana Melendez Discusses ‘Ni Aquí Ni Allá’ & Her Education.” Latinos Behind the Lens. June 10, 2013.
Olesen, Ivy, and Victoria Stapley-Brown. “Three to See: New York.” The Art Newspaper, The Art Newspaper, 8 June 2018.
Recinos, Eva. "11 Latina Photographers You Need To Know Now." Good Magazine, 14 March 2018.
Rodríguez, Xuxa. “Bordering the Imaginary: Art from the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Their Diasporas / Xuxa Rodríguez.” ASAP Journal, 16 April 2018.
Sohn, Elaine. “Literacy in the Arts: Portraits & Dreams.” NYPL, 2010.
Walsh, Brienne. “An Exhibition Presents the Work of 12 Emerging New York-Based Artists.” PDNedu, 7 June 2018.
Wilson-Goldie, Kaelen. “Bordering the Imaginary: Art from the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Their Diasporas’ at BRIC.” Artforum, 4 Apr. 2018.
Zanoni. Carla. “Washington Heights Artist Shares Family Album Highlighting Immigrant Experience.” DNAinfo, 19 August 2010.
COLLECTIONS
The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
CUNY Dominican Studies Institute Library, New York, NY
En Foco Inc. Contemporary Photography Collection, Bronx, NY
Proyecto ‘Ace, Buenos Aires, Argentina
The ICP Library. The International Center of Photography, New York, N.Y
The Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.