Melissa Twance is a beadwork artist who lives and works in Thunder Bay, ON. Originally from Pic Mobert First Nation, her beadwork designs pay homage to Northwestern Ontario and traditional Anishinaabe iconography. She learned to bead by sitting around the kitchen table and learning from her granny on her mom’s side who was also a skilled beadworker and craft artist. Melissa has continued this practice since 2000 and has been told that she “beads like a kokum and designs like a young person”, infusing contemporary & pop culture aesthetics into her practice. Her favourite colours to work with are bright neons and deep jewel tones. When she’s not beading, she’s working on completing a PhD in Education at Lakehead University.