Melvin Gómez
Biography
Melvin Gómez is a fine art student at Ringling College of Art and Design with a minor in Business of Art and Design. He was born in El Salvador in the municipality of Huizucar, La Libertad. Throughout his childhood, he faced the dangers of an environment shaped by violence. In 2009, members of a gang shot him and in the incident, three friends died that day. Fortunately, art gave him hope and motivation to continue studying. In 2014, he got the opportunity to study at UWC Red Cross Nordic until 2017. Her Majesty Queen Sonja of Norway undertook the official opening of the peace mural that Melvin had made in 2015.
In 2018, Melvin joined the Ringling College Creative Community. This opportunity not only changed his life but also his family’s life because he is the first in his family to attend college. Melvin was selected by the Fine Art Department and the Trustee committee to receive the Trustee Scholars Award 2021-2022.
Melvin Gomez is also the founder of Brushstrokes of Hope (Pinceladas de Esperanza), an art school for children in El Salvador. His experience at Ringling has positively impacted his home country, El Salvador. Thanks to Ringling College of Art and Design and the Davis Peace Project, his team was selected to carry out two months project in El Salvador called Sculpting for Peace during his sophomore year.