Artist Talk: Mel Lyons

Mel Lyons is an artist, educator, and Marine Corps vet who has worked in education for nearly two decades, teaching art, theatre and science. He has painted and taught workshops for the National Veterans Art Museum and hosted a TV show for the museum on Chicago's CANTV, where he later served as a board member. He was a producer and host of the weekly Coffee Breaks radio show at Que4 radio, and he is a founding member of the The Microphone Misfitz collective since returning home from Iraq in 2003. He has traveled around the world sharing his love of music, comic books and art, including a historic trip to China in 2018, 3 years after the country banned hip hop.

This artist talk is part of a series inviting veteran artists of diverse perspectives to discuss their practice and work, inspired by the exhibit National Veterans Art Museum: 30 Years. Now on display in the 3rd Floor Gallery of the Harold Washington Library Center through June 2026, National Veterans Art Museum: 30 Years showcases three decades of multimedia artwork by military veterans as part of Chicago Public Library's commemoration of America's 250th anniversary.

Accessibility Need sign language interpretation or other accessibility assistance for this event? Please call (312) 747-8184 or email [email protected] to request accommodations. Requests must be made at least 14 business days before the event.

Mel Lyons - photo courtesy of artist