Artist Bio
Melanie Kline is a master silversmith and painter whose career has been defined by a deep reverence for Jewish tradition and a lifelong devotion to craftsmanship. Best known for her handcrafted sterling silver Judaica, Kline created ceremonial objects that have been featured in numerous State of Israel Bonds campaigns and are held in the permanent collections of Hebrew Union College and Park Avenue Synagogue. Her work has also been widely collected by synagogues and private patrons across the United States. In recognition of her artistic contributions, she was honored with a solo exhibition celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Washington Hebrew Congregation in Washington, D.C.
After retiring from metalsmithing, Kline shifted her creative focus to oil painting in her studio in Montrose, Colorado. Continuing her fascination with materiality, she enriches her paintings with gold and copper leaf, mixed media, and occasional gemstones, echoing the precision and detail of her decades as a jeweler.
Kline’s artistic vision is rooted in the mystical stories and symbolism of Judaism. She approaches both painting and metalsmithing as pathways to illuminate spiritual narratives, striving to bring forward their deeper meanings with elegance and clarity. Whether working in silver at the jeweler’s bench or layering oils and metallic leaf on canvas, her goal is to reveal “the light of understanding.”
Her transition to painting began in 2021 after a diagnosis of macular degeneration altered her depth perception and brought her metalsmithing career to a close. Rather than diminish her creative spirit, the shift opened a new and exhilarating chapter. Painting—with its vibrant color, expanded scale, and freedom of expression—quickly became a source of joy, renewal, and gratitude. She describes the process of combining oil paint with copper and gold leaf, semiprecious stones, and pearls as both thrilling and transformative, a natural extension of the intricate work she always loved.
Today, Kline continues to explore storytelling through texture, luminosity, and layered materials, creating works that honor her heritage while embracing the possibilities of a newly discovered medium.