Smack Mellon’s Hot Picks program was launched in 2007. The top artists, as selected from the Studio Program applicants by a panel of esteemed curators, arts professionals, and established artists, are featured on the Smack Mellon website and social media for one year.
The 2024-25 Hot Picks were selected by panelists: Stamatina Gregory, Chief Curator at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art; Gabriela López Dena, Associate Curator of Public Practice at Public Art Fund; and Serubiri Moses, Independent Writer and Curator. Preliminary Panelists included former Studio or Exhibition Artists: Emily Clayton, Itziar Barrio, Tariku Shiferaw, Maya Jefferies, Rebecca Shapass, Gi (Ginny) Huo, Ezra Wube, and Jessica Segall
Previous Hot Picks
2023
Angélica Maria Millán Lozano, Anjanisari Ramadhani, Anna Ortiz, Azita Moradkhani, Ciaran Short, Daniel Ramos, Elizie Williams, Freya Powell, Jenny Cho, Kyle b co., Seyhr Qayum, Sophia-Yemisi Adeyemo, Tatiana Florival, Tommy Kha, Vyczie Dorado, Yumiko Ono
2022
Alchemyverse Collective, Alex Ito, Amy Ritter, Baris Gokturk, Catalina Schliebener Muñoz, Enrique Garcia, Jay Elizondo, Jessica Segall, Lydia Nobles, Mo Kong, Orlee Malka, Sophia-Yemisi Adeyemo-Ross, Takayuki Matsuo, Tanika Williams, Yelanie Rodriguez, Zac Hacmon
2021
OlaRonke Akinmowo, June Canedo, Lionel Cruet, Jay Elizondo, Shannon Finnegan, Umber Majeed, Christina Martinelli, Andre Megana, Helina Metaferia, Alva Mooses, Jaye Rhee, TJ Shin, Elisabeth Smolarz, Hanae Ulamura, Kiyan Williams
2020
American Artist, Borinquen Gallo, Catherine Feliz, Dance Doyle, Daniel Barragan, David Wilson, Dennis RedMoon Darkeem, Elise Rasmussen, Emily Oliveira, Furen Dai, Jamie Warren, Karmel Sabri, Miatta Kawinzi, NIC Kay, Peter Hoffmeister, Ronan Gamil, Takashi Horisaki, Victoria-Idongesit Udondian
2019
Parastoo Ahoon, Keren Benbenisty, Borinquen Gallo, Ilana Harris-Babou, Jonathan Herrera Soto, Heidi Howard, Sara Jimenez, jc lenochan, Diana Lozano, Victoria Manganiello, Carlos Martiel, Prinston Nnanna, Jamaal Peterman, Antonio Pulgarin, Diana Shpungin, Hidemi Takagi, Mary Valverde
2018
Becca Albee, Santina Amato, Rachel Bacon, Alexandra Bell, Gabino Castelan, Kwang Choi, Melanie Crean, Francisco Donoso, Bel Falleiros, Doreen Garner, Heather Hart, Camille Hoffman, Sara Jimenez, Allison Kaufman, Autumn Knight, Joyce Lin, Alva Mooses, Kambui Olujimi, Reade Bryan, Katherine Reynolds, Naomi Safran-Hon, Diana Shpungin, David Shrobe
2017
Jaimie Warren, Shadi Harouni, Lorena Molina, Pascual Sisto, Adriana Farmiga, Fanny Allie, Victoria-Idongesit Udondian, Liene Bosque, Ronald Hall, Jon Henry, Trokon Nagbe Kambui Olujimi, Chloe Bass, Milcah Bassel, Keisha Scarville, Becca Albee, Torkwase Dyson Amir Hariri, Dianne Hebbert, Ayodamola Okunseinde, Ioanna Pantazopoulou, Carlos Rodriguez
2016
Liene Bosquê, Susan Broughel, Lynn Cazabon, Abigail Collins, Bethany Collins, Justin Chance, Danilo Correale, Deanna Erdmann, Shanti Grumbine, Amber Hawk Swanson, Amy Ritter, Rodrigo Valenzuela
2015
David Birkin, Alan Calpe, Linda Ganjian, Mariana Garibay Raeke, Camilo Godoy, Jeila Gueramian, Ronald Hall, Heather Hart, Changha Hwang, Carl Marin, Melanie McLain, Mores McWreath, Jan Mun, Elizabeth Orr, Rashanna Rashied-Walker, Danielle Roney, Kara Rooney, Yoshie Sakai, Zoë Sheehan Saldaña
2014
Firelei Baez, Diann Bauer, Joseph Burwell, Blake Carrington, Piotr Chizinski, Maya Ciarrocchi, Thomas Dexter, Patricia Dominguez, Francisco Donoso, Jonathan Ehrenberg, James Esber, Jane Fine, Adam Frezza and Terri Chiao, Ryan Garrett, Cassandra Guan, Alejandro Guzman, Robert Hernandez, Haisi Hu, HongSeon Jang, Beth Krebs, Liliya Lifanova, James Lipovac, Jen Liu, Trokon Nagbe, Chris Nau, Adam Niklewicz, Kambui Olujimi, Alison Owen, Ebony Patterson, Holly Pitre, Rodrigo Valenzuela
2013
Jarrod Beck, Adriane Colburn, Molly Dilworth, Ira Eduardovna, Zachary Fabri, Beth Krebs, Tyler McPhee, Eliza Myrie, Nancy Nowacek, Antonia Perez, Kent Rogowski, Gabriela Salazar, Jacolby Satterwhite, Dread Scott, Miriam Simun, Pascual Sisto
2012
Scott Andresen, Louisa Armbrust, Rachel Bacon, Firelei Baez, Selin Balci, Caitlin Berrigan, Clare Churchouse, Kevin Cooley, Lisa Crafts, Nicholas des Cognets, Molly Dilworth, Ian Gerson, Heather Hart, Hongseon Jang, Jonggeon Lee, Alice Mallet, nicoykatiushka (NyK), Stephanie Serpick, Laura Splan
2011
Marin Abell, Jan Adriaans, Rachel Bacon, Kim Beck, Gail Beiderman, Daniel Bejar, Diane Carr, Adriane Colburn, Helen Dennis, Nicholas des Cognets, Blane De St. Croix, Johnathan Ehrenberg, Charley Friedman, Friendly Falcons, Ghost of a Dream, Taihwa Goh, Tracey Goodman, KyungWoo Han, Jessie Henson, Oded Hirsch, Hongseon Jang, Bettina Johae, Beth Krebs, Mores McWreath, Clive Murphy, Kenya (Robinson), Julia Sherman
2010
Jane Benson, Suzanne Broughel, Laura Carton, Colette Fu, Blane De St. Croix, Jenn Figg, Cooper Holoweski, Takashi Horisaki, Ben Kinsley, Kristian Kozul, Matthew Mazzotta, Naeem Mohaiemen, Alison Owen, Anne Percoco, Letha Wilson
2009
Mequitta Ahuja, Nivi Alroy, BeitzMonroe, Nathan Bennett, Brent Birnbaum, Alberto Borea, Suzanne Broughel, Michael Buhler-Rose, Sophia Chai, Jikee Choi, Kyung Woo Han, Moo Kwon Han, Janelle Iglesias, Isola and Norzi, MyeongBeom Kim, Katja Kublitz, Lacey Jane Roberts, Jean Marc Superville-Sovak, The Shining Mantis, Angela Zammarelli
2008
Larissa Bates, Francisca Benitez, Jim Gaylord, Andrea Geyer, Klara Hobza, Jayson Keeling, Edward Kihn, Shana Moulton, Julika Rudelius, Adam Shecter, Tobaron Waxman
2007
Amelia Biewald, Sonya Blesofsky, Michael Dixon, Daniel Domig, Merav Ezer, Halla Gunnarsdottir, Elana Herzog, Josh Kil, Michael Krondl, Shaun El C. Leonardo, Dorota Mytych, Donna Nield, Carlos Roque, Michael Schall, Allison Smith, Taeseong Kim, Tim Warner