Mel Vee X is a queer Black (out)spoken word artist, burlesque performer, photographer and model who was born and raised in Mohkinstsis- the Blackfoot name for the place where the Bow and Elbow rivers meet, colonially known as Calgary. The prairies are her great love, but the prairies have never loved her. Smashing misconceptions along the way, her unflinching insights into race, gender, sexuality and class form the bedrock of her artistic practice. Having struggled for years to find her voice, Mel Vee is dedicated to empowering marginalized people tell our own stories from our own perspectives. Mel Vee was a member of Calgary’s 2017 slam team, who finished 5th place in Canada. She is Communications Coordinator and co-founding member of Uproot YYC, Calgary’s premier grassroots collective for Artists of Colour. Most recently, Mel Vee was a member of the 2019 Saskatoon Poetic Arts Festival (SPAF 2019) ensemble team. She also created Wellness for the Revolution, a wellness series bursting with insight, empowerment and irreverence for radicals and revolutionaries. Her greatest aspiration is to become a mom to a daschund baby someday.
