Please come by and experience the artwork of Melissa Kugler.

From Melissa:

“I am a Minnesota-based visual artist who breathes new life into forgotten, secondhand materials through textured mixed-media assemblage. By combining thrift-store jigsaw puzzles with expressive acrylics, bold spray paint, and intricate linework, I transform incomplete, discarded items into vibrant fine art.

The Mediums Involved

My work is born from reclaimed thrift store jigsaw puzzles, thick acrylics, heavy gel mediums, spray paint, ink, and protective resin I build directly onto canvas and wood panels, creating raw, dimensional surfaces that pull you in close.

The Story & Inspiration

There is a quiet, heavy sadness to a thrifted puzzle. Someone sat at a table for hours, pouring time into it, only for a piece to get lost under a couch or thrown in a box when life got busy. These boxes sit on dusty shelves, marked down to $2, carrying the touch of whoever tried to finish them. I don't see trash; I see unfinished stories and human presence. My art is an attempt to honor that lost time and build something permanent out of what was abandoned.

The Process

It begins with the hunt. I spend hours digging through thrift bins, bringing home incomplete puzzles and laying them out on my studio floor. I assemble what remains. Force it onto canvas. It’s the only place I get to decide how the pieces fit together or fall apart.

What Makes It Special

Every single piece carries real history. When you stand in front of one of my paintings, you aren't just looking at a pop icon or a nostalgic scene you’re looking at cardboard touched by unknown hands, combined with my own emotional state in the studio. Because no two thrifted puzzles are ever missing the exact same pieces, every artwork is unique, unrepeatable, and full of raw, imperfect life.

Instagram: @bymelissakugler

Facebook: Melissa Kugler