The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of May 30, 2026

A horizontally oriented black-and-white photograph features a dark plane punctuated by a central, crumpled white form. Three vertical white columns stand parallel in the center, flanked to the right by a translucent rectangular shape. A wide, grainy wooden beam cuts diagonally across the bottom edge. Scattered white specks dot the black void, creating a stark, high-contrast composition where light-toned objects float against a deep, textured background.

Maybelle's Room, The Upstairs, Cleveland

1992

Melissa Shook

(American, 1939–2020)
America
gelatin silver print
Image: 14.9 x 22.5 cm (5 7/8 x 8 7/8 in.)
The Julius L. Greenfield Photography Acquisition Fund 2025.185.11
© Kristina Shook and Estate of M. Melissa Shook
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

It is estimated that over 5,000 people experience homelessness in Cuyahoga County annually.

Description

Melissa Shook’s portraits and interviews of women in homeless shelters arose from her experiences volunteering at women’s shelters in Boston. In 1992, two Cleveland social service agencies, the Federation for Community Planning and Cleveland Health Care for the Homeless, invited her to photograph women in Cleveland shelters. Her images reveal the challenges these women face, their resilience and determination to rebuild their lives, and the societal and personal cost of homelessness.
  • ?–2025
    (Miyako Yoshinga Gallery, New York, NY), sold to The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
    June 9, 2025–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=Maybelle's Room, The Upstairs, Cleveland|url=false|author=Melissa Shook|year=1992|access-date=30 May 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2025.185.11