Melissa Richardson Banks is a seasoned arts consultant, cultural producer, and publicist with over 30 years of experience in project management, exhibition touring, marketing, and special events, including festivals and art salons. Through her firm, CauseConnect, which she founded in 2001, she provides strategic services to arts organizations nationwide, specializing in marketing, special events, and public engagement.

Since 2003, she has collaborated with Cheech Marin, managing his renowned Chicano art collection while marketing and touring exhibitions for him across the U.S. and Europe. For him and others, Melissa has produced museum exhibitions, documentary films, public programs, music and dance performances, and special events that celebrate Chicano/a/x artistic contributions.

A specialist in exhibition management and marketing, Melissa has organized almost 150 exhibitions, touring many of these to over 60 museums, both independently and for various cultural institutions. Beyond museums, Melissa’s portfolio extends to corporate and civic partnerships, working with Toyota Motor North America on its national Toyota Dream Car USA Art Contest and City National Bank’s Reading is the Way Up program. She has also organized major cultural events such as the LA Live’s Downtown Dark Nights and Plaza de la Raza’s Feria de la Familia, sponsored by Target Corporation.

Melissa is also a photographer, known for documenting the Arts District in downtown Los Angeles and her ongoing work capturing the vibrant cultural scene of Houston. In 2023, she launched MUSED Houston, a weekly arts newsletter and online arts calendar, which supports her work in providing PR and marketing services to local clients. Though based in Houston, Texas, Melissa maintains a strong presence in Southern California, where she lived for over 25 years. She frequently travels there to organize, manage and guide ongoing projects.