Melchert was Peter Voulkos’s studio assistant at UC Berkeley in the now infamous Pot Palace, the ceramic studio in the basement of the University Art Museum. It was a vibrant, round-the-clock scene that included, among others, artists Stephen De Staebler, Manuel Neri, Ron Nagle, Richard Shaw, Mary Heilmann, Marylin Levine, and Nancy Selvin. The Pot Palace became the seat of a revolution in ceramics.

For several years, Melchert’s art-making was distinctly influenced by Voulkos’s work. He elaborated, “Pete Voulkos was the one who changed everything for me – he believed in doing things larger than you’re used to doing, so that your body becomes physically involved. One of the things I learned from Pete is to think of the material as your partner.”