ABOUT

Raised in rural Georgia, Ainsley Steeves is a multimedia artist whose sculptural and lithographic work focuses on how experiences of loss changes our perception of space and place. She received her BFA in Arts and BA in English from Columbus State University. In 2025, she had a solo exhibition, Nostalgic Frameworks at UTK School of Art’s Gallery 1010. Her work has also been included in group exhibitions at UTK School of Art’s Downtown Gallery (Knoxville, TN), Artist Collective | Spartanburg (Spartanburg, SC), Northern Kentucky University Gallery (Highland Heights, KY), and the Bo Bartlett Center (Columbus, GA). In 2026, she completed a creative residency at Chulitna Lodge and, in 2021, a fellowship at Mildred’s Lane. Steeves has been awarded a College of Arts & Sciences Graduate Fellowship from UTK, the Orin B. and Emma G. Graf Scholarship from UTK, the Dr. Judith Temple Scholarship from Arrowmont, and the National League of American Pen Women Scholarship from the Columbus GA Branch. Steeves currently lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, where she is a Sculpture MFA student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

CV is available upon request by emailing ainsleysteeves@gmail.com

EDUCATION

2027 (Expected)
University of Tennessee, School of Art, Knoxville, TN

Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art
Concentration in Sculpture

2017-21
Columbus State University, Honors College, Summa Cum Laude, Columbus, GA

Bachelor’s of Fine Arts with a Sculpture Focus
Bachelor’s of English

2019
Columbus State University | Accent International,

Study Abroad in Florence, Italy

RESIDENCIES

2026
Chulitna Lodge Creative Artist Residency, Chulitna, AK

Resident Artist

2021
Mildred’s Lane, Beach Lake, PA

Art Fellowship | Forest-Body-Chair session, Learned green woodworking from Gina Siepel and body mindfulness from Sara Smith

EXHIBITION CATALOGUES & PUBLICATIONS

2026

Positive/Negative 41: National Juried Art Exhibition, Tipton-Ashe Galleries, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN. Juror: Dr. Brittany Webb [Exhibition catalog]

2025

7th Annual Juried Exhibition, Artists Collective | Spartanburg, SC. Juror: Dwight Rose [Exhibition catalog]
Finkelston, Adam, The Hand Issue #50, The Hand Magazine, Fall 2025. [Magazine]

EXHIBITIONS

2026

Cultivating Wonder, Studio Hum, Johnson City, TN. Curators: Polly Horne and Jane Tingle Broderick
Passing Moments, Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, Knoxville, TN
Material Thinking: The Flow Between Concept and Form, Slocumb Gallery, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN. Curator: Jane Tingle Broderick
Out of Hiding: An Exhibition of Matrices, Gallery 1010, University of Tennessee’s School of Art, Knoxville, TN
Positive/Negative 41: National Juried Art Exhibition, Tipton-Ashe Galleries, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN. Juror: Dr. Brittany Webb
Impressions of Time and Place, Gallery 1010, University of Tennessee’s School of Art, Knoxville, TN
Sunday Dinners, Homewrecker Arts, Knoxville, TN
79th Annual Student Art Competition, Ewing Gallery, University of Tennessee’s School of Art, Knoxville, TN. Juror: Robert Hernandez

2025

Personal Spaces: A Portfolio Exchange Curated by Shannon Ferguson and Łucja Bańkowska, Gallery 1010, University of Tennessee’s School of Art, Knoxville, TN
7th Annual Juried Exhibition, Artists Collective | Spartanburg, Spartanburg, SC
Coming Up for Air: A Second Year MFA Exhibition, Gallery 1010, University of Tennessee’s School of Art, Knoxville, TN
Defenestrated Dreams, Able Trade, Knoxville, TN
My Own Utopia, Third Floor Gallery, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY. Curator: Randel Plowman

2024

Bonds Through Fire, Gallery 1010, University of Tennesee’s School of Art, Knoxville, TN
thing theory: UTK Sculpture + Ceramics, Candoro Marble Building at Tri-Star, Knoxville, TN
MSA Student Pop-Up Exhibition, UAB Studios 2300, Birmingham, AL
imPrinted: 2nd Annual UTK Print Club Showcase, Gallery 1010, University of Tennessee’s School of Art, Knoxville, TN
Germination, Downtown Gallery, University of Tennessee’s School of Art, Knoxville, TN
Dichotomy, Cochran Gallery, LaGrange, GA

2023

Beyond Go Figure IV, The Bo Bartlett Center, Columbus State University, Columbus, GA

2022

Beyond Go Figure III, The Bo Bartlett Center, Columbus State University’s Department of Art, Columbus, GA

2021

Liminal Light: Senior Thesis, Illges Gallery, Columbus State University’s Department of Art, Columbus, GA

2020

Juried Student Exhibition, Online, Columbus State University’s Department of Art, Columbus, GA. Juror: Didi Dunphy

2019

unConcious, Schley Gallery, Columbus State University’s Department of Art, Columbus, GA
Juried Student Exhibition, Schley Gallery, Columbus State University’s Department of Art, Columbus, GA. Juror: Sonya Yong James
Shimmer, Fulcrum Gallery, Columbus State University’s Department of Art, Columbus, GA

2018

[Man]ipulation, Schley Gallery, Columbus State University’s Department of Art, Columbus, GA
Foundations Review, Schley Gallery, Columbus State University’s Department of Art, Columbus, GA
On Foundations, Fulcrum Gallery, Columbus State University’s Department of Art, Columbus, GA

HONORS & AWARDS

2026

PILOT (Project In Lieu of Thesis) Grant, University of Tennessee’s School of Art, Knoxville, TN (Additional funding for 2027 PILOT exhibition)
Graduate Teaching Assistantship, University of Tennessee’s School of Art, Knoxville, TN (Full tuition waiver for three years, plus stipend)
College of Arts & Sciences Graduate Fellowship, University of Tennessee’s School of Art, Knoxville, TN (Additional funding for materials)

2025

Graduate Teaching Assistantship, University of Tennessee’s School of Art, Knoxville, TN (Full tuition waiver for three years, plus stipend)
College of Arts & Sciences Graduate Fellowship, University of Tennessee’s School of Art, Knoxville, TN (Additional funding for materials)
Orin B. and Emma G. Graf Scholarship, University of Tennessee’s School of Art, Knoxville, TN
Dr. Judith Temple Scholarship, Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN (Tuition coverage for one-week workshop)

2024

Graduate Teaching Assistantship, University of Tennessee’s School of Art, Knoxville, TN (Full tuition waiver for three years, plus stipend)
College of Arts & Sciences Graduate Fellowship, University of Tennessee’s School of Art, Knoxville, TN (Additional funding for materials)

2021

Student Research and Creative Endeavors Grant, Columbus State University, Columbus, GA
Young Artist in Residency Award & Travel Scholarship, Columbus State University’s Department of Art (Mildred’s Lane Residency)

2020

National Leaguge of American Pen Women Scholarship, Columbus GA Branch (Materials grant)
Janet B. Hollis Art Scholarship, Columbus State University’s Department of Art (Academic Award)

2019

CSU Study Abroad Grant, Columbus State University’s Center for Global Engagement, Columbus, GA (Study Abroad in Italy)
Virginia P. Culpepper Award, Columbus State University’s Department of Art (Academic Award)
Friends of Art Travel Scholarship, Columbus State University’s Honors College, Columbus, GA (Study Abroad in Italy)
Education Activity Grant, Columbus State University’s Honors College, Columbus, GA

2018

Virginia P. Culpepper Award, Columbus State University’s Department of Art (Academic Award)