Stephanie L. Wills is an interdisciplinary artist, originally from Southington, Connecticut, currently living in Portland, Maine. She received her BA in Studio Art from Salve Regina University in May 2025 and will receive her MFA degree from Maine College of Art and Design in 2027 to pursue a career as an art professor. Her work has been showcased in multiple exhibitions such as a solo artist salon hosted by the Newport Artist Collective and the Turning Pages Exhibition for a library space, both in Newport, Rhode Island. Additionally, her work has been shown throughout her college career in the Best of Salve Students show where she has also achieved recognition for her paintings in 2022 and 2024. 


Artist Statement:

“As an interdisciplinary artist, I work in a combination of oil paints and ceramics. Whether it is sculpting a three dimensional portrait bust or painting it, my work explores the contemporary female experience. From a young age, I was taught that my value was tied to how I looked. How much I weighed, how I dressed, and whether I fit into the standards of beauty set by the media and society. I was told that I would never be a “real woman” because of my body, and as a result, I began to view my body as something that needed to be controlled or reshaped to fit in. As I grew older, I began to recognize how deeply these patriarchal norms and values had been ingrained in me, shaping my self-image and sense of identity. The idea that women must constantly strive to meet a particular aesthetic standard is still pervasive today, and it remains one of the primary influences of my work. My art became a way to process the tension between my own experience as a woman and the oppressive factors I was taught to uphold. Today, I use my interdisciplinary practice to address and challenge these deeply embedded societal expectations. I make uncomfortable, self-representations of the female to take my power back and to help other women who share the same experiences feel empowered to do the same.”

Education:

MFA Candidate, Maine College of Art and Design

Expected graduation 05/27

BA in Studio Art, Salve Regina University 

Concentrations in Painting and Ceramics

Minor in Art History

GPA 3.865

Graduation date: 05/25

Projects:

Associate Curator, Gilded Age Dress in New England Exhibition, Dorrance Hamilton Gallery, Newport, RI, 10/24

  • Helped research, curate, and promote garments in gallery space

Rhode Island Academy Players, Theater Set Paintings, Providence, RI, 10/24

  • Painted four play themed paintings for theater set 

Artist Partner, Hammett's Hotel, Newport, RI, 03/23

  • Researched and generated sketches for final work of art

  • Communicated and worked with hotel owner

Exhibitions:

Anything But Mocha Mousse, Zand Hand Gallery, Portland, ME, 07/24

Senior Honors Thesis, Dorrance Hamilton Gallery, Newport RI, 04/25

Solo Salon, Newport Artist Collective, Newport, RI, 07/24

Turning Pages Exhibition, Salve Regina University McKillop Library, Newport, RI, 04/24

Best of Salve Students , Lawrence Hamilton Gallery, Newport, RI, 08/22 - 08/23 - 08/24

  • Honorable Mention Award, Best of Salve Students Exhibition, 08/24

  • Painting Award, Best of Salve Students Exhibition, 08/22

Internships:

Education Intern, The New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT, 05/24 - 08/24

  • Worked with a group of elementary school camp children

  • Helped art teacher make weekly lesson plans

  • Gave project instructions to the children

Work Experience:

Teaching Assistant, Maine College of Art and Design, Portland, ME, 08/25 - current

  • Help undergraduate students use woodshop power tools and problem solve 

  • Help professor with classroom prep and lesson plans

Visiting Artist Associate, Maine College of Art and Design, Portland, ME, 06/25

  • Support visiting artists in their travel/housing

  • Prepare housing each week

  • Budget and purchase supplies for artists

Studio Associate, Pottery Piazza, Plainville, CT, 05/24 - current 

  • Load/unload electric kilns with customer work

  • Instruct customers on pottery and glazing techniques

Special Events Coordinator, Salve Regina University, Newport, RI, 01/24 - 05/25

  • Created logo for event merchandise, 05/24

  • Draft contracts and communicate with outside vendors/clients 

  • Work with given budgets for event planning 

  • Run events for all undergraduate students on campus 

Orientation Lead Logistics Coordinator, Salve Regina University, Newport, RI, 06/23 - 06/24

  • Drafted contracts and communicate with outside clients and campus partners

  • Created and ran trainings for the orientation leaders 

  • Used excel to organize and input all incoming first-years information 

Orientation Leader, Salve Regina University, Newport, RI, 06/22

  • Oversaw a group of first-year students and bring them around campus

Skills:

Software Skills:

  • Intermediate in Excel software

  • Intermediate in Adobe Photoshop software

  • Intermediate in Procreate software

  • Intermediate in Firing Electric and Gas Kilns

Soft Skills:

  • Working in group settings

  • Leadership 

  • Time management/organization

Publications:

Willow Magazine, Paintings Showcased, Newport, RI, 05/22 - 05/25

Salve Today, Project for Hammett's Hotel Featured, Newport, RI, 04/24