Stephanie Swilley (she/they) is a community-taught conceptual artist living in Northern Iowa, USA. She lives in a world of metaphor, gathering input from nature, books, poetry, her experiences, and the world to bring the beauty of community care, diversity, self-love, and ecological respect to the forefront.

In their work, Stephanie endeavors to create something beyond what she sees with their eyes, creating in an abstract or abstract realism style. She hopes for her work to serve as a starting point in a thought process for the viewer - not the final destination.

Stephanie has a near-visceral fear of being boxed-in mentally, physically, or metaphorically, so they impose no limits on themself, style, or mediums (though, they are partial to watercolors, collage, pastels, charcoal, and graphite). Her loyalty is to the idea and she follows the mediums and techniques where they lead.

Their works have been accepted into juried exhibitions and shows in Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, and Iowa, with Sturnus (watercolor and cut paper, 2024) being awarded 1st place at the Iowa Artists Region 7 Show in 2024 and Here (embroidery, 2021) being awarded 3rd place at the Iowa Artists Region 7 Show in 2022, as well as publication in the international Artist Talk Magazine and Arts to Hearts book.

Her aim is to help change the world through beautiful things, donating a portion of every sale to The ACLU, Donors Choose, and the National Parks Conservancy Association.