EDUCATION
2014 MFA, Interdisciplinary Studio Art, University of Nevada, Reno, NV
2008 BA, Painting and Drawing, Portland State University, Portland, OR
SOLO & TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2023 Desert Waterlines, Alexander Gallery, Clackamas Community College, Oregon City, OR
2019 Stratifying the Unknown, Clairissa & Colby Stephens, Parrish Gallery, Chehalem Cultural Center, Newberg, OR. May and June 2019
2017 Horizons | Lines, Clairissa & Colby Stephens, Umpqua Valley Arts Association, Roseburg, Oregon. January 13 - March 10
2016 Horizons | Lines, Clairissa & Colby Stephens, Sierra Arts Gallery, Reno, NV, March 1-31
2014 Interior West, MFA Thesis Exhibition, Galleries South, Jot Travis Building, University of Nevada, Reno
2012 trace, MFA Mid-program Exhibition, Sierra Arts Gallery, Reno, NV
2011 grove, Retzlaff Gallery, Southern Oregon University, Ashland, OR
2008 Eye of the Butterfly, White Gallery, Portland State University, Portland, OR
RESIDENCIES
2022 Art in Oregon: Artist in Residence, Stevens Crawford Heritage House. Oregon City, OR
2018 Black Rock Desert Artist in Residence, Friends of Black Rock - High Rock, Gerlach, NV. Spring 2018
2017 Leland Iron Works Artist Residency, Oregon City, OR. October 2017
2016 PLAYA Artist Residency, Summer Lake, OR. February 2016
2015 Samband Íslenskra Myndlistarmanna (SIM) Artist Residency, Reykjavík, Iceland. November 2015
PLAYA Artist Residency, Summer Lake, OR. January 2015
2012-15 Resident Artist, Artists In Education Program, Capital City Arts Initiative, Carson City, NV
2008 Idyllwild Arts, Paintings Edge Artist Residency, Idyllwild, CA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 Terra Incognita Land Art Exhibition, The Verdancy Project, Troutdale, OR
2020-21 Art in Embassies, Exhibition at US Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
2019 An Artistic Heritage, Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts – 56th Year, Lakewood Center for the Arts, Lake Oswego, Oregon
June 21, 22, and 23, 2019
Friends of Black Rock - High Rock, Artist in Residents Traveling Show-
Humboldt County Library, February 3-16 Winnemucca, NV
The Potentialist, Workshop, February 17-28 Reno, NV
Gerlach Community Center, March 1-15, Gerlach, NV
2017 Accumulating Energies: 2017 Leland Artist Residency Exhibition, Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) Mezzanine Gallery,
Portland, OR November 2-22
INTERSTATE, Sarah Spurgeon Gallery, Central Washington University, Juried by Emily Zimmerman, Director of Jacob Lawerence
Gallery, University of Washington, November 2nd- December 3rd, Reception November 2nd
2016/17 Beauty at the Core | The Mysterious Language of Ice, Museum of the North Unviersity of Alaska, Fairbanks March 11- August 31
This traveling exhibition will also be shown at:
WAIS Divide Research Station in Antarctica Winter 2017
2016 Sediments, Sequences and Solitude, Hallie Brown Ford Gallery, Umpqua Valley Arts Association, Roseburg, Oregon.
Curated by Deborah Ford and Sandee McGee January 15 - March 11
Sediments, Sequences and Solitude will be traveling to the following locations
Atelier 600 (A6) Bend, Oregon. April 2016
World Forestry Center. Portland, OR. July 28 - September 26 2016
Eugene, OR. October 2016
2015 You Are New to the Mountain, Samband Íslenskra Myndlistarmanna (SÍM) Gallery, Reception November 27
Botanica: All Things Plant Life, Bedford Gallery, Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, CA
Juried by Ken Harmon & MacKenzie Stevens July 12 - September 6
SMoCA Mix, Scottsdale, AZ. May 2, 2015
Accreted Terrane, MONA- Museum of Northwest Art, La Conner, WA, Curated by David Francis. October 4- January 4, 2015
2014 TMCC Faculty Art Exhibition, Main Gallery, Truckee Meadows Community College, Reno, NV September 15- October 15
All In, The Holland Project, Sept 16-19, Fundraiser Exhibition, Sept 19th 6-9pm
Bathed in Sunshine, Covered in Dust: an introduction to contemporary art in Reno NV, The Holland Project,
Curated by Jen Graham and Sarah Lillegard. Reno, NV.
UNR/MFA, Haldan Art Gallery, Lake Tahoe Community College, South Lake, CA. Curated by Phyllis Shafer
Sheppard Contemporary Valentines Auction Biennial, University of Nevada, Reno.
2013 Flight: MFA Exhibition and Critique, Galleries South, University of Nevada, Reno
14th Annual Student Art Exhibition, Galleries South, University of Nevada, Reno Juried by Rick Parsons of Sierra Nevada College, Incline Village, NV
[award recipient]
13th Annual Student Art Exhibition, Sheppard Contemporary, Reno, NV Juried by Maddy Rosenberg of Central Booking, New York, NY.
[award recipient]
2012 10.-22.-38 Astoria, FICTILIS, San Francisco, CA
Stranger Show, Holland Project Gallery, Reno, NV
12th Annual Student Art Exhibition, Sheppard Contemporary, Reno, NV Juried by Joanne Northrup, Director of Contemporary Art Initiatives, Nevada Museum of Art
Cross Section: MFA Candidates, Walt McNamara Gallery, Reno, NV
Shine, Blue Line Gallery, Roseville, CA
No Strings Attached, Sheppard Contemporary, Reno, NV
2008 Painting's Edge, Riverside Art Museum, Riverside, CA
Painting's Edge, Parks Exhibition Center, Idyllwild, CA
2007 Panels for PAC, Portland Art Center, Portland, OR
GRANTS, AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIPS
2018 BLM Artist in Residence Black Rock Desert Stipend, Gerlach, NV
2015 Jackpot Grant, Nevada Arts Council
2014 Nominated for an Art Matters Grant
2012-14 Graduate Teaching Assistantship, University of Nevada, Reno
2013 Juror’s Award of Excellence, 14th Annual Student Art Exhibition Juried by Rick Parsons of Sierra Nevada College, Lake Tahoe, NV
Juror’s Award of Excellence, 13th Annual Student Art Exhibition Juried by Maddy Rosenberg of Central Booking, New York, NY
2011-14 Holmes Art Scholarship, University of Nevada, Reno
COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS & VOLUNTEER PROJECTS
2013 Nevada Horizon Lines, Interdisciplinary Event: Music, Poetry and Visual Arts Installation in response to horizon lines, Collaboration with
Colby Stephens, Readings: Robert Morrison, Megan Berner, John Kesse, William L. Fox. Musicians: Elizabeth White and Bob Schuler. Galena Creek, Camp WeChMe Lawn, September 27, 2013
2012 Stranger Show, Artist Mentor, Collaboration with Holland Project Gallery, Hug High School and Nevada Museum of Art.
Mural Painting Assistant to Firelei Baez, Pycho-Pomp, Sheppard Fine Art Gallery, Reno, NV
Pat Baker Park Community Painting and Pin hole camera drawing, Collaboration with Colby Stephens and community, Pat Baker Park, Reno, NV
(re) collections: Yuta Chou and Kelsey Page, Curating collaboration with Tina Davis and Esther Cuan, Museum Tower, Reno, NV
2011-2012 Art Lessons at Anderson Elementary, Collaboration with Colby Stephens, Reno, NV
PUBLIC ART & COMMISSIONS
2020 Mountain Mural, Hannah Grace Family, Oregon City, OR
2020 Art in Embassies, Black Rock Desert Waterlines series on loan to Ambassador Abizaid, Saudi Arabia
2018 Art Shine Project: Art in Oregon, Summer Lake Waterlines | Summer Permanent Collection of Grano Bakery and Market Oregon City, OR
2016 Dekum St. Mural. 1308 NE Dekum St. Portland, OR. Commissioned by NW Ventures.
Design: Clairissa Stephens | Painting: Harry Schneider and Brandi Kruse
N. Williams St Mural. Commissioned by Bluestone Homes. Portland, OR
2014 Public Art Commission. City of Reno Arts & Culture. Aspens in the Fall. Painting: Traffic Signal Box. Liberty St. & Central St. Reno, NV.
Private Art Commission, Truckee Water System Dining Tables, Commission by Stacey Spain
2012 Table Commission. Great Basin Brewery. Sparks, NV.
PUBLICATIONS
2023 Art Focus with Joseph Gallivan KBOO Interview Land Art Terra Incognita, Joseph Gallivan Portland Tribune Aug 19, 20233
2020 Josie Glassberg, Scrambled words, bright colors, and spray painted electrical boxes, Double Scoop, January 7, 2020
2019 David Bates, Where Earth Meets Sky, Oregon ArtsWatch, May 28, 2019
2016 Curated by Deborah Ford and Sandee McGee, Sediments, Sequences and Solitude, PLAYA Exhibition Catalog, 2016
Janet Eastman, Pieces of dried lake bed become art after stay in Great Basin cabin, Oregonian, Sep 08, 2016
2014 Curated by David Francis Accreted Terrane: Island Arcs and Suture Zones, Digital Exhibition Catalog, Published by Museum of Northwest
Art MoNA, Download for free on iBooks
Professional Artist Magazine, Featured Artist, June 2014
Radio Interview: Clairissa Stephens: Interior West with Geralda Miller, Reno Tahoe Tonight Show, Oliver X: 101.3 FM. April 17, 2014Sarah
Lillegard and Jen Graham, eds. Bathed in Sunshine, Covered in Dust: an introduction to contemporary art in Reno, NV
digital publication: http://issuu.com/hollandproject/docs/biscid_proof
2013 Allyson Siwajian. Art} In a Hard (and Beautiful) Place. The Desert Companion. p. 66-69. May 2013
2012 Geralda Miller. Nature in glass and fabric. Reno Gazette Journal. Reno, NV. November 4th
Susan Raines, Shine Art Exhibit at Blue Line. Sacramento Examiner. Sacramento, CA March 1st
2011 Vickie Aldous. Inside the Birch Grove. Ashland Daily Tidings. Ashland, OR. February
LECTURES & GALLERY TALKS
2023 Artist Gallery Talk, Desert Waterlines Feb 22, Clackamas Community College, Oregon City, OR
2019 Gallery Talk and Presentation for exhibition: Stratifying the Unknown, Chehalem Cultural Center, Newberg, OR. May 3, 2019
2018 Art and Ecology Artist Lecture, Pacific Northwest College of Art, Portland, OR April 13, 2018
2016 Gallery Talk Horizons | Lines, Sierra Arts Gallery, Reno, NV March 2016
2015 Samband Íslenskra Myndlistarmanna (SÍM) Artist Residency Talk. Nov. 10, 2015
2014 Nevada Horizon Lines, Open Action Workshop with M12 Collective, Cuddleworks, Reno, NV. May 10th, 2014
Interior West: Tracing Recollections of the Landscape, MFA Thesis Lecture, University of Nevada, Reno, Jot Travis Building Auditorium,
Rm 100, April 17, 2014
Land Art and Earthworks and Con·cep·tu·al Art, Guest Lecturer for Contemporary Art 365
Holland Project Gallery, Panel participant, in conjunction with group show: Bathed in Sunshine, Covered in Dust, February 8, 2014
Lake Tahoe Community College, Haldan Gallery, January 14, 2014
2012 University of Nevada, Reno. William Raggio Building, Artist Lecture, April 2012.
2011 University of Nevada, Reno. Church Fine Arts Building, Artist Lecture, September 2011.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE AND RELATED WORK EXPERIENCE
2014-20 Private Art Lessons: Painting, Drawing and Mixed media lessons.
2018 PNCA’s Interim Leland Iron Works Artist Residency Facilitator Fall 2018 (fill in for maternity leave) Oregon City, OR
2018 Clackamas Community College, Adjunct Art History Instructor, Oregon City, OR
2014 Adjunct Professor, Drawing Fundamentals and Advanced Mixed Media Painting, Sierra Nevada College, Incline, NV Fall 2014
Adjunct Professor, Drawing and Visual Foundations, Truckee Meadows Community College, Reno, NV Fall 2014
Graduate Teaching Assistant and Guest Lecturer with Dr. Brett Van Hoesen, Contemporary Art 365, University of Nevada, Reno, Spring 2014
2012-15 Resident Artist, Artists In Education Program, Capital City Arts Initiative, Carson City, NV
2012-14 Graduate Instructor, Drawing 101, University of Nevada, Reno
Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Summer 2013, Fall 2013, Summer 2014