Amy Stephens Material Guilt

Amy Stephens, UTA Studio Arts professor and academic advisor, presented her solo exhibition at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Missouri on December 6, 2024 - January 13, 2025. Titled Material Guilt, the show featured mixed-media sculptures created from left over materials that challenge the conventional understanding of value and encourage an existential appreciation for material properties.

Stephens says: “In this exhibition, nothing is discarded, nothing is insignificant, and everything is reimagined. It is an exploration of the tension between creation and waste, a reflection on my personal struggle with the environmental impact of my work, and a contemplation of the value of everyday materials... The way we interact with and value materials mirrors our relationships with people, nature, and the environment... Each object, whether its a scrap of paper or a shard of glass, has a story to tell and deserves to be acknowledged even if for a brief moment.”

Born and raised in Texas, Amy Stephens has had a lifelong passion for art, tracing her creative spark back to the days of playing with blocks as a child. Stephens began her professional art career as a muralist in 2012 and has completed 13 public art murals across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She has over a decade of foundry experience, 5 years glass experience, and her work has been showcased in multiple national exhibitions. In addition to her teaching and advising roles at the UTA Department of Art and Art History, Stephens also serves as a hot shop instructor at a local nonprofit glass school and gallery and is the President of the Texas Sculpture Association. She is the Artist Liaison for Metro Sports Fieldhouse, a nonprofit that merges STEAM education and athletics for youth in the community.