About the Artist
Stephanie Spay
oil painter
Stephanie Spay is a modern realist painter based in Indiana who works in oil to create luminous portraits, figures, and still lifes that invite viewers to pause and sense subtle human connections. From an early age, she was surrounded by creativity: her father was a self-taught musician and carpenter, and her mother a seamstress and quilter. That atmosphere made art feel like joy and an inevitable path. After earning a B.A. in art education from the John Herron School of Art, she painted murals and took commissions before pausing to raise her children. Returning to painting in 2017, she strived to further shape her study of painting with noted painters Daniel Gerhartz, Tina Garrett, Karen Offutt, and Zoey Frank to name a few. Her work has gained national recognition from Oil Painters of America and the National Portrait Society and is held in the Indiana State Museum’s permanent collection.
Stephanie Spay’s work captures the quiet beauty of everyday life-domestic spaces, shared meals, and solitary rituals. Experimenting with color, shifting light patterns, and painterly realism, she strives to transform familiar and mundane interiors into moments of intimacy and memory. Ariel perspectives and mirrored reflections invite viewers to pause, and take a moment to consider a scene they might have otherwise passed over in their daily lives. In her work, she strives to honor the connections and fleeting dramas that define home, presence, and the passage of time.
CURRICULUM VITAE
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AWARDS
2026
Certificate of Excellence
Portrait Society of America
28th Annual International Portrait Competition
Best of Show
Indiana Artists Club
94th Annual Juried Exhibition
2025
43 works of distinction
Portrait Society of America
International Portrait Competition
Jury Prize of Distinction
Cecil F. Head Fund Award
Indiana Artists Club 93rd Annual Juried Exhibition
Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields
Bold Brush Finalist
April 2023
Third Place
101st Hoosier Art Salon Exhibition
Indiana State Musuem
Indianapolis, IN
2024
Award of Excellence in Portraiture
Oil Painters of America National Exhibition and Convention
Mark Arts
Wichita, KS
Second Place
Indiana Artists Club 92nd Annual Juried Exhibition
Indianapolis Art Museum at Newfields
Indianapolis, IN
Best of Show
3rd Annual Midwest Exhibit
Birdie Gallery
Noblesville, IN
Second Place
Katherine B Sutphin Invitational
Harrison Center
Indianapolis, IN
2023
Merit Award
2nd Annual Midwest Exhibit
HCAA Gallery
Noblesville, IN
Second Place
91st Annual Juried Exhibition of the Indiana Artists Club
Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields
Indianapolis, IN
Best of Show
Hoosier Salon 99th Annual Exhibition
Indiana State Museum
Indianapolis, IN
Merit Award
Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional Exhibit
Beverly McNeil Gallery
Birmingham, AL
2022
Merit Award
90th Annual Juried Exhibition of Indiana Artists
Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields
Indianapolis, IN
Third Place in Figurative
Hoosier Art Salon 98th Annual Exhibition
Indiana State Museum
Indianapolis, IN
2021
1st Place in Oils
Hamilton County Artist Association
Birdie Gallery
Noblesville, IN
Merit Award
Indiana Artist Club Members Exhibition 2021
Richmond Art Museum
Richmond, IN
Best of Show
Hoosier Art Salon 97th Annual Exhibition
Indiana State Museum
Indianapolis, IN
Merit Award
Richmond Art Museum 123rd Annual Exhibition
Richmond, IN
2020
Abe Eyed Merit Award
Indiana Heritage Arts Exhibition and Sale
Brown County Art Gallery
Nashville, IN
Best of Show
First Place in Oils and Acrylics
HCAA All Our Best
Birdie Gallery
Noblesville, IN
1st Place
Fishers Arts Council Annual Exhibit
Fishers City Hall Art Gallery
Fishers, IN
2019
1st place in oils
HCAA All Our Best
Birdie Gallery
Noblesville, IN
3rd place portraiture
Hoosier Salon 95thAnnual Exhibition
Indiana State Museum
Indianapolis, IN
Best of Show
Figures of Speech
Anderson Museum of Art
Anderson, IN
1stPlace
Open Space: Art About the Land
Minnetrista
Muncie, IN
EXHIBITION
2006
Group Exhibit Hoosier Salon
Indianapolis, IN
2007
Group Exhibit Columbia Club
Indianapolis, IN
2007
Solo Exhibit Artists Vineyard
Noblesville, IN
2018
Juried Exhibit
Figures of Speech
Anderson Museum of Art
Anderson, IN
2018
Juried Exhibit
Hoosier Salon 94th Annual Exhibition Indiana State Museum
Indianapolis, IN
2019
All Our Best Hamilton County Artist Association
juried
Birdie Gallery
Noblesville, IN
2019
Hoosier Salon 95th Annual Exhibition
juried
Indiana State Museum
Indianapolis, IN
2019
Figures of Speech
juried
Anderson Museum of Art
Anderson, IN
2019
Juried Exhibit
Open Space: Art About the Land Minnetrista
Muncie, IN
2019
Group Show
A Light WithinHoosier Salon
Second Presbyterian, McFarland Hall
Indianapolis, IN
2020
88th Annual Juried Exhibition of Indiana Artists
Online only due to Covid-19
Indianapolis, IN
2020
HCAA All Our Best Juried Exhibit
The Birdie Gallery
Noblesville, IN
2020
Outside Inside
featured artist exhibit
Art On Main
Carmel, IN
2020
1st Annual Fishers Arts Council Exhibit
juried
Fishers City Hall Art Gallery
Fishers, IN
2020
The Indiana Heritage Arts 2020 Exhibition and Sale
juried
Brown County Art Gallery
Nashville, IN
2020
Richmond Art Museum 122nd Annual Exhibition by Indiana and Ohio Artists
juried
RAM
Richmond, IN
2020
Ethereal Epiphany
Curated by Didi Menendez and Sergio Gomez
33 Contemporary
Chicago, IL
2021
Music Man
juried online exhibition
curated by Alessandro Tomessetti
33 Contemporary
Chicago, IL
2021
Florals
juried online exhibition
curated by Elizabeth Barden
33 Contemporary
Chicago IL
2021
Vintage Portrait
juried online competition
curated by Didi Menendez
33 Contemporary
Chicago, IL
2021
All Our Best
Hamilton County Artists' Association
The Birdie Gallery
Noblesville, IN
2021
43rd Indiana Heritage Arts Exhibition and Sale
juried
Brown County Art Gallery
Nashville, IN
2021
Indiana Artist Club Annual Members Exhibition
juried
Richmond Art Museum
Richmond, Indiana
2021
The Hoosier Art Salon 97th Annual Exhibition
juried
Indiana State Museum
Indianapolis, Indiana
2021
The Richmond Art Museum's 123rd Annual Exhibition
juried
Richmond, IN
2022
Solo show
Stolen Moments From Home
Harrison Center Arts Annex Gallery
Group show
Five Incomparable Women
Beth Clary Fine Art Gallery
Indianapolis, IN
Sol Art
Pandemic
Dublin, Ireland
90th Annual Juried Exhibition of Indiana Artists
juried
Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields
Indianapolis, IN
Hoosier Art Salon 98th Annual Exhibition
juried
Indiana State Museum
Indianapolis, IN
2023
Midwest Juried Art Exhibit
HCAA Gallery
Noblesville, IN
Inaugural Clowes Collaborative Invitational Art Exhibit
Presented by the Hoosier Salon
Indianapolis Symphony
Indianapolis, IN
Indiana Artists Club 90th Annual Juried Exhibition
Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields
Indianapolis, IN
Hoosier Salon 99th Annual Exhibition
Indiana State Museum
Indianapolis, IN
Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional Exhibit
Beverly McNeil Gallery
Birmingham, Alabama
2024
Oil Painters of America 33rd National Exhibition
Mark Arts
Wichita, KS
Indiana Artists Club 92nd Annual Juried Exhibition
Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields
Indianapolis, IN
3rd Annual Midwest Exhibit
Birdie Gallery
Noblesville, IN
Oil Painters of America National Juried Salon
James R Ross Fine Art
Indianapolis, IN
100th Annual Hoosier Art Salon
Indiana State Museum
Indianapolis, IN
Katherine B Sutphin Invitational
Harrison Center
Indianapolis, IN
Vining Invitational
Vining Gallery
Indianapolis, IN
2025
Solo Exhibit (April)
Harrison Gallery
Harrison Center
Indianapolis, IN
Oil Painters of America 34th National Exhibition
Herrig Center for the Arts
Bradenton, FL
Indiana Artists Club 93rd Annual Juried Exhibition
Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields
Indianapolis, IN
101st Hoosier Art Salon Annual Exhibition
Indiana State Museum
Indianapolis, IN
Oil Painters of America 2025 Eastern Regional Exhibition
Beverly McNeil Gallery
Birmingham, AL
2026
Portrait Society of America 28th Annual International Portrait Competition
Atlanta, GA
Indiana Artists Club 94th Annual Juried Exhibition
Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields
Indianapolis, IN
