Bio
Born 1972 in Dallas, Texas, Philley has lived and worked in Austin for fifteen years. She completed the BFA program in painting at Hunter College, NYC, in 2005 and earned a BA in journalism, 1995, from Southern Methodist University. She is the founder of the Artist Parents & Caregivers Community organization and residency, a project leader for the annual San Marcos Studio Tour, and regularly volunteers with the Native Prairies Association of Texas.
Philley uses the language of nature— color, reflective light, and patterns—to draw correlations between lived environment, memory, and emotional health. Her recent and upcoming projects feature partnerships with non-profit organizations that work to mitigate climate damage through research, nature preservation, and communal activities. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center supported Philley’s 2022-23 site-specific installation of seventy vibrant sculptures along a trail in their gardens. The San Marcos Arts Commission, in spring 2024, funded a collaborative video projection that premiered on an historic downtown building. In late 2024, Philley will wrap up a three-month residency at the Wild Basin Nature Preserve with a site-specific installation.
She has exhibited across the country, including Artspace 111 (Ft. Worth), Pleides Gallery (NYC), Kansas City Stockyards Gallery, and the Austin-based Dorf and Dougherty Arts Center galleries. Her paintings and collages are part of corporate collections in New York, Texas, North Carolina and Germany, as well as private collections in Texas, New York, California, New Jersey, Kansas, Minnesota, Canada and Spain.
Publications & Online Interviews
Arts Eclectic on NPR's KUT 90.5
CV
Exhibitions
2024
• Downtown San Marcos, TX, Alignmentality, Immersive projection, light and sculptural artwork funded by the San Marcos Arts Commission. Collaboration with new media artists Topher Sipes and Jasna Boudard; April 6-7
2023
• The 14th Contemporary Eco Museum, a sculptural installation about my ongoing research into Texas Prairie Grassland Restoration; August.
• Dougherty Arts Center Gallery, solo exhibition of paintings, sculptural works, collage and digital mixed media; late May through late July.
• LBJ Ranch National Parkland Foundation, "Cabinet Oak Project," selected from national juried call to create an art piece out of historic, live oak log. Exhibiting March at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. April through May at the LBJ Ranch National Historic Park.
• “The Seeds We Plant,” Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Site-specific series of seventy sculptural paintings hanging from trees and sprouting from the ground along the Woodland Trail; October 2022 through April 2023.
2022
• Women & Their Work, "Red Dot Art Spree," Austin, group. Oct. 2022
• LockhArt House Gallery, "All in the Family," Lockhart, TX, group. Sept. 2022
• Dorf Gallery, “Volya,” curated group show benefitting several Ukrainian charities, May 2022
2021
• Icosa and Concept Animals, "Howdy, Stranger," curated group popup show for the annual East Austin Studio Tours. Nov. 2021
• Big Medium, "East Austin Studio Tours," in person and online exhibit,
• Woart (Women Artists) online gallery, "Patterns in Nature," juried national exhibition. www.woartblog.com. Oct. 2021
• Women & Their Work Gallery, "Red Dot Art Spree," curated group exhibit. Oct. 2021
• West Wing Project Space, “Equivalents,” digital art exhibit, co-curated and showed with four other painters. www.nyartistsequity.org. July-Aug. 2021
• Vault Stone Shop Gallery, “Out the Window and Through the Trees,” Solo, Austin. April 2021.
2020
• Equity Gallery, "With the Grain," curated group, NYC. Nov. 4-28.
• Kansas City Stockyards Gallery, “Small Works Show,” juried, Kansas City, Mo, Nov. 27-Jan 20.
• Jones Gallery, “Fall Show,” juried, Kansas City, Mo, Nov. 5-28.
• All Austin Studio Tours, online, Austin, Nov. 7-22.
• 620 Art Gallery, "Expression Through Abstraction," curated, Round Rock, TX. Sept. 14-Oct. 9.
• Georgetown Art Center, “Ingrained” Four-Person curated show. Austin, TX. July 26-August 24.
• Artspace111, “Texas Now” Juried Group. Ft. Worth, TX. June-July.
• Vault Stone Shop Gallery, “Mask Collection” curated Group. Austin, TX. May.
• Pleiades Gallery, “Altered States” National Juried Group. NYC. January 23-Feburary 15.
• “The People’s Gallery,” Group. Austin City Hall. March 6, 2020- January 6.
2019
• Big Medium, East Austin Studio Tours, in studio at Third Space Arts, Bolm Rd. complex, Austin, TX. Nov. 16-24.
• Link & Pin Gallery, “Sketchings” Two-Person show. Austin, TX. Sept. 27-Oct. 13.
• Vault Stone Shop Gallery, “Flash Sale,” Group. Austin, TX. Sept. 27-Oct. 6.
• Texas State University, Round Rock group show. July 14-September 13.
• Bass Concert Hall, Group, Austin, TX. March 15-June 31.
• West Austin Studio Tours, Showing in Home Studio, Austin, TX. May 11-12 and 17-18.
• CloudTree Studios & Gallery, “Women of West Go East,” Group at , Austin, May 5-7.
• Howson Public Library, Solo, Austin, TX. March - May.
• Art for the People Gallery, Group, Austin, TX. Feb. 2-April 27.
• 6th Street Gallery by CAMIBAart, Group, Austin, TX. January 19-Feb. 24.
• Brick Oven on 35th, Austin, TX. Oct. 28-Feb. 2.
2018
• Art84 Gallery, East Austin Studio Tour, Group exhibition, TX. Nov.
• Round Rock ArtSpace Gallery, Group. Round Rock, TX. Oct. - Nov.
• Link & Pin Gallery, Group. Austin, TX. Oct. 6- Oct. 28.
• Art for the People Gallery, Group. Austin, TX. June 27 - October 20.
• Round Rock ArtSpace Gallery, Group. Round Rock, TX. June 9 - July 27.
• Bruegger's Bagels, Solo. Westlake, TX. July 16-August 3.
• Austin Bouldering Project, "Summer Creeks and Skies," solo, Austin, TX. June.
• West Austin Studio Tours. Guest of EyePlay Studio, Group. Austin, TX. May.
• Cypress Grill, Group. Austin, TX March.
• Orange CoWorking, Group. Austin, TX. January - March.
2017
• Workwell Austin, Solo. Austin, TX. August - Nov.
• Big Medium, East Austin Studio Tours, Group. Austin, TX. With ARTiculation ATX, Nov.
2010-1998
• Cherrywood Coffeehouse, Solo. Austin, TX. 2010
• People’s Gallery, City Hall, Group. Austin, TX. Feb. 2009
• 500X, EXPO 2008, Group. Dallas, TX. 2008
• Hunter College Leubsdorf Gallery, BFA Degree Show, Group. NY, NY. 2006
• Hunter College downstairs gallery, Student Show. New York, NY. Fall 2004 - 2005
• Monroe Arts Center Group Exhibition, Group. Hoboken, NJ. 2003
• Red restaurant, Elizabeth St., Solo. New York, NY. 2001
• Liquids, East 10th St., Group. New York, NY. 2000
• James Fuentes Gallery, Broome St., Solo. New York, NY. 1998
• Cafe Loon Loon, 25th St., Solo. New York, NY. 1998