Jill Downen

Jill Downen
Born	1967 (age 58–59) Belleville, Illinois, United States
Education	Kansas City Art Institute (BFA), Washington University in St. Louis (MFA)
Occupations	sculptor and installation artist
Known for	works in white plaster
Notable work	assistant professor of sculpture at the Kansas City Art Institute
Awards	Guggenheim Fellowship

Jill Downen (born 1967) is an American sculptor and installation artist, and an associate professor of sculpture at the Kansas City Art Institute. ^[1] She received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2010. ^[2]

She was born in Belleville, Illinois in 1967, the daughter of a sign painter. She was awarded a BFA in painting from Kansas City Art Institute in 1989 and an MFA in sculpture from the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis in 2001. ^[2]

She commonly works in white plaster. According to Ivy Cooper, Downen "has made a career of exploring the intersection of bodies and architecture". ^[3]

Her exhibitions include Hard Hat Optional at Bruno David Gallery, St. Louis in 2009, ^{[4] [5]} (dis)Mantle at Luminary Center for the Arts, St. Louis, in 2010, ^[3] and Three Dimensional Sketchbook at Plug Projects, Kansas City in 2013. ^[6]

References

1. "Jill Downen". kcai.edu. Retrieved 2026-01-24.
2. "Jill Downen". Guggenheim Foundation. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
3. Cooper, Ivy (23 November 2010). "Jill Downen". Art in America. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
4. Russell, Stefene (April 10, 2009). "Jill Downen: "Hard Hat Optional"". St. Louis Magazine. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
5. Cooper, Ivy (May 4, 2009). "Review: Downen takes a fresh direction". STL Beacon. Archived from the original on 20 July 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
6. Bembnister, Theresa (January 29, 2013). "Jill Downen's Three Dimensional Sketchbook is a small body of work". Pitch. Retrieved 27 July 2015.