--- title: Stephanie Kossmann description: Using Art and Inquiry to help people thrive. url: 'https://www.artsume.com/a/stephanie-kossmann' type: artist createdAt: '2026-03-19' updatedAt: '2026-10-09' disciplines: - Painting - Sculpture - Woodwork - Printmaking location: 'Annapolis Royal, NS, Canada' website: 'https://www.stephaniekossmann.art/' birthYear: 1969 --- # Stephanie Kossmann *Using Art and Inquiry to help people thrive. | Painting, Sculpture, Woodwork, Printmaking | Based in Annapolis Royal, NS, Canada* ## Artist Statement I’m inspired by the power of color to alter and enhance mood. I work directly on supports using my hands and fingers, engaging directly with the texture of the paint. By applying a dozen or more layers of oil paint my works play with translucence and light refraction and how the particles of pigment and facets of medium affect our perception of depth and movement. I use open forms to flow between chaos and calm and gestural lines to provide structure and focus. In 2025, I began developing a technique that produces a parallax-like effect which I liken to the eyes in portraiture that follow the observer. After creating 4 proof-of-concept paintings I began a new series this year which is focused on the tonal complexity and luminosity of human skin. Through abstraction of skin tones, I’m exploring racial and ethnic diversity and inclusivity in Art. In portraiture, I integrate Appreciative Inquiry as an essential part of my process. I’ve abandoned physical likenesses and base the portraits on written interviews with my subjects. The portraits are narratives of resilience, self-discovery, and personal growth. The process creates a transformative dialogue between me and my portrait sitter, illuminating not only who they are, but who they are becoming. I’ve been exploring small static and kinetic sculptures for the past year. I’m drawn to working dimensionally, the physical and emotional intimacy of intricate details, the required precision, and the tactile qualities of the materials. The fascination extends from me as a maker to the patrons interacting with the artworks. I create static and kinetic sculptures using a combination of organic and human-made materials. I use twigs, reeds, glass, copper, sausage casings, and stone, and weave copper and reclaimed piano wire. I enhance the surfaces of these pieces with intentional patinas, evoking the passage of time and the layers of history embedded in their forms. ## About Stephanie Kossmann is a contemporary American artist and permanent resident of Canada. She works in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. Her current work focuses on abstract oil painting and sculptural assemblage. Her work has been featured in The Vermont Art Guide, Remembered Arts Journal, and in interviews with WCAX-TV, Seven Days, and Times Argus. In 2022, a financial gift, administered by Burlington City Arts (Vermont), enabled her to transition to a studio career and make her home in Canada. ## Curriculum Vitae ### Education - **2017** - Graduate Certificate, Positive Organization Development, Champlain College, Burlington, ON, Canada - **1992** - BA, Geography, Studio Art, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States, *Magna Cum Laude* ### Solo Exhibitions - **2025** - *S. Kossmann, Revelations*, Annapolis Region Community Arts Council, Annapolis Royal, NS, Canada - **2025** - *S. Kossmann, Infuse*, The Ice House Gallery, The Grace Arts Centre, Tatamagouche Mountain, NS, Canada - **2024** - *S. Kossmann, Breathing Space*, Chapel Gallery, Artsplace, Annapolis Region Community Arts Council, Annapolis Royal, NS, Canada - **2022** - *S. Kossmann, Living Space: Portraits through Appreciative Inquiry*, Nuquist Gallery, Montpelier, OH, United States - **2019** - *S. Kossmann, The 3:30 Project*, Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, United Kingdom - **2017** - *S. Kossmann*, Northwestern Medical Center, St Albans, United Kingdom ### Group Exhibitions - **2026** - *Presence*, Teichert Gallery, Halifax, NS, Canada - **2026** - *Warmth*, Teichert Gallery, Halifax, NS, Canada - **2025** - *CTRL ART DEL*, Annapolis Region Community Arts Council, Annapolis Royal, NS, Canada - **2025** - *In the Groove*, Main Gallery, Artsplace, Annapolis Region Community Arts Council, Annapolis Royal, NS, Canada - **2023** - *Chromatic Expressions*, Main Gallery, Artsplace, Annapolis Region Community Arts Council, Annapolis Royal, NS, Canada - **2020** - *Giants*, Bryan Memorial Gallery, Jeffersonville, IN, United States - **2020** - *Press & Release*, MGNE, Chester Gallery of Art, New England College, Henniker, NH, United States - **2018** - *The Print Effect: Small Works / Big Impact*, Manhattan Graphics Center, New York, NY, United States - **2018** - *Inside Out*, Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, United Kingdom - **2018** - *The Sky's the Limit*, Bryan Memorial Gallery, Jeffersonville, IN, United States - **2018** - *MGNE Fifth National Monotype/Monoprint Juried Show*, Art Complex Museum, Duxbury, MA, United States - **2018** - *Sexual Violence Awareness Month*, The Hive, Burlington, ON, Canada - **2018** - *Vermont Art Guide Artists to Watch*, Vermont Arts Council, Montpelier, OH, United States - **2018** - *Courthouse Gallery Invitational*, Bryan Memorial Gallery, Jeffersonville, IN, United States - **2017** - *Fantastical Landscapes*, Bryan Memorial Gallery, Jeffersonville, IN, United States - **2017** - *Off the Wall*, Frog Hollow, Burlington, ON, Canada - **2017** - Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival, Winooski, VT, United States - **2017** - *Defining Ourselves through Nature*, The Fourth Corner Foundation, Windham, ME, United States - **2017** - *The Color of Light*, Edgewater Gallery, Middlebury, CT, United States - **2017** - *Salon de Refusés*, Kimball Jenkins, Concord, NC, United States - **2017** - *A World Free of Violence*, Art's Alive, Burlington, ON, Canada ### Awards, Grants & Fellowships - **2022** - Substantial financial gift administered through Burlington City Arts, Burlington City Arts, Burlington, ON, Canada - **2018** - Bryan Memorial Gallery Award, Bryan Memorial Gallery, Jeffersonville, IN, United States - **2015** - Vermont Arts Council Business Start Up, Vermont Arts Council, Montpelier, OH, United States ### Residencies - **2020** - Vermont Studio Center, Johnson City, TN, United States ### Bibliography - **2025** - *The Vibrant and Rich*, Advocate on the North Shore - **2022** - *Visual Art Review: Stephanie Kossmann: Healing portraits from the inside*, Times Argus - **2018** - *Artists to Watch*, Vermont Art Guide #7 - **2018** - *Program Cover Art*, Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival - **2018** - *Sexual Violence Survivors Exhibit Artwork of Healing*, Seven Days - **2017** - *Frailty*, The Remembered Arts Journal - **2017** - *Taking Steps to End Domestic Violence with Art*, WCAX TV ### Gallery Affiliations - **2025–Present** - Teichert Gallery, Halifax, NS, Canada, Current - The Old Forge, Annapolis Royal, NS, Canada, Current ## Links - **Website:** https://www.stephaniekossmann.art/ - **instagram:** https://instagram.com/stephaniekossmann.art