Jill Downen
Jill Downen (born 1967) is an American sculptor and installation artist. She is an associate professor of sculpture at the Kansas City Art Institute and received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2010.
Downen was born in Belleville, Illinois, the daughter of a sign painter. She earned a BFA in painting from the Kansas City Art Institute in 1989 and an MFA in sculpture from Washington University in St. Louis’ Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts in 2001.
Her work is often made in white plaster and explores the relationship between bodies and architecture.
Notable exhibitions include Hard Hat Optional (2009) at Bruno David Gallery in St. Louis; (dis)Mantle (2010) at the Luminary Center for the Arts in St. Louis; and Three Dimensional Sketchbook (2013) at Plug Projects in Kansas City.
This page was last edited on 1 February 2026, at 13:48 (CET).