Riley Sims is a Painter based in Kent, Ohio
Riley Sims is a visual artist based in Kent, Ohio, whose work explores the tension between the digital and physical worlds. Blending intuitive soak stains, gestural marks, and digitally planned elements, she investigates the balance between spontaneity and control. Influenced by her experience living with Lyme disease, Riley incorporates digital tools into her practice on days when she cannot physically paint, integrating the aesthetics of the digital world into her compositions.
Her work examines how we navigate both curated online spaces and real world unpredictability, using bold color, layered textures, and contrasts between organic and artificial forms. She has exhibited throughout the Midwest and has been recognized through various publications and awards. Riley is currently pursuing her MFA at Kent State University, where she continues to develop her research and practice.
Exhibitions
2025 Group Exhibition, College Invitational, Indy Arts Center, Indianapolis, IN
2023 Thesis Exhibition, A Single Tick, The Ned and Gloria Griner Gallery, Ball State University
2023 Group Exhibition, Annual Juried Student Art Show, The Ned and Gloria Griner Gallery, Ball State University
2023 Group Exhibition, Salon Des Refusés, Great Wall, Art and Journalism Building, Ball State University
2022 Virtual Exhibition, Lyme Disease Art Gallery, Project Lyme
2022 Group Exhibition, The Art of Emerging Artists, Hamilton County Community Foundation, Fishers Arts Council, Fishers, IN
2022 Group Exhibition, 60” on Center, Great Wall, Art and Journalism Building, Ball State University
2022 Group Exhibition, Salon Des Refusés, Great Wall, Art and Journalism Building, Ball State University
2022 Group Exhibition, Incoming Freshman, The Ned and Gloria Griner Gallery, Ball State University
Publications
2024 Nr. 21, Suboart Magazine
2024 101 Contemporary Artists and More, Collect Art (5th Edition),
2024 Riley Sims: Colors of Resilience, Public Health Landscape (October Issue)
2023 Fishers artist expresses struggle with Lyme disease in senior exhibition at Ball State, Hamilton County Reporter, Access Date: May 4, 2023
2023 Her paintings focus on her personal experience with Lyme disease, LymeDisease.org, Access Date: May 15, 2023
2022 The Artist Sense, Ball Bearings (Fall Issue)
2022 Lyme Disease Art Gallery, Project Lyme, Access Date: September 7, 2022
2022 Emerging artists on display in Fishers, Hamilton County Reporter, Access Date: November 26, 2022