b. Greenville, SC
education
2021 Master of Fine Arts, Photography, Clemson University, Clemson, SC
2017 Bachelor of Arts, Anderson University, Anderson, SC
SOLO exhibitions & installations
2025 (upcoming) Muscle Memory, Solo Exhibition, ARC Gallery, Chicago, IL
2023 Convergence, Solo Exhibition, Slocumb Galleries, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN (curated by: Brooke Day)
2022 Fragments of the Self, Solo Exhibition, Āto Social Club at MODAL Hostel, Greenville, SC
Fragments of the Self, Online Solo Exhibition, The In Art Gallery
Fragments of the Self, Solo Exhibition, Crutchfield Gallery, Spartanburg, SC
2019 Wake Up, Solo Video Installation at the Watt Family Innovation Center, Clemson, SC
two & three person EXHIBITIONS
2025 Pink Noise, (with Maggie Genoble), Thornback Gallery, Greenville, SC
Performative Practices, (with Kate Burke), Greenville Center for Creative Arts, Greenville, SC
2024 Pink Noise, (with Maggie Genoble), Harley Gallery, USC Upstate, Spartanburg, SC
2021 DIRT: Deepening Intentional Rest Tactics, (with Molly Morningglory and Olaf Tollefsen), Lee Gallery, Clemson University, Clemson, SC
group Exhibitions [selected]
2025 Artists of the Upstate Juried Exhibition, Artisphere Festival, Greenville, SC (juror: Enid Williams)
Interstitial Agency, with Zero Space Collective, ATHICA, Athens, GA (curator: Lauren Bradshaw)
13th Annual Collegiate Invitational, Spartanburg Country Library, Spartanburg, SC (juror: Kelly King) (Faculty Award)
Structure Nexus, with Zero Space Collective, Goodall Gallery, Columbia College, Columbia, SC (curator: Ashley Rabanal)
Curated Alumni Invitational, Sheffield Wood Gallery, Fine Arts Center, Greenville, SC
Subtle Force, with Zero Space Collective, Union Grove Gallery, University of Alabama Huntsville, Huntsville, AL (curator: Heather Baumbach)
2024 GUI/GOOEY, Plexus Projects, Brooklyn, NY, Online & Physical Exhibition (curator: Laura Splan)
PLY, with Zero Space Collective, Lowe Mill Gallery, Huntsville, AL (curator: Heather Baumbach)
Art of the South 2024, Stove Works, Chattanooga, TN (juried by Lauren Nye)
SYNAPTIC, Good Art Co., Greenville, SC (curator: Nicole Shannon)
Artists of the Upstate Juried Exhibition, Artisphere Festival, Greenville, SC (juror: David Gerhard)
Positive/Negative 39 National Juried Art Exhibition, Slocumb Galleries, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN (juror: Michelle Fisher)
Made/Making, with Zero Space Collective, Kansas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC), Kansas City, Kansas (curator: Brooke Day)
The New South 5, Kai Lin Art, Atlanta, GA (jurors: William Downs and Wesley Terpstra)
2023 Voices 2023, Czong Institute for Contemporary Art (CICA), Gimpo, South Korea
Visceral Bonds, with Zero Space Collective, Vandiver Gallery, Anderson University, Anderson, SC (curator: Ashley Rabanal)
Artifacts of Experience, with Tiger Strikes Asteroid, TSA Gallery, Greenville, SC
HERE ON OUT, with Rattlesnake Magazine, The Artistry, Greenville, SC
Transient Bodies, with Zero Space Collective, Revolve Gallery, Asheville, NC
super:cell, with Rattlesnake Magazine, Radio Room, Greenville, SC
2022 Progress. On Contemporary and Future Society, LoosenArt, Millepiani, Rome, IT
YARDWORK 2022, Tiger Strikes Asteroid GVL, Greenville, SC (curators: Kevin Kao and matthew anthony batty)
South Carolina Festival of Flowers Juried Art Show 2022, Arts Center of Greenwood, Greenwood, SC (juror: April Dauscha) (Merit Award)
America Unraveling, Zero Space Collective, Tipton Street Gallery, Johnson City, TN (curator: Brooke Day)
ArtFields 2022, Lake City, SC
2021 Homecoming 2021, MFA Photography Reviews, JKC Gallery, Trenton, NJ
RE-FORM, Stay Home Gallery, Paris, TN (curator: Rebecca Drolen)
On Media. Signals and Connections, LoosenArt, Millepiani, Rome, IT
Pieces of Light, Click! Photography Festival, Durham Arts Council, Durham, NC
Conversations in Southern Photos Pop Up, Slow Exposures Photography Festival, Zebulon, GA (invited by: Ben Hillyer, Vicki Hunt, Karen Bullock)
8th Annual Juried Exhibition, Spartanburg County Public Library, Spartanburg, SC (juror: Zane Logan) (Third Place Award)
The New Now: 2021, SPE NW, Forsberg Art Gallery, Lower Columbia College, Longview, WA (juror: Zemie Barr)
Boundaries, Belonging, & Becoming, Life at Six Feet, RAMP Gallery at Revolve Studios, Asheville, NC
Artists of the Upstate Juried Exhibition, Artisphere Festival, Greenville, SC (juror: William Downs)
2020 Six Feet Photography Project, Click! Photo Festival, Online Exhibition
Creative Quarantine, ArtDoc Photography Magazine, Online Exhibition
COVID-19 Pictures Collection, Online Collection (juror: Jennifer Timmer Trail)
100 Miles, The Bunzl Gallery, The Bascom, Highlands, NC
Community Supported Art Share Program: Clemson University, Clemson, SC (juror: Elizabeth Goddard)
CURATORIAL | jury | review experience
2024 Panelist, 2024-25 Emerging Artist Grant, South Carolina Arts Commission, Columbia, SC (Invited Juror)
2023 Brandon Fellowship Mentor, Greenville Center for Creative Arts, Greenville, SC (Mentor Committee)
Portfolio Reviewer, Student Portfolio Reviews, Fine Arts Center, Greenville, SC (Invited Guest Reviewer)
Artifacts of Experience, with TSA Greenville, TSA Gallery, Greenville SC (Co-Curator)
Transient Bodies, with Zero Space Collective, Revolve Gallery, Asheville, NC (Curator)
awards | fellowships | grants [selected]
2025 MAC Quarterly Grant, Metropolitan Arts Council
Faculty Award, 13th Annual Collegiate Invitational, Spartanburg Country Library
2024 Emerging Artist Alumni Grant, South Carolina Arts Commission
2023 Emerging Artist Grant, South Carolina Arts Commission
2022 Merit Award, South Carolina Festival of Flowers Juried Art Show 2022, Arts Center of Greenwood
John Acorn Award in Graduate Fine Arts Studio, Clemson University
Cecelia Voelker Award in Graduate Art History, Clemson University
2021 3rd Place, 8th Annual Juried Exhibition, Spartanburg County Public Library
Graduate Travel Grant, Clemson University
Arrowmont Windgate Fellowship & Clemson University Fellows Scholarship
Summer Research Fellowship, Clemson University
Publications [selected]
2023 "Rattlesnake,” Volume 6
2022 “Carolina Muse,” Volume II, Number IV, October 22 Issue, Page 29
“14th Anniversary Issue,” Issue 157, Fraction Magazine, Online Publication
2021 “APERO,” Fine Arts Catalogue: Open Theme, July 2021 Final Issue
“Hazey,” Fifth Wheel Press, Inaugural Annual Issue, Page 12 (juror: Nat Raum)
2020 “Volume 2: Connection”, Soft Lightning, Volume 2, Page 69 (juror: Rashod Taylor)
“A New Normal”, Darkside Collective (jurors: Nat Raum, Larissa Ramey, Nik Noel)
BOOKS & COLLECTIONS
2021 “HOME,” Self-Published Photography Book
Pickens County Library System
Gunnin Architecture Library, Clemson University
press | interviews [selected]
2023 Spitler, Hayley. “Emerging Artist Grantees,” Fox Carolina, Interview
2022 “Jessica Swank,” Float Magazine, 2022
2021 Chen, Nemo. “Woman Crush Wednesday: Jessica Swank,” Musée Magazine, Interview
“PHOTOGRAPHY: Jessica Swank,” Porridge Magazine, 2021
“Local Artist Jessica Swank to Donate Proceeds to NAMI Greenville,” NAMI Greenville, 2021
2020 “Feature: Jessica Swank,” Fifth Wheel Press, 2020
“Jessica Swank,” Glean Magazine, 2020
LECTURES | WORKSHOPS | ENGAGEMENT
2025 The Next Normal, Presenter, FATE Conference 2025, Washington DC
2023 Artist Talk, Anderson University, Anderson, SC
Artist Talk, Fine Arts Center, Greenville, SC
Convergence, Artist Talk, Slocumb Galleries, Johnson City, TN
2022 Inhabiting Space, with Zero Space Collective, Panel Discussion, 2022 Tri State Sculptors Conference, Spartanburg, SC
America Unraveling, Artist Talk, Tipton Gallery, Johnson City, TN
2021 DIRT: Deepening Intentional Rest Tactics, Artist Talk, Lee Gallery, Clemson, SC
Southern Conversations in a Time of Pandemic, with Jo Fields, Invited Speaker, Slow Exposures Photography Festival, Zebulon, GA
Foundations of Digital Photography, 2 Day Workshop (Fall and Winter Sessions), Greenville Center for Creative Arts, Greenville, SC
academic appointments
2024 - Present Assistant Professor of Art, South Carolina School of the Arts, Anderson University, Anderson, SC
2023 - 2024 Adjunct Instructor, South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, Greenville, SC
2022 - 2024 Adjunct Professor, South Carolina School of the Arts, Anderson University, Anderson, SC
2020-2021 Graduate Teacher of Record, Clemson University, Clemson, SC
2019-2020 Graduate Teaching Assistant for Anderson Wrangle, Clemson University, Clemson, SC
professional experience
2024 - Present Gallery Coordinator, Vandiver Gallery, Anderson University, Anderson, SC
2021 - Present Freelance Exhibition Photographer, Tiger Strikes Asteroid GVL, Greenville SC
Freelance Architectural Photographer, Wanda S. Morgan Designs, Seneca, SC
2024 Visual Art Instructor, Summer Program, South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, Greenville, SC
certifications | Continuing education
2023 CEU: College Board AP Art History Online Workshop: Fall 2023
2020 Certification: CONCERT Training for Online Teaching: Summer 2020
Professional Organizations | Affiliations
2020 - Present Zero Space Collective: Founding Member
2020 - Present Society for Photographic Education (SPE): Member
2022 - 2023 Tiger Strikes Asteroid (TSA), Greenville: Member