Steve Snell is drawn to adventure—or at least the image of one. He recently paddled and painted the entire 2,341-mile length of the Missouri River by canoe in search of art and once floated part of the Connecticut River in a couch boat in search of adventure. His paintings, sculptures, and videos engage themes of American history, mythology, ecology, and the North American landscape, often blending observation with imagination.
Steve earned an M.F.A. in Studio Art from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, as well as a B.F.A. in Painting and a B.S. in Art Education from Miami University. He joined the UNC Asheville faculty in 2026 after teaching Foundation courses for eleven years at the Kansas City Art Institute, where he served as Associate Professor of Art and the Sosland Family Chair of Foundation Studies. Before joining KCAI, he was an Assistant Professor of Painting at Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska.
At UNC Asheville, Steve teaches introductory foundation courses, helping students build technical confidence, think critically, and develop meaningful studio practices rooted in curiosity and exploration. His creative practice continues to be shaped by field research, extended expeditions, and a fascination with the ways history, landscape, myth, and lived experience inform one another.
Magenta Bear #10, 2025, 95 x 48 inches, Acrylic ink on Paper
Blue Bull, 2025, 60 x 64 inches, Acrylic ink on Paper
Golden Fawn with Bloodroot, 2025, 36 x 48 inches, Acrylic ink on Paper
False Summit, 2015/2025, 40 x 60 inches, Acrylic ink on Paper
Video Compilation: Adventure Art on the Mighty MO’: Episodes 1-16, 2023-2025, Digital Video
