School of Art Holds 2025 Kimberly D. Iles Art Awards
The UT School of Art held its annual Kimberly D. Iles Scholarship Awards Ceremony on September 18th, honoring nine students from the School of Art and two from the College of Architecture and Design.
Kimberly D. Iles, an artist and graphic designer who earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the UT School of Art in 1990, established the scholarship fund with her husband, James Hack, in 2015. Since then, the endowment has supported dozens of hard-working and talented undergraduate students across different areas of study.
About Kimberly Iles
Kimberly D. Iles was known for her vivacity, generosity of spirit, and passion for the arts. She graduated with honors from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 1990, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. As a graphic designer, she poured her talent and energy into her work for clients ranging from Oak Ridge National Laboratories to the White House tech corps, and started her own very successful design firm, Ilesnet Design. She designed a web-based textbook – the first of its kind – for the Computational Science Education Project, a K-12 program introducing the principles of high-performance computing. She later transitioned into a full-time career in fine art, exhibiting her paintings and photographs internationally.
About the 2025 Awardees
The nine awardees from the School of Art, selected by faculty nomination, represent the different concentration areas offered by the School. Two graphic design students from the College of Architecture and Design were also selected by faculty to receive awards.
Scroll down to read about this year’s awardees and see images of their artwork.
Gwen Aguilar | Photography
2025
Gwen is this year’s Kimberly D. Iles Art Awardee for Photography. She’s a senior from Long Beach, CA who is majoring in studio art (BFA) with a 2D concentration. Her favorite thing about the SOA? The collaborative community.
“My favorite thing about the School of Art is the community and sense of collaboration! Whether in the studio, classroom, or during critiques there is always an exchange of ideas that challenge and inspire me to grow and expand my skill set. The faculty are genuinely invested in helping students develop their own voices, which makes the program feel both rigorous and supportive!”
Nathan Ball | Sculpture
Nathan is this year’s Kimberly D. Iles Art Awardee for Sculpture. He’s a senior from Knoxville who is majoring in studio art (BFA) with a 3D concentration. His favorite thing about the SOA? The range of materials and resources.
“My favorite thing about the School of Art is the wide array of materials and resources available for us to learn while we are here. I have been able to learn painting, drawing, woodworking, metal working, stone working, textile arts, etc. in my five years at UT.”
Juliet Barton | Art History
Juliet, a junior from Kingsport, TN who is majoring in Art History, is this year’s Kimberly D. Iles Art Awardee for Art History. Her favorite thing about the SOA? The variety.
“My favorite thing about the UT School of Art is probably the variety of classes that are offered. There are some really niche classes that can teach you a lot about fields or art forms you’ve never even thought about. I also really like the variety of studio art classes as someone who enjoys art from both an academic and artistic standpoint.”
Desirea Burke | Cinema Studies
Desirea is this year’s Kimberly D. Iles Art Awardee for Cinema Studies. She’s a senior majoring in Cinema Studies and Marketing. Her favorite thing about the SOA? The faculty.
“I love the professors! Every professor I have had within the School of Art has been incredibly supportive.”
Catherine Ferguson | Printmaking
Catherine is this year’s Kimberly D. Iles Art Awardee for Printmaking. She’s a senior from Memphis, TN who is majoring in studio art (BFA) with a 2D concentration. Her favorite thing about the SOA? The openness to exploration.
“My favorite thing about the School of Art is all the available classes to choose from and the ability to explore and experiment with different media!”
Avery Flatford | Ceramics
Avery is this year’s Kimberly D. Iles Art Awardee for Ceramics. She’s a senior from Knoxville who is majoring in studio art (BFA) with a 3D concentration. Her favorite thing about the SOA? The professors.
“My professors are always so supportive and wild with their own ideas. They’re always ready to answer questions.”
Delaney Kohlstedt | Graphic Design
Delaney, a senior from Knoxville who is majoring in Graphic Design, is one of this year’s Kimberly D. Iles Art Awardees for Graphic Design. Her favorite thing about the College of Architecture and Design ? The supportive atmosphere.
“My favorite part of the UTK School of Design is the supportive, growth-driven atmosphere. Open communication with both peers and professors inspires us to challenge ourselves and push past our comfort zones.”
Joe Mitchell | Time-Based Art
Joe, a junior from Cleveland, TN who is majoring in studio art (BFA) with a Time-Based Art concentration and an Art Education minor, is this year’s Kimberly D. Iles Art Awardee for Time Based Art. Her favorite thing about the SOA? The printmaking program.
“My favorite thing about the School of Art is the printmaking program. I took a screen printing class in the spring semester and fell in love with it. They provided us the materials to learn how to screen print and I wouldn’t have learned about the medium without their resources. I was able to make my own projects outside of class time.”
Angelica Ruhbusch | Drawing
Angelica is this year’s Kimberly D. Iles Art Awardee for Drawing. She’s a senior from Motta Di Livenza, Treviso, Italy who is majoring in studio art with a 2D concentration. Her favorite thing about the SOA? The openness to experimentation.
“I don’t feel restricted when it comes to pursuing a subject or a theme with my art; a lot of experimentation takes place. I can explore art freely as long as I can articulate what I’m trying to accomplish. I also love how I am able to speak to the professors. They do keep a level of professionalism as needed but if you take the time to talk to them and show you are motivated, they start to warm up to you and will help you if you have concerns and questions.”
Macy Steingrube | Graphic Design
Macy, a junior from Tyler, TX who is majoring in Graphic Design with minors in industrial design and advertising/public relations, is one of this year’s Kimberly D. Iles Art Awardees for Graphic Design. Her favorite thing about @utkcoad? The collaborative environment.
“My favorite thing about COAD is the collaborative environment among peers that encourages, inspires, and pushes our designs both creatively, critically and professionally.”
Grace Russell | Painting
Grace, a senior from Clarksville, TN, is this year’s Kimberly D. Iles Art Awardee for Painting. She’s a senior majoring in studio art (BFA with a 2D concentration) and Art History. Her favorite thing about the SOA? The community.
“One of my favorite aspects of the School of Art is how tight-knit the community here is. Having friends in all of my classes, collaborating on creative projects, and going to each other’s shows makes it easy to forget that I’m actually on a campus of over 30,000 students.”