Rusty Simmons is an interdisciplinary artist who lives and works in Morehead City, North Carolina. His practice integrates fibers and performative photographic practices to create images and installations exploring the social exchanges embedded in image-making — the connections between photographer, participant, and object. Working with staged scenes, handmade textiles, and invited participants, Simmons treats the photograph as the residue of a shared event rather than a record. He is currently an MFA candidate in the Low-Residency program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Education
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, Master of Fine Arts Student, Studio Art - (Expected graduation July 2028)
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ Bachelor of Fine Arts, Digital Photography,2026, summa cum laude
Hampden-Sydney College, Bachelor of Arts, Economics and Commerce, 2006