Sophie Lane Oliver
Associate Director of Admissions & Financial Aid
sloliver@chicagoartsacademy.org
312.421.0202 ex. 1202
Sophie Lane Oliver [they/she] AKA Blue — is a queer interdisciplinary artist, educator, and lifelong learner who joined The Chicago Academy for the Arts in January 2026. They bring over three years of admissions experience, most recently from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), where they guided thousands of young artists through the college admissions process and witnessed firsthand the transformative power of arts education.
Sophie holds a BFA in Painting from the Gwen Frostic School of Art at Western Michigan University, where they graduated Cum Laude and received the Director's Choice Award and Art Star Award for Painting. They've also taken classes at SAIC in some capacity for over a decade in the painting, fibers and fashion areas of study. Sophie’s studio practice typically involves: large-scale, organic mixed-media paintings, collage, fibers, photography, and video installations — usually abstracted and conceptually exploring themes of: nascency, texture, preservation, queerness, kinship, and the places + people we call home. Their work has been shown around the states and Canada, published in Condé Nast's World of Interiors, and they have a painting on permanent display at The Michigan House of Representatives. They also previously worked at Anne Neilson Fine Art, gallery in Charlotte NC that represents 80+ artists recognized locally and globally. Sophie was awarded the Roger Brown Residency through SAIC, and most recently curated an exhibition: Their Thresholds at the Chicago Therapy Collective for Andersonville Arts Weekend 2025.
Initially, Sophie was drawn to admissions through their experience teaching workshops during artist residencies in Appalachia — and later, through becoming a parent. Watching young creatives with beautiful, untamed potential who simply needed technical support (and sometimes spiritual support too) reminds them of a quote they return to every year from The Art Spirit by Robert Henri: "The work of the art student is no light matter. Few have the courage or stamina to see it through." While stamina is certainly required, Sophie sees their role as a supportive force in any creative's drive to pursue the arts — in all its forms, at any age, and however it may evolve over a lifetime. As both an artist and a parent, they understand that admissions is really about access: connecting students to the resources and education that can shape their lives. Sophie is passionate about helping young artists build a lifelong, sustainable creative practice — and find their FIT in school, in community, and in life.
Even though Sophie is a Chicagoan, and self proclaimed “local to Lake Michigan” they haven’t always remained in the Midwest. They were raised in both Austin TX and Oak Park IL and between residencies, gallery work, creative contracts, and even renovating a tiny home during the pandemic, Sophie has road tripped over 37,000 miles solo! But after years of being on the move, Sophie is happily rooted in Forest Park IL with their spouse, a nearly double-digit kiddo, two cats (Noda and Juniper), and a small-ish dog named Jack Jack. When not in the office — you can find Sophie brewing coffee, biking with family, collecting VHS tapes, vinyl, and DVDs, volunteering with queer organizations, curating community art shows and events, watering their never-too-many plants, or digging for vintage treasures at a thrift store.
