Raised in a small city in North Carolina, Lee Nisbet discovered her passion for art at an early age, guided by a vivid imagination and a deep curiosity about the world around her. While in high school, she received a National Gold Key Award—an achievement that affirmed her dedication and inspired her to pursue formal training in the arts. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of Art at East Carolina University School of Art and Design.

After graduating, Lee relocated to North Carolina’s Triangle region, which she now proudly calls home. Alongside her personal studio practice, she is deeply engaged in supporting and strengthening the arts community through her work with organizations including Artspace, the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, and the North Carolina Museum of Art.

During the COVID-19 shutdown, experimental photography emerged as a central focus in her practice, offering both a creative refuge and a means of reflection during a time of global uncertainty. Her work has since been featured in numerous exhibitions and publications. She is currently represented by Peel Gallery in Carrboro, North Carolina. 

Solo Exhibitions

2026

#merging #nightdrives, B Side, Raleigh, NC

2025

#merging #nightdrives, Durham Art Guild: Art@Work, NC Medical Board, Raleigh, NC

#merging #nightdrives, Rebus Works, Raleigh, NC

Group Exhibitions

2025

A*Peeling, Peel Gallery, Carrboro, NC

Street Frame, Visual Art Exchange, Raleigh, NC

Changing & Unchanging, Soul Sanctuary, Durham, NC

Member Showcase, Durham Art Guild, Durham, NC

DRIVE-IN: An exhibition of and about cars, Peel Gallery, Carrboro, NC

Internal Review: NCMA Staff Exhibition, North Carolina Museum of Art, Winston-Salem

2024

Begin Transmission, Satellite Space, Raleigh, NC

CarouselSlideshow, Peel Gallery, Carrboro, NC

Overgrowth: North Carolina Photography, The Northside District, Chapel Hill, NC

2022

Squeeze, Peel Gallery, Carrboro, NC

MAKE//TAKE, Peel Gallery, Carrboro, NC and Block Gallery, Raleigh, NC

2021

ECU School of Art and Design Alumni Exhibition, Greenville, NC

2019

Motion Stills, works by Emily Berns and Lee Nisbet, Morning Times, Raleigh, NC

Press

Midtown Magazine, featured artist, September-October 2024, Raleigh, NC

Publications

North Carolina Literary Review, Online Winter 2023, East Carolina University

Education

BFA Painting, School of Art and Design, East Carolina University