Her paintings are in corporate and private collections throughout New England and the South, including the Masur Museum, Pfizer Corporation, and The Griffis Art Center. A native of Louisiana, she received her BFA degree from Louisiana Tech University and her MFA degree from Boston University, where she studied with John Moore. After taking part in the International Artist-in-Residence Program at The Griffis Art Center in New London, Connecticut, she decided to remain in New England. She now lives in Rhode Island and divides her time between painting and teaching. A recipient of the 2004 Painting Fellowship from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, Stephenson has been a member of the faculty of the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts since 1995. A full-time associate professor, she served as Lyme's Chair of the Foundation Program for years; she now serves as the Chair of the Painting Department.