Nancy Schwartz-Katz has been specializing in Judaic art for over 30 years. Her love of drawing and storytelling started when she was a young girl, encouraged by her grandfather, an artist who had to leave art school in 1931 because of the Great Depression. She is a graduate of Parsons School of Design, where she majored in Illustration.
Schwartz-Katz began specializing in Judaic art after receiving three separate phone calls in one week from people who had seen the ketubot (Jewish marriage contracts) that she had created for her cousins, friends and sisters. From there, her Judaica career took off as she began receiving commissions locally in Cleveland, Ohio, then nationally and internationally from as far away as Scotland and Israel. Creating Judaic art is the perfect way for her to intertwine her artistic talent, her love of learning and reading, and her Jewish heritage.
A storyteller at heart, Schwartz-Katz creates papercuts and paintings that share the stories of individuals, organizations, history, and ultimately, humanity. She finds it extremely rewarding to be able to intricately weave history, ancient Jewish texts, and people’s stories into works of art. Honors include being selected as the People’s Choice artist while exhibiting at the Artist Archives of the Western Reserve, Cleveland, Ohio; juried into the Parsons Alumni Exhibit, New York City; and being twice accepted into the New Now, a juried biennial exhibit showcasing artists in a tri-county area who bring a fresh approach to art.
Schwartz-Katz maintains a studio in Shaker Heights, Ohio and lives in the greater Cleveland area with her family. To keep her art and ideas fresh, Nancy has started a drawing a day in her sketch books. You can follow these on her Instagram page, @nschwartzkatz.
Read Nancy’s Artist’s Statement.
EXHIBITS:
2022, The Meaning Within the Letters / A Framework for Connection (Solo Exhibition), The Temple Museum of Jewish Art, Religion, and Culture at The Temple-Tifereth Israel, Beachwood, OH
2022, Slowhand (Group Exhibition curated by Liz Maugans), Worthington Yards, Cleveland, OH
2020, Solo exhibit, Thomases Endowment Gallery, Youngstown, OH
2019, Meaning Within the Letters: Aleph-Kapf (Solo Exhibition), Hartzmark Room, The Temple-Tifereth Israel, Beachwood, OH
2018, Borders and Boundaries (Solo exhibition), Shaker Community Gallery, Shaker Heights, OH
2018, BAYarts Annual Juried Exhibition, Bay Village, OH
2017, Constant as the Sun / The Artist’s Trust: A Portrait of the Artist in Cuyahoga County, MOCA Cleveland
2017, Public Conscience through Graphics and Illustration, Heights Arts, Cleveland Heights OH
2016, Parsons School of Design Alumni Exhibition, New York, NY
2014, 2016, The New Now:The Best of the Western Reserve, Tri-C Gallery, Highland Heights, OH
2014, Interpretive Narratives, one woman exhibit, Mandel JCC Gallery, Beachwood, OH
2013, 2015, Cleveland Jewish Arts and Culture Lab Invitaitional, Beachwood, OH
2013, Zygote Press 100 Artists, Cleveland, OH
2011, 2013, 2014 Art of Thanksgiving Invitational, Orange, OH
2004, Religious Art juried exhibit, Hallinan Gallery, Ursuline College, Pepper Pike, OH
1998-2004, Associated American Jewish Museums Invitational, group exhibit, largest show of modern ketubot to be circulated nationally
2002, 2004, United Way of Greater Cleveland’s “Guitarmania” and II Encore
2000, Akron Jewish Community Center, Akron, Ohio 2 person exhibit, Invitational
1999, 2000, The Rosen Show, Buyers’ Market of American Craft, Philadelphia, PA
1998, 1999, 2000, Boulder Arts and Crafts Cooperative Invitational, group exhibit, Boulder, CO
1998, Labor of Love invitational one woman exhibit; 35 works of art Mandel Jewish Community Center Gallery, Beachwood, OH
1995, Judaica by Nancy Schwartz-Katz, one woman exhibit; 20 works of art, College of Jewish Studies, Cleveland, OH
1993 – 2001, Agnon Art Show, group show, Pepper Pike, OH
CORPORATE CLIENTS/COMMISSIONS:
Donna and Bennett Yanowitz Foundation
Mandel Jewish Day School, Pepper Pike, OH
Cedar Sinai Synagogue, Lyndhurst, OH
KeyCorp, in conjunction with Israel Bonds; 200 lithographs; International clientele
Cleveland Hillel Foundation, Illustrations for certificates
Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland, OH
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- Paper cut; service/donor gifts: Tikkun Olam
- Paper cut; 500 donor gifts; L’dor v’Dor project; embossed pages; two books
- Covers; recognition promotion; 2000 – present
Jewish Community Federation of Philadelphia, PA, “Shalom” gift; 75 paper cuts
Jewish Community Federation of Pittsburgh, PA
Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland, OH, in conjunction with United Way, The Rock Hall, and Make a Wish Foundation
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- Guitar Mania project 2002, 2004
Congregation Tifereth Israel, Paper cut; gift to approx. 75 individuals Cleveland, OH
CAJE 25, Gift to organizing committee of the National Conference of Jewish Educators
The Gathering Place, Cleveland, OH, Logo design
ARMDI Cleveland division, logo and certificate creation
Milestones, Cleveland, OH, Paper cut; Honoree, Recognition Award; 2004
American Heart Association/Cleveland, fundraising invitational; painting 2006, paper cut 2008
American Red Magen David for Israel (ARMDI), David Marc Berger Chapter; Logo and certificate design
PLAN, Cleveland, OH, Gift for 5 major benefactors of organization, 2010
HeArt, Cleveland, OH, Murals for Hebrew Shelter Home 2010
Jewish Family Service Association, Paper cut; Honoree, Recognition Award 2011, 2013
National Council of Jewish Women and Live Special, Paper cut; Honoree, Recognition Award, 2013
National Council of Jewish Women, corporate gifts, 2013-2016
PERMANENT COLLECTIONS:
Make Trouble, paper cut, Office of Senator Sherrod Brown, Washington, DC
Noah’s Ark, 8’x3′ paper cut and painting; gouache on paper, Fairmount Temple Children’s Library, Beachwood, OH
Commemorative Plaque, 6’x8′ four layer paper cut, Temple Tifereth Israel, Beachwood, OH
Commemorative Plaque, 5’x5′ paper cut for music room, Temple Israel, Akron, OH
Bible stories – Creation, Moses, Joseph, Esther; Four 2’x6′ paintings; gouache on paper, B’nai Jeshuran Denis Library, Pepper Pike, OH
Design of lettering for side art of main sanctuary, B’nai Jeshurun, Pepper Pike, OH
Over 300 private commissions including Ketubot and Tanach themes and quotes
Approximately 560 laser cuts of paper cuts, limited edition lithographs sold to individuals in US and Canada