Nancy Gruskin - Juror
Nancy Gruskin (b. 1968, U.S.A.) lives and works in Concord, Massachusetts. She received a B.A. in Art History and Studio Art from Connecticut College and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Art History from Boston University. Gruskin has exhibited throughout New England and New York as well as California and Washington State and is currently represented by the Nancy Margolis Gallery. She teaches painting, collage, and sculpture at a number of institutions, including the Concord Center for the Visual Arts and Black Pond Studio. Gruskin’s current work is based on direct observation, invention, and memory. Her paintings, collages, prints, and objects are informed by her interest in collecting and museum installations and displays. More of her work can be viewed at her website, www.nancygruskin.com, and on Instagram (@nancygruskin). Early on I began shooting my own photos for the projects we designed and over time Weymouth Design became one of the leading annual report design firms in the country. Photography played a critical role in our success, and when I retired I published my first book, How Photography Can Make You a Better Painter, with the goal of helping painters use their digital cameras to create better painting resource photos.
I followed the first book with Maine (Island Time), a book of paintings, photos and poetry by Belfast, Maine poet Elizabeth Garber. In the 90s, I built a wilderness camp in the Maine woods, where I shot many photos documenting my experience there, along with poetry that further expressed my connection to the natural world. This body of work was published in my third book, The Gentle Whisper of Living Things. I am now fully retired and pursuing my long-awaited career as a painter.