Staff Reports | Happenings & Events
With a career spanning seven decades, Nancy Kravetz will open her newest exhibition, “Nancy Kravetz: Color Forms the Day,” on April 3 at the ArtReach Space gallery inside Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.
The exhibition reflects Kravetz’s long‑standing exploration of the relationship between form and color, according to a press release.
Ms. Kravetz’s early training focused on representational painting, beginning with landscapes and seascapes inspired by her New England upbringing. She developed her technical foundation through formal study at the Sargent School of Painting, the Prize Program at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and Simmons College.
Her artistic direction shifted toward abstraction in 1969 after meeting and working with the late Arizona‑based artist Dorothy Fratt. The experience prompted a sustained focus on nonrepresentational form, resulting in a substantial body of paintings and collages.
“Experience and nature are my inspiration,” Ms. Kravetz said. “Color is the messenger, and abstract expression is the language for the artwork in this exhibition.”
While form and color remain central to her work, Ms. Kravetz’s approach is informed by personal experience.
Collages in the exhibition draw from moments such as the movement of the tide along a shell‑covered beach, the discovery of distinctive handmade papers, and the quiet of a full moon or star‑filled night. These observations continue to shape her work in her Phoenix studio.
“It’s an honor to present this collection of Nancy’s collages, many of which are being shown for the first time,” Natalie Marsh, director of learning and innovation at Scottsdale Arts, said. “Together, they reveal a worldview informed by her experiences, travels and love of the natural environment. Her passion for art resonates through the expressive color and dynamic forms on view in this exhibition.”
