Musings: Drawings from the "Great Pause"

To keep her art fresh during the COVID-19 pandemic, Nancy Schwartz-Katz began a drawing a day in her sketchbooks. Musings: Drawings from the “Great Pause” features the artist’s everyday reflections through observational sketches with the public as artistic muse and inspiration. From six-foot distancing in a coffee shop to an open cookbook on a counter, these scenes transform the mundane into a symphony of reflections, vividly depicting the pandemic’s “great pause.”

With over 30 years of experience as a Judaic artist, Nancy Schwartz-Katz’s artistic journey was sparked by her grandfather, an artist himself, who inspired her passion for drawing and storytelling from a young age. A graduate of Parsons School of Design with a major in Illustration, Schwartz-Katz’s talent and hard work have been recognized with numerous honors, including a 2023 Ohio Heritage Arts Fellowship Award from Ohio Arts Council for her dedication and mastery in creating Judaic Art in Northeast Ohio and beyond. Working and residing in Shaker Heights, Schwartz-Katz’ dedication to her craft remains unwavering, even during the pandemic, as she engages in the Drawing A Day project, reflecting her ongoing growth, passion for storytelling, and exceptional artistic skill.

Musings: Drawings from the “Great Pause” will be on view from October 7, 2023 to February 4, 2024. Musings is made possible in part by state tax dollars allocated by the Ohio Legislature to the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically.