Life & Work with Nancy Schwartz-Katz of Ohio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nancy Schwartz-Katz.

Hi nancy, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My Story
I grew up in Cleveland Heights, University Heights suburbs of Cleveland in a family where art, Jewish tradition and community were all important parts of life. Some of my earliest art experiences were classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Cleveland Institute of Art. I went on to earn my BFA in Illustration from Parsons School of Design in New York and worked for The Pushpin Group before returning to Cleveland, where I married, raised my family and built my career as an artist.
For more than 30 years, my work has explored language, symbolism, identity and connection. I work primarily in papercutting and layered gouache, combining an ancient art form with contemporary ideas. Papercutting fascinates me because the image is created as much by what is removed as by what remains. The open spaces are essential to the whole.
My Jewish heritage is an important foundation, but I do not create work meant only for a Jewish audience. My use Jewish texts, symbols and traditions are entry points into larger human questions: How do we find meaning? What connects us? What responsibilities do we have to one another? My social commentaries and work in the greater Cleveland community are examples of these universal questions.
Over the years, I have created more than 300 original ketubot, or Jewish marriage documents, as well as artwork for homes, institutions and public spaces. My work has gradually grown from intimate pieces made for individuals and families into large-scale installations and projects addressing community, belonging, remembrance and shared responsibility.
One of the most meaningful examples was the huge ribbon installation I designed in Cleveland following the October 7 attacks. What began as a local expression of hope and solidarity was replicated in communities across nine states and six countries. Watching a simple visual symbol travel far beyond its original location reinforced something I have always believed: art can communicate where ordinary language sometimes fails.
My current traveling exhibition, Meaning Within the Letters: A Framework for Connection, grew from years of studying the Hebrew alphabet through the Talmud, mystical writings, historical sources and commentaries from a wide range of perspectives. The exhibition includes 22 papercuts, one for each Hebrew letter. Rather than defining what each letter means, I use the letters as a framework for exploring creation, growth, intention, responsibility and our relationships with ourselves, one another and the world around us.
The exhibition has traveled throughout the country and continues to open unexpected conversations among people of different ages, backgrounds and beliefs. That response has been one of the most rewarding parts of the project. At its heart, my story is one of connection. Connection between heritage and contemporary life. I want my work to invite people to pause, look more closely and recognize that we are each part of something larger.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My career has not followed a perfectly straight line, but then again, who’s does? It has developed alongside raising children, completing commissions, volunteering in my community and continually teaching myself new materials and methods. There have been plenty of detours, doubts and projects that took far longer than expected, but I have learned that an artistic life is built through persistence. I have always had to advocate for my art as is based in Jewish texts and traditions, and because papercutting is sometimes viewed as craft rather than contemporary fine art, I have had to create my own opportunities and encourage audiences and institutions to look beyond those categories and engage with the ideas within it.
Recognition has not happened all at once. It has come gradually through commissions, exhibitions, public installations and years of continuing to work, even when I was uncertain where a particular project might lead. Those experiences have made me more determined and resourceful. They have also taught me that success is not measured only by awards or exhibitions, but by the ability to sustain a creative life. By this I mean, to remain curious, trust my own vision and continue making meaningful work even when life pulls me in a dozen directions or others do not yet understand what I am trying to accomplish.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My art combines intricate paper cutting, drawing and layers of painted color. From a distance, a piece may appear bold and graphic, but as you move closer, you begin to see the delicate cuts, hidden symbols and interconnected imagery within it. I work with both positive and negative space, so what has been removed is just as important as what remains.
Much of my work begins with Jewish texts and ancient traditions, while other pieces grow from working with individuals and organizations to create meaningful, engaging art. I interpret each concept through a contemporary lens. Symbolism is never merely decorative; it becomes a starting point for creating visually compelling art with deeper layers of meaning.

What’s next?
I am currently releasing a companion catalog for my traveling exhibition, Meaning Within the Letters: A Framework for Connection. The exhibition will travel to Florida at the end of the year. I will also be part of Ohio Thrives, a 2026 exhibition curated by Chaz O’Neil and Cristina Bennidetti at the Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery.
At the same time, I am creating a new piece for The Valley of Dry Bones: Art Invitational, opening in spring 2027 at Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. I am also working with the Mandel Foundation to develop a sculpture to be replicated at Hillels throughout the country. The sculpture is intended to celebrate Jewish culture while creating a visible sense of welcome, belonging and support for Jewish students on college campuses. Alongside these larger projects, I continue to create personal commissions.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nancyschwartzkatz.com/
• Instagram: @nschwartzkatz
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-schwartz-katz-353b7b9/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nsk44122