We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nanci Hersh a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Nanci , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

My work as a contemporary visual artist integrates diverse materials and methods to explore personal narratives and foster authentic, meaningful connections with others. I have come to understand that artmaking is, in fact, a ritual—one that helps us navigate uncertainty, offering transformation and healing.

In the spring of 2022, I discovered an opportunity to attend a contemporary art course with the European Cultural Academy in Venice, Italy. The program coincided with the Venice Biennale, the world’s oldest international art fair. Tasked with creating a conceptual art project, I began reflecting on our transitional state—emerging from a global pandemic, confronting heightened nationalism, and grappling with extreme polarization.

Through a series of readings and conversations about rituals, particularly those involving water, I began to see tears as a profound symbol of our shared humanity. I was inspired by author Gertrud Mueller Nelson’s description of tears as a “vessel into which to pour our most profound feelings.”

This reflection led to the creation of Chapel of Tears, an international art exhibition and series of community workshops. The exhibition, held at the Chris White Gallery in Wilmington, Delaware, featured 22 artists from six countries, including the United Kingdom, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Germany, and the United States. Each artist contributed a unique “tear,” exploring personal, environmental, or social themes through diverse materials and media such as sculpture, photography, and video.

Looking ahead, my intention is to bring Chapel of Tears to other communities and locations, continuing to foster creativity, connection, and meaningful dialogue.

Chapel of Tears (installation view at Chris White Gallery, Wilmington, DE). Work shown here by the following artists (l-r), J. Dulay, M.Crosman, C. Vallejo, N.Hersh

Chapel of Tears Installation of Offering, Vegetable papyrus tears made from onions with mixed media

For folks who may not have read about you before, can you please tell our readers about yourself, how you got into your industry / business / discipline / craft etc, what type of products/services/creative works you provide, what problems you solve for your clients and/or what you think sets you apart from others. What are you most proud of and what are the main things you want potential clients/followers/fans to know about you/your brand/your work/ etc.
Please provide as much detail as you feel relevant as this is one of the core questions where the reader will get to know about you and your brand/organization/etc

With over 40 years as a professional artist, I create dynamic abstract drawings, paintings, and sculptures to explore deeper connections to the world around us. Through mixed media and layered narratives, my work touches on themes of home, family, the natural world, and the interconnectedness of all things.

As an artist, curator, and entrepreneur, my goal is to spark conversations and foster empathy through art. Whether working with teen mothers, families battling cancer, incarcerated youth, or curating projects like the international “Chapel of Tears,” I focus on listening deeply and creating platforms for shared experiences through art.

Along with Ellen McVicker, I co-created and illustrated the children’s book Butterfly Kisses and Wishes on Wings: When Someone You Love Has Cancer… A Hopeful, Helpful Book for Kids. With over 15,000 copies sold, the book is a gift and a resource offering comfort and guidance to children and families facing cancer worldwide.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creative?

To me, art is a powerful tool for connection, a way to find meaning in life’s gifts and challenges, and a reflection of how these experiences shape our identity. The act of creating “something” can be a solitary pursuit in the studio or a collaborative endeavor with a community or a client. As human beings, we have the remarkable ability to explore an emotion, concept, or experience into something entirely new and tangible—a work of art. The process itself fosters imagination and inventiveness, joy and reflection, and ultimately becomes a profound and transformative experience.

Throughout my career as a professional artist, I’ve witnessed this metamorphosis both personally and professionally, as both an artist and an educator. Art offers a language and platform to elevate and validate our shared human experiences through authentic connections, often leading to something greater than ourselves.

When we view the world through an artist’s lens, we cultivate the ability to find beauty and grace in both extraordinary and everyday moments.

Can you share the story of a time when you had to pivot (in business, career or life).

In March 2020, the global pandemic transformed both the world and my art.

As in-person interactions ceased, platforms like Zoom became our new means of connection, offering a strangely intimate yet contrived perspective. This shift inspired me to transition from abstract, nature-inspired art to a figurative series titled Portraits from the Zoom Room, featuring rectangular acrylic paintings framed to resemble computer screens.

The subjects—primarily artists and educators I engaged with as Executive Director of the Delaware Institute for the Arts in Education—were captured during our virtual meetings. Each interaction and screenshot revealed unique stories, highlighting the humor, boredom, pathos, and beauty that kept us connected during isolation.

Through this series, I aimed to transform the monotony of endless Zoom meetings into a celebration of our shared humanity during unprecedented times.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://nancihersh.com
• Instagram: @nancihersh
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NanciHersh.Artist?ref=hl
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nanci-hersh-artist/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@NanciHersh

Image Credits

Andy Vible
Avery Burnham
Daniel Jackson
Nate Dight
Sori Gottdenker