Nancy Bowen

Professor Emerita of Sculpture

Nancy Bowen is a mixed media artist known for her eclectic mixtures of imagery and materials in both two and three dimensions. Her sculpture and drawing exists in an in -between zone of form and idea, of abstraction and representation. Her work offers a poetic commentary on our quickly changing material culture. Like an artistic archeologist in this age of globalization and post-industrialization, she salvages (often disappearing) ornament and craft traditions and incorporates them into sculpture and drawings.

Bowen has exhibited extensively throughout the United States and Europe, and has been included in group exhibitions in various museums. Her work has been reviewed and written about widely. She maintains a studio in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. 

She incorporates her experience and skill base into the classes that she teaches at Purchase College. 

Bowen loves to travel and explore the arts of other cultures. She has also taught in the Purchase programs in Italy and India. 

More About Me

Artemis Dilemma, 2016, ceramic and found objects Artemis Dilemma, 2016, ceramic and found objects

Research Interests

All aspects of contemporary sculpture, feminism, material culture, public art 

Representative Courses

Multiples: Methods for Making

Ceramic Sculpture

Thinking in 3D 

Senior Seminar 

Junior Studio

MFA Professional Practices & Special Topics

Exhibitions / Performances

2018    “For Each Ecstatic Instance”, Kentler International Drawing Center, Brooklyn

2012    “Begettings”, Peeler Art Galleries, DePauw University, IN

2011    Maass Gallery, Purchase College, Purchase, NY

2010    “Speaking through Stones”, Islip Art Museum, Islip, New York

2009    Percent for Art commissioned piece, Hooker Elementary School, New Haven, CT (part 2)                      

2006    Lesley Heller Gallery, NYC

2005    Percent for Art commissioned piece, Hooker Elementary School, New Haven, CT

2003    Commissioned outdoor sculpture area , DePauw University, Greencastle, IN

2001    “Above and Below”, Flecker Memorial Gallery, Suffolk Community  College

            James Gallery, Houston, TX.  (with Kim Squaglia)

1998    “Figuring the Body “, Zilkha Gallery, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT.                          ( with Nancy Davidson) (catalogue) 

1996    One Great Jones, New York City

1995    European Ceramic Work Center, s’Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands

1994    Chidlaw Gallery, The Art Academy of Cincinnati, OH.

1993    Annina Nosei Gallery, NYC

1992    Grover Thurston Gallery, Seattle

            Emison Art Center, DePauw University, Greencastle, IN.

1991    Annina Nosei Gallery, NYC (with Gary Lang)

            Betsy Rosenfield Gallery, Chicago

1990    Annina Nosei Gallery, NYC

1987    Zilkha Gallery, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT . (catalogue)

            Wheeler Gallery, Providence, R.I.

1983    Susan Caldwell Gallery, NYC

1981    Galerie Farideh Cadot, Paris