Nancy Cusick
{{Short description|American painter (1924–2010)}}
{{Infobox artist
| name = Nancy Cusick
| image = Photo of Nancy Cusick.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_name = Nancy Taylor
| other_names = Nancy Cusick Fox
| birth_date = {{birth date|1924|1|17|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Washington, D.C.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2010|4|1|1924|1|17|mf=y}}
| death_place =
| nationality =
| education =
| field =
| training =
| movement =
| works =
| patrons =
| awards =
| spouse =
| partner =
| website =
| alma_mater = Georgetown University, American University, Corcoran Art School
}}
Nancy Cusick (1924–2010) was an American collagist, painter, photographer and writer known for her role in the feminist art movement and her global efforts to represent women artists.
Early life and education
Cusick nee Taylor was born on January 17, 1924 in Washington, D.C.{{cite web |title=Nancy Fox Obituary (2010) |url=https://obits.postandcourier.com/us/obituaries/charleston/name/nancy-fox-obituary?id=23475846 |website=Charleston, SC - Charleston Post & Courier |access-date=21 December 2024}} She attended Georgetown University and American University.{{cite web |title=Nancy Cusick Fox, 1924-2010 Surrealism Collage |url=https://waller-yoblonsky.blogspot.com/2022/04/nancy-cusick-fox-1924-2010-surrealism.html |website=Waller-Yoblonsky Fine Art |access-date=21 December 2024 |language=en}} She was married twice, first to Alan P. Cusick then to Thomas D. Fox. Nancy Cusick's artistic journey began with an early interest in art and abstract theory. In 1961, she completed her thesis titled Dynamic Composition in Organic Abstraction at American University.Cusick, N. T. (1961). Dynamic composition in organic abstraction. In this work, Cusick explored the concepts of composition and abstraction within organic forms, laying the groundwork for her later contributions to feminist art theory.
Artistic career and feminist art movement
Cusick was involved with the Washington Women's Art Center (WWAC) serving as director in 1979. While there she worked on organizing American participation in the 1980 International Festival of Women Artists in Copenhagen. Through her involvement, Cusick helped organize feminist exhibitions and provided a platform for women artists who were often marginalized in mainstream art spaces. She organized portions of Focus International held in Nairobi as part of the World Conference on Women, 1985.{{cite book |title=The power of feminist art : the American movement of the 1970s, history and impact |date=1994 |publisher=Harry N. Abrams |location=New York |isbn=978-0810926592 |page=116}} Cusick was a regular contributor to Women Artists News.{{cite web |title=Women Artists News |url=https://www.jstor.org/site/reveal-digital/independent-voices/womenartistsnews-27954031/?so=item_title_str_asc |access-date=21 December 2024 |website=JSTOR}}
The Global Focus Project
One of Cusick’s most significant contributions was the Global Focus project, which she spearheaded as part of her involvement with the United Nations fourth World Conference on Women, 1995.{{cite web |title=Finding Aid to UN Conference on Women: Global Focus (Beijing) 1995 Archives of Women Artists |url=https://nmwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/UN-Global-Focus-Beijing-Finding-Aid-2021.pdf |website=National Museum of Women in the Arts |access-date=22 December 2024}}
She died on April 1, 2010. A selection of her papers are in the National Museum of Women in the Arts Library and Research Center{{cite web |title=Nancy Taylor Cusick |url=https://nmwa.bibliovation.com/app/work/15925 |website=National Museum of Women in the Arts (U.S.).Library and Research Center. |access-date=22 December 2024}} as well as the DC Public Library{{cite web |title=Cusick, Nancy |url=https://thepeoplesarchive.dclibrary.org/repositories/2/archival_objects/328 |website=DC Public Library, The People’s Archive |access-date=22 December 2024}}
Influence and legacy
Cusick’s work is often discussed within the broader context of feminist art history. She was featured in The Power of Feminist Art: The American Movement of the 1970s, History and Impact by Broude and Garrard, a comprehensive analysis of the feminist art movement in the United States.Broude, N., & Garrard, M. D. (1994). The power of feminist art: The American movement of the 1970s, history and impact. HarperCollins.
References
{{reflist}}
Further reading
- [https://digital.library.sc.edu/exhibits/iwy/national-interviews/nancy-cusick-fox/ Nancy Cusick Fox interview] 1977 International Women's Year (IWY) Oral History Collection
{{Feminist art movement in the United States|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cusick, Nancy}}
Category:Artists from Washington, D.C.