biography
With over two decades of professional experience, Nanette Fluhr has created paintings that hang in public and private collections worldwide, garnering her prestigious recognition.
Known for her sensitive portraits and exacting technique, she has received awards from prominent artistic institutions including the Art Renewal Center, The Artist’s Magazine, the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, the Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists, the Portrait Society of America, and the School of Visual Arts. Nanette was presented with a proclamation for her achievement in the Arts by the Suffolk County Legislature. American Women Artists honored her with their Distinguished Achievement Award for Portraiture and Figurative Painting and most recently she was chosen as the winner of Manhattan Arts International “HerStory” 2022. Her oil painting “A Lotus Grows in the Mud” was selected from worldwide entries based on originality, innovation, and technical skill.
Her work has been featured in exhibitions at the European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM) in Barcelona, the Butler Institute of American Art, the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, the Eisele Gallery of Fine Art, the Hutchins Gallery at C.W. Post College, the National Arts Club, the Salmagundi Club, and the University of Connecticut Gallery, among many others.
A highlight of Nanette’s career was having three of her works selected for a historic presentation of American painting, Contemporary American Realism, which toured national museums in China including the Beijing World Art Museum, Dalain Modern Museum, Tianjin Art Museum, Hubei Provincial Museum, Zhejiang Provincial Museum and the Shanghai Art Museum.
Nanette graduated from Rutgers University in 1987 and then went on to earn her BFA with Honors from the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where she received the Rhodes Family Award for Outstanding Achievement. There she met John Frederick Murray, who taught her drawing, painting and picture making skills gleaned from the techniques of the Old Masters. She is most grateful to him for the profound effect his wisdom and insight have had on her painting. Mr. Murray became her mentor, and under his tutelage she painted museum-quality replicas of old master paintings by Lawrence, Le Brun, Rembrandt, Rubens, Velazquez and Van Dyck while she was a registered copyist with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. This experience gave her the ability to carefully study these masterpieces and incorporate what she learned into her own work.
Through teaching, Nanette shares her extensive knowledge of traditional realism. She is a sought after workshop instructor for schools such as the Art League of Long Island and the Teaching Studios of Art, where she taught Master Copy and Portrait Painting, and is currently visiting faculty.
In partnership with Craftsy.com Nanette taught a 7 episode online video class, Classic Children’s Portraits in Oil. She has also worked with Rosemary & Co. Brushes. to create two signature brush sets.
Nanette has been featured in publications such as 25A, American Artist Magazine, Artist’s Magazine, Fine Art Connoisseur, Newsday, the New York Optimist, PoetsArtists, Quantum Art Review, Realism Today, Rutgers Alumni Association and Universal Principles of Art, as well as in a video produced at the Metropolitan Museum of Art highlighting her Master Copies. Her work was also selected for inclusion in the Lunar Codex, a time capsule of digitized works of art and literature being sent to the moon.
Nanette is an active member of many prominent art organizations including the Portrait Society of America, Oil Painters of America, Poets and Artists, Art Renewal Center, and Art League of Long Island. Nanette was invited to be a Lifetime Honorary Member of ACOPAL (America Chinese Oil Painting Art League). She is an elected member of Allied Artists of America and Associate with Distinction Member of American Women Artists.
artist statement
Representational portraiture is my life’s pursuit. It is the challenge of capturing a faithful likeness of my sitter, which I firmly believe must include the articulation of each subject’s persona, that I find most compelling. I approach each painting as an opportunity to try to discover the truth of an individual’s essence.
I draw my inspiration from the Old Masters such as Rembrandt, Ingres, Bouguereau, and from Sargent and Le Brun. Guided by their principles handed down to me by my mentor John Frederick Murray, I aspire to the high standards that these Masters established. As a side light, I have become a noted copyist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in an effort to study them with the depth and focus they deserve.
Frequently, my clients tell me that their portraits are their most treasured possessions, bringing smiles to their faces. I take these statements as affirmation that my pursuit has as its end an enduring quality, which is the true compensation for my work. I feel very fortunate that my talent brings joy into the lives of others, and that my paintings might be passed down from generation to generation as part of the legacy of the people I depict.
I also endeavor to give back through my work at the easel through my involvement with Smile Train, the largest worldwide organization committed to repairing cleft palates. For every commission I receive I donate a portion of my fees to Smile Train for a cleft palate surgery.
education
1998
BFA, School of Visual Arts, NY (with honors)
1990 -1995
Classical Portrait/Figurative painting with John Frederick Murray, NY
1987
BA, Rutgers University, NJ
selected exhibitions
2022
The Divine Feminine, Art From Heart UK, Online Exhibition
HerStory 2022, Manhattan Arts International, Online Exhibition
2021
5th ANJE 2021, Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Wausau Wisconsin
Tetrachromat, 33 Contemporary Gallery, Online
108th Allied Artists of America Annual Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, New York, NY
The Portrait, 33 Contemporary Gallery, Online
Oil Painters of America’s Eastern Regional, ArtCenter Manatee, Bradenton, FL
Women Painting: All over the World, European Museum of Modern Art – MEAM, Barcelona, Spain
Lifting the Sky, American Women Artists, National Online Exhibition
International Women’s Day Postcard Pop UP Show, 33 Contemporary Gallery, Chicago, IL
2020
30TH Annual Holiday Miniatures Show, Abend Gallery, Denver, Colorado
Ambivalence, 33 Contemporary Gallery, Chicago, IL
Allied Artists of America 107th Annual Exhibition, Online
Creator and Muse, 33 Contemporary Gallery, Chicago, IL
2019
Painting Today, Pintando Hoy, European Museum of Modern Art – MEAM, Barcelona, Spain
Long Island Professional Artists Showcase, Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery, Dix Hills, NY
Adorn Me, Online Exclusive and Publication
Variety Issue, Familial Muse, Online Exhibition
2018
2nd ANJE, Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Wausau, WI
Allied Artists of America 105th Annual Juried Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, New York, NY
13th Annual International ARC Salon, Online Exhibition
Art League of Long Island Instructors Exhibition, Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery, Dix Hills, NY
Nanette Fluhr’s Class: Painting the Portrait & Figure in Oil From Life, Art League of Long Island’s Strolling Gallery, Dix Hills, NY
2017
Oil Painters of America National Exhibit, Eisele Gallery of Fine Art, Cincinnati, OH
Portrait Society of America Members Only Competition, Online Exhibition
Allied Artists of America 104th Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, New York, NY
American Women Artists, 2017 Online Juried Show
Art League of Long Island Instructors Exhibit, Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery, Dix Hills, NY
New Members’ Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, New York, NY
2016
Portraits by Many Hands, Long Island Children’s Museum, Garden City, NY
Thumb Box Exhibition, The Salmagundi Club, New York, NY
Art League of Long Island Instructors Exhibition, Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery, Dix Hills, NY
2015
Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, 119th Annual Juried Exhibition, National Arts Club, New York, NY
Allied Artists of America, 102nd Annual Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, New York, NY
Portrait Society of America, Members Only Competition, Online Exhibition
Salmagundi Club, Summer Exhibition, The Salmagundi Club, New York, NY
Art League of Long Island, Instructor’s Exhibit, Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery, Dix Hills, NY
Nanette Fluhr’s Class: “Painting the Portrait & Figure in Oil From Life”, Art League of Long Island’s Strolling Gallery, Dix Hills, NY
Thumb Box Show, The Salmagundi Club, New York, NY
American Women Artists, On-Line Juried Show
2014
Loved and Observed, Hersh Fine Art, Glen Cove, NY
Faces of Winter, University of Connecticut Stamford, Stamford, CT
11th International ARC Salon, Art Renewal Center’s Online Exhibition
Long Island Professional Artists Showcase: 7 Painters & 7 Sculptors,
Shelter Rock Art Gallery, Manhasset, NY
2013
Contemporary American Realism, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
Contemporary American Realism, Zhejiang Provincial Museum, Zhejiang, China
Contemporary American Realism, Hubei Provincial Museum, Hubei, China
Contemporary American Realism, Tianjin Art Museum, Tianjin, China
Single Fare 3, RH Gallery, New York, NY
Long Island Professional Artists Showcase: 7 Painters & 7 Sculptors, Hutchins Gallery CW Post, Brookville, NY
Nanette Fluhr’s Class: “Painting the Portrait & Figure in Oil From Life”, Art League of Long Island’s Strolling Gallery, Dix Hills, NY
2012
Contemporary American Realism, Beijing World Art Museum, Beijing, China
Contemporary American Realism, Dalian Modern Museum, Dalian, China
America China Oil Painting Artists League (ACOPAL), Butler Institute of America Art, Youngstown, OH
Grand Opening Show, My Studio Gallery, Port Washington, NY
Faces of Winter, University of Connecticut Stamford, Stamford, CT
Small Delights, Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery, Dix Hills, NY
A Common Theme, Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery, Dix Hills, NY
2011
ACOPAL: Contemporary American Realism, National Arts Club, New York, NY
Seven & Seven: Art in the Workplace, Art-trium Gallery, Melville, NY
The 4th Annual Exhibit Long Island Professional Artists Showcase: 7 Painters & 7
Sculptors, Hutchins Gallery CW Post, Brookville, NY
2010
7th International ARC Salon, Online Exhibition
Faces of Winter, University of Connecticut Stamford, Stamford, CT
Starving Artists Feed the Hungry, Front 242, Williamsburg Brooklyn, NY
2009
Life Stories, Art-trium Gallery, Melville, NY
Long Island Professional Artists Showcase: 7 Painters & 7 Sculptors, Huntington Arts Council, Huntington, NY
Long Island Professional Artists Showcase: 7 Painters & 7 Sculptors, Hutchins Gallery, CW Post, Brookville, NY
bibliography
2022
Greg Prince, “Moonstruck”, Faith and Fear in Flushing, May 27, 2022
Della Crews, “The Paintings from Nanette Fluhr will be going into Space in a Time Capsule to the Moon in 2023. How Cool is that?”, News12 NJ TV Segment, April 10th, 2022
Evelyn Frick, “This Very Jewish Painting Is Heading to the Moon”, Hey Alma, April 6, 2022
Renee Phillips, Nanette Fluhr, Museum Quality Realistic Portraits, Manhattan Arts International, Feb 2022
2021
Max Gillies, “How Artists See Themselves, Fine Art Connoisseur, Dec 2021
April Carter Grant, “Tetrachromat”, iARTistas, Oct 26, 2021
Fine Art Today, Artist Spotlight: Nanette Fluhr, FineArtConnoisseur.com, Oct 15, 2021
“What is Contemporary Realism in Art?”, Realism Today, June 2021
Cherie Dawn Haas, “17 Artworks Honoring Motherhood”, Realism Today, May 2021
Leslie Garisto Pfaff, “Brush with Greatness”, Rutgers Alumni Profile, April 2021
Daniel Maidman, “It’s Personal: Portrait Painting with Nanette Fluhr”, Q&A , REALISM TODAY, March 2021
Nanette Fluhr Exhibiting with MEAM in “Women Painting (All over the World), Allied Artists of America Blog, March 2021”
2020
Didi Menendez, “Interview with Nanette Fluhr, #hashtagartmag, Oct 2020
“Featured Artwork: Nanette Fluhr”, Fine Art Connoisseur, Apr 2020
John Sebastian, “Discovering Artists Nanette Fluhr”, The New York Optimist, Mar, 2020
Didi Menendez, “Directory of Figurative Artists on Instagram”, May 2020
Didi Menendez, “Summer Catalogue” GOSS 183, Jun 2020
2019
“Nanette Fluhr, Shawn McAvoy Receive Art Proclamations”, Long Island Weekly, Oct 3, 2019
Brianna Lee, “Familial Muse” GOSS 183, Issue #105, Jul 2019
MEAM Museum, “Painting Today, International Women’s Day”, Mar 2019
“Long Island Resident Nanette Fluhr Shows Painting in Spain”, Long Island Weekly, Mar 2019
“El MEAM reivindica el papel de la mujer en el arte figurativo contemporáneo”, Revista de Arte, Mar 2019
Nanette Fluhr, “Biography Spotlight: Élisabeth Vigée-Le Brun, Historical Women Artists Profiled by Women in Art”, Palettes and Pearls Blog Spot, Mar 7, 2019
2018
Didi Menendez, “10th Anniversary Issue: Oranges & Sardines” PoetsArtists, Issue 92, Mar 2018
Art Renewal Center, International Realism, ACC Art Books 2018, p. 118
Danielle Campbell, News 12, Long Island Segment, Jan 30, 2018
2017
“Artists Spotlight Nanette Fluhr”, LA Art Guide, Apr 2017
2015
Allied Artists of America, 102nd Annual Exhibition, Sep, 2015
2014
John Parks, Universal Principles of Art: 100 Key Concepts for Understanding, Analyzing and Practicing Art, Rockport Publishers 2015, p. 202, 203
Angela Gram, “Loved and Observed: Women and Portraiture,” Quantum Art Review post Jul, 2014
John Sebastian, “Nanette Fluhr Fine Art” The New York Optimist, Jun 2014
2013
Diana Pink, “Nanette Fluhr, Portraitist Par Excellence”, 25A Magazine, Oct 2, Issue 8
John Sebastian, “Nanette Fluhr Fine Art”, The New York Optimist, 2013
Peter Trippi, “In the Chair: Sitting for a Portrait”, Fine Art Connoisseur, Jan/Feb
Max Ginsburg, edited by Cherie Haas, “A Tale of Two Countries” The Artists Magazine, May p. 14-16
2012
John Parks Interview of Nanette Fluhr & Adam Miller, “How to Get the Most from Copying a Masterpiece” American Artist Magazine, Jul 2012
Contemporary American Realism, 2012, p. 40-43
Patricia Watwood, “They Appreciate First-Rate Art”, Artists Network
CCTV News CNTV, ACOPAL’s Contemporary US Realism exhibited in Beijing
2011
Steve Parks, “Seven & Seven Art-trium Gallery Exhibit”, Newsday, Nov, 2011
selected honors & awards
2022
Artwork included in the Lunar Codex, Dr. Samuel Peralta’s project to create a permanent archive of art and culture on the moon.
Winner, HerStory 2022, Manhattan Arts International
2021
Finalist, 15th Annual Member’s Only Competition, Outside the Box, Portrait Society of America
Distinguished Achievement Award for Figurative or Portraiture, American Women Artists
2020
Top 25 Finalist, Artist & Selfie Painting Competition, Fine Art Connoisseur magazine
Semi-Finalist, Art Renewal Center’s 15th International Salon of Contemporary Realism
2019
Proclamation for Achievement in the Arts, Suffolk County Legislature
2018
Finalist, Art Renewal Center’s 13th International Salon of Contemporary Realism
2017
Finalist, Portrait Society of America
Associate With Distinction, American Women Artists
2015
Honorable Mention, Portrait Society of America
2013
Finalist, Art Renewal Center’s 10th International Salon of Contemporary Realism
2012
1st Place, My Studio
Honorable Mention, Art League of Long Island
Elected Member, Allied Artists of America
Painting of “Lizzy” featured on Jumbotron, Beijing World Art Museum
2011
Honorary Member, America China Oil Painting Artists League (ACOPAL)
2010
Merit Award, Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists
Finalist, Art Renewal Center’s 7th International Salon of Contemporary Realism
collections
• Rockland County Courthouse, New City, NY
• Suffolk County Courthouse, Riverhead, NY
• Barron’s Educational Series, Hauppauge, NY
• First National Bank of New York, Melville, NY
• Pride Solvents and Chemicals, Co, Avenel, NJ
• Follender Robotics Center, Boys Town Jerusalem, Israel
• Queens Library Gallery Queens, NY
• Temple Beth El, Huntington, NY
• Dr. Abraham Franklin, Mexico City, Mexico
• Sondra and Ezra Rapoport, New York, NY
• Leslie and John Hardy, Harwich, MA
• Elizabeth and John Mullan, Pacific Palisades, CA
• Bob Podesta, Virginia Beach, VA
teaching experience
2010 – present
Drawing and Painting Instructor, The Art League of Long Island, Dix Hills, NY
2012 – 2016
Drawing and Painting Instructor, The Teaching Studios of Art, Oyster Bay, NY
2016 – present
Visiting Faculty, The Teaching Studios of Art, Oyster Bay, NY
2013 – present
Painting Instructor with Craftsy.com
2015
Visiting Painting Instructor, The Art Room, Windermere, FL
demonstrations & lectures
2021 Zoom Guest Artist, Vittoria Fariello for NY State Senate, Dec 20, 2021
2020
Art League of Nassau County, New Hyde Park, New York, Portrait Demonstration
2019
Art League of Long Island, Dix Hills, New York, Portrait Demonstration
2013
Hutchins Gallery, CW Post, New York, Portrait Demonstration
Art League of Long Island, New York, Portrait Demonstration
Hutchins Gallery, CW Post New York Long Island Professional Artists Showcase Lecture
2012
China National Academy of Oil Painting, Beijing, China, Panelist America China Oil Painting Artists League (ACOPAL)
Art League of Long Island, New York, Drawing Features Demonstration
Art League of Long Island, New York, Portrait Demonstration
2011
Hutchins Gallery, CW Post New York Long Island Professional Artists Showcase Lecture
2009
Huntington Arts Council, New York Long Island Professional Artists Showcase Lecturer
Hutchins Gallery, CW Post New York Long Island Professional Artists Showcase Lecture
videos
2021 Manu, Oil Portrait at the European Museum of Modern Art, MEAM
2014
Craftsy “Classic Children’s Portraits in Oil”, Instructor 7 HD Video Lessons
2012
Thalo, “The Metropolitan Museum of Art”
2012
Thalo, “Thalo Talks to Nanette Fluhr”
invitational memberships
* Honorary Member of ACOPAL ~ America China Oil Painting Artists League
* Elected member of Allied Artists of America
* Associate with Distinction, American Women Artists
* Long Island Professional Artists Showcase, 7 Painters & 7 Sculptors
past & present memberships
Portrait Society of America
Cecilia Beaux Forum
Oil Painters of America
Art Renewal Center
PoetsArtists
Art League of Long Island
Huntington Arts Council
National Museum of Women In the Arts
Salmagundi Club
Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists