Brown County Art Gallery honors Zionsville native Nancy Noel with never-before-seen paintings
NASHVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — A new exhibit at the Brown County Art Gallery features never-before-seen original pieces of artwork from world-renowned artist and Zionsville native, Nancy Noel.
Noel, who died in August 2020, painted over 1,000 pieces of art during her career.
“Celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Robert Redford own some in their personal homes. Her work has been featured in major museums across the country and in Times Square. She had an empire,” Lyn Letsinger-Miller, the president of the Brown County Art Gallery Foundation, said.
Letsinger-Miller said Noël would sign her artwork as “N. A. Noel” because she thought if she put “Nancy” on it, people wouldn’t buy it because she was a woman.
To get inspiration, Noel painted animals, traveled to Africa, and even lived among the Amish for a while.
The “Nancy Noel: Indiana Artist – Pioneer – Superstar!” exhibit features 20 original pieces and 30 reproductions in four different galleries, with some of her art up for sale. A portion of the proceeds from each sale will benefit the Brown County Art Gallery Foundation.
Guests will also be able to see the paintbrushes she used to paint some of her most iconic artworks.
“One thing I can say is that since we’ve opened this exhibit here, there are people coming from all over the country to see this,” Letsinger-Miller said.
“Nancy Noel: Indiana Artist – Pioneer – Superstar!” is open at the Brown County Art Gallery in Nashville now through September 25.