About the Artist
Nance Mc Manus, PSNM, CPS
"Being a painter is what I am, rather than what I do."
American artist Nance Mc Manus has been studying to paint her whole life. While she was in elementary school Nance studied on Saturday mornings with New Mexico painter Emilie von Auw.
“My mother received a fine arts degree from Stanford and painting is what we did together. We would pack a lunch and head to the Albuquerque Zoo with our Japanese brush painting equipment. I remember my favourite animal to paint were the otters.”
The biggest change for Nance was winning a scholarship for the Scottsdale Artist’s School to study pastels with Howard Post. “I ended up rushing headlong into a passion with pastels. The freedom I have whilst working in pastels keeps me enthusiastic about painting all the time. I embrace the happy accidents!
Being accepted into the Chianciano Art Museum Biennale she was awarded a prize for works on paper by the European Confederation of Art Critics.
With a successful Kickstarter project, a book of Nance’s paintings: “PASTEL PASSION: BIRDS” was self- published. “I am continually challenged by the images of birds, their shape, colour, and motion. Birds are built form for function, and it makes them compositionally exquisite.”
Nance is back from a studio hiatus after concentrating on Western Dressage with her three American Quarter Horses and being part of the instrumentation team building a prototype for a small modular nuclear reactor. She is not only looking forward to painting again but concentrating more on monotypes from her press.
Artist's Statement
I would like to quote great New Mexico cowboy poet, and DVM, Baxter Black: “I like living a life where a horse matters.” My sense of place is with my horses. The location should be considered along with our equally shared camaraderie.
Happily, I am at a place where it’s not so important to please everyone else with my art. It is a great relief to know I am going to create art whether or not it leaves my studio. I am one happy person with my pressed charcoal or pastels playing with different surfaces or exploring what I can do with my printing press.
The latest pieces are part of the process and are part of my journey. I find that if I overwork, trying way too hard, there is no heart left to the images……they quit breathing. With pressed charcoal and pastels, I can sculpt the shapes and still leave them open and fresh.
Being in control is way overrated.
Curriculum Vitae
Selected U.S. Exhibitions & Awards
2025: PSNM Signature Show – Legends of the West Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2018: PSNM National Show – Sorrel Sky Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2017: In the Studio -The Museum of Modern Art’s Education Building, NYC
2017: PSNM Small Works – Albuquerque, NM
2017: Trifecta: Three Painters – Studio J, Albuquerque, NM
2017: Group Show – Studio J, Albuquerque, NM
2017: Group Show – Seasons ABQ, Albuquerque, NM
2016: Signature Member Show- Pastel Society of New Mexico, Los Lunas Museum of Heritage
2016: ANIMALIA, Loveland Art Museum, CO
2015: Pastels by Invitation 2010, CAC, Chatham, MA
2014: 5 Equine Women Artists, Matrix Fine Art, Albuquerque, NM
2013: Park Fine Art Group Show, Albuquerque, NM
2013: PSNM National Show Small Works, Albuquerque, NM
2013: Celebracion del Arte, Hubbard Museum of the American West, Ruidoso Downs, NM
2013: Rachel Allen Fellowship: Monotype, New Grounds, Albuquerque, NM
2012: Pastels by Invitation 2012, CAC, Chatham, MA
2012: Gateway to Imagination, Farmington Museum, NM
2012: Biennale Grande, Hubbard Museum of the American West, Ruidoso Downs, NM
2012: Masterworks of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
2012: Crece Como Va, Fuller Lodge Art Center, Los Alamos, NM
2011: 2011 Rendezvous Art of the West Show, High Desert Museum, Bend, OR
2011: Pastels by Invitation 2011, CAC, Chatham, MA
2011: Kinesis, Fuller Lodge Art Center, Los Alamos, NM
2011: Pastel Society of New Mexico Signature Show, Millicent Rogers Museum, Taos, NM
2011: Masterworks of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
2010: Pastel Society of New Mexico National Juried Show, Albuquerque, NM
2010: Biennale Grande, Hubbard Museum of the American West, Ruidoso Downs, NM
2010: Pastels by Invitation 2010, CAC, Chatham, MA
2010: 64 Arts National Juried Exhibition, Monmouth, IL
2009: Pastel Society of New Mexico National Juried Show and Cover Artist, Albuquerque, NM
2009: 64 Arts National Juried Exhibition, Monmouth, IL
2009: Masterworks of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
2009: International Association of Pastel Societies: 12th Exhibition Web Show
2008: PSNM National Juried Show, Albuquerque, NM Anita Louise West/Ampersand Award
2008: Taos Center for the Arts Quick-Draw, Taos, NM
2008: Renaissance in Pastel-CPS, West Hartford Art League, CT
2008: “COWGIRL UP! Art from the Other Side of the West”, Desert Caballeros Western Museum, Wickenburg, AZ
2007: “COWGIRL UP! Art from the Other Side of the West”, Desert Caballeros Western Museum, Wickenburg, AZ
2006: “Ghost Ranch to Grand Haven”, Las Pinturas, Three Woman Show, Grand Haven, MI
2006: Best and the Brightest Annual Juried Show, Scottsdale Artist’s School, AZ
2005: Scholarship Award, Workshop with Gil Dellinger PSA, Scottsdale Artist’s School, Scottsdale, AZ
2005: Pastel Society of New Mexico National Show, Albuquerque, The Artist’s Magazine Award
2005: “Between Heaven & Earth”, Amsterdam Whitney Gallery, Chelsea, NYC
2005: “Ranching and Rodeos”, The Phippen Museum, Prescott, AZ
International Exhibitions
2013: Park Fine Art 2013 International Tour Show/ BEIJING-HONK KONG-USA
2012: Park Fine Art 2012 International Tour Show/ CHINA-KOREA-TURKEY-USA
2011: Biennale of Chianciano 2011, Museum Chianciano Terme, Italy
2013,2010,2002: By Invitation Only: Easter Show, Woburn, England
Exhibitions Juror
2006: RGAA Encantata – non-glazed media
Publications
2016: ARTIST’S & GRAPHIC DESIGNER’S MARKET, North Light Books
2014: HORSE AROUND NM, March Featured and Cover Artist
2013: PASTEL JOURNAL, February
2012: BEST OF AMERICA -Pastel Artists
2012: PASTEL PASSION: BIRDS
A monograph: Nance Mc Manus
A successful Kickstarter project reaching the goal in 22 hours.
2007, 2008: COWGIRL UP! Art from the Other Half of the West
2006: Featured Artist, THE ART ACQUISITOR, Chelsea, NYC
Teaching
2005-2013: PASTELS ARE PAINT NOT CHALK, University of New Mexico, Continuing Education, Albuquerque, NM
2005-2014: PASTELS, The Orme School Arts Festival, AZ
2010, 2011: PASTEL CAMP, New Mexico Art League
Lectures
2026: Demo: A Raptor in Pastels
2025: Made You Look!
2024: Animal Images in Art
2023: The Pastel in Art History
2020: The Self-Portrait from different Views
2019: Surprise! Abstraction strikes again
2016: What do I do with the Background?
2011: Notan
2005: History of Pastels
Selected Corporate Collections
Norwest Bank, Santa Fe, NM
Selected Public Collections
The Orme School; Mayer, Arizona
Albuquerque Family Advocacy Center, Albuquerque, NM
Memberships
Connecticut Pastel Society, Signature Member
Pastel Society of New Mexico, Signature Member
Society of Animal Artists, Associate Member
New Mexico Horse Council, Life Member
American Quarter Horse Association, Life Member
New Mexico Quarter Horse Association, Life Member
Daughters of Hawaii, Life Member
Education
Monmouth College, Monmouth, Illinois (1969-71). Restored artwork for the Department of the Interior. Cleaned and sealed murals at the George Rogers Clark Memorial in Vincennes, Indiana.
Further studies in fine and studio art at the University of New Mexico and Central St. Martins, London, England.
Prior to attending college, studied painting with Frank McCullough, Dot Swain Lewis, painting with Emilie von Auw, and Japanese brush painting with Letitia Fleming Mc Manus.
Artist in Residence: Avian Ambassadors, NM
Workshops Attended
2025: Laurie Kersey, OPA, AIS, Master Signature Member of American Women Artists
2018: Colette Odya Smith, IAPS-MC, PSA-MP, PSNM-DP
2017: Scholarship Award, TexArt, Susan K. Black Foundation, Kerrville, TX
2012: New Grounds Print Shop, Monotypes, Regina Held
2012: Mary Sweet, Print Making
2011: Sara Eyestone, Artist Marketing and Licensing
2009: Anita Louise West
2007: Duane Wakeham, PSA
2006: Richard McKinley, PSA
2005: Doug Dawson, PSA
2005: Scholarship Award, Workshop with Gil Dellinger PSA, Scottsdale Artist’s School, Scottsdale, AZ
1999, 2000, 2001: Master class with William Herring, NM
2001: Scholarship Award, Workshop with Howard Post, Scottsdale Artist’s School, Scottsdale, AZ
2004,1996,1987: Summer term in Dordogne, France, with Monique Partridge, ARCA, London, England
1995: William Hook, Scottsdale Artist’s School
1995: Sam Savitt, Scottsdale Artist’s School
1992: Summer term of watercolor academia at Lorenzo di Medici, School, Florence, Italy
1990-1991: Drawing at Central St. Martin’s School, London, England
