Artist Turns Good Fortune Into Exhibit

Where would you go if someone called you and offered you a free trip to anywhere in the world?

For artist Nerys Levy, the choice was easy. “My deceased husband was Russian-Jewish,” says Levy. “I had grown up on the edge of Russian culture in our married life. So there was an emotional quality. I also knew this would be a wonderful artistic experience.” 

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Credit Nerys Levy

From the exhibit: 'A Journey In Russia Thanks To WUNC' by Nerys Levy.

As a landscape artist, Levy saw the trip down the Volga River as a creative opportunity.  “The country has such a rich cultural history that has been submerged and is now re-emerging.”  

Levy won the trip as part of a giveaway during a WUNC Radio fundraiser last year. Following the voyage, she created an exhibit: “A Journey In Russia Thanks To WUNC” was shown at the FRANK Gallery in Chapel Hill in early February.  

“The work I did is raw,” she says about the process. “A lot of drawings. This process of work is something I have - while not really perfected - it’s something I did a lot of in polar regions. I worked very, very quickly.” 

You can find more of Nerys Levy’s work at her website.