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“I am humbled to be inducted into the Heights High Hall of Fame . It takes me back to the lessons I learned in these halls, the teachers who challenged me, the friendships that shaped me and gave me a solid foundation I continue to build on. Being included with those who have carried the name of this school with pride and purpose is such an honor. I’m grateful, and I hope my story can serve as a reminder that the roots you put down here can take you farther than you ever imagined.”
Nancy Schwartz-Katz found Judaica as the perfect way to intertwine her artistic training, love of learning, storytelling, people, and Jewish heritage. She quickly made paper cutting her signature medium, using the delicate interplay of negative and positive space to explore ideas and tell the layered stories of individuals, organizations, and history.
Her work is held in public and private collections across the country—including synagogues, hospitals, foundations, and homes; in addition, she has exhibited nationally. Her illustrated exhibition on the Hebrew alphabet, The Meaning within the Letters, is currently traveling the United States, reaching communities from Virginia Beach to Birmingham to Atlanta, with more to come. Other recent national exhibits include the Parsons School of Design Juried Alumni Exhibition, the Vocabulary exhibition in Chattanooga, and the Eighth Annual Figurative Drawing and Painting Competition at the Lore Degenstein Gallery of Susquehanna University. In recognition of her achievements, she received the Ohio Arts Council’s Heritage Arts Award, honoring artists who embody both the highest level of craft and a deep commitment to sustaining cultural traditions. Her work and process were also featured in a PBS special, bringing her art to a national audience.
Schwartz-Katz’s practice extends beyond the intimate scale of paper cuts into the public realm. Her sculpture Hostages in Gaza, created for the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, has been reproduced in nine states and at least six countries through the American Jewish Committee and the Families of Hostages and Missing Families Forum, serving as a powerful call for awareness and solidarity. She has also volunteered her creativity for Hillel, the American Jewish Committee, and the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, to name a few, helping foster Jewish identity and visibility. Beyond the Jewish community, she co-founded The Write Way, an inner-city writing program to keep kids off the streets, has volunteered in classrooms to highlight creative career paths, and recently worked with Cleveland Heights High School students to create a mural honoring 50 years of Holocaust education.
Nancy works out of her studio in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and lives in the greater Cleveland area. She continues to create art that bridges tradition and innovation—art that honors heritage while also speaking urgently to the challenges and hopes of today.
Bachelor’s of Fine Arts – Parson’s School of Design
Mixed Medium Fine Artist