ABOUT THE ARTIST
Hellebrand’s work has been exhibited in museums and galleries internationally. Museum exhibitions include the Museum of Modern Art (2010, 1987, 1983) and the International Center of Photography in New York (1989, 1987); the National Museum of American Art in Washington, D.C.; the Philadelphia Museum of Art (2017, 2010, 2000, 1990) and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia (1991, 1984, 1981); and Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool, and the Barbican Centre in London. The National Portrait Gallery in London gave her a solo exhibition that was its first for an American artist and for a living woman. Solo exhibitions include Pace/MacGill (1989, 1984) and Heidi Cho Gallery, both in New York; and Morris Gallery of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Locks Gallery, and Paul Cava Gallery in Philadelphia.
Hellebrand’s photographs are in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Princeton University Art Museum, the Yale University Art Gallery, and the Museum of the City of London.
Hellebrand studied photography with Alexey Brodovitch, Bill Brandt, and John Coplans, each of whom influenced her deeply. She taught photography at Yale University, Parsons The New School for Design, University of the Arts, and Bucks County Community College. Her awards include Fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Nancy Hellebrand’s early interest in photography was almost entirely motivated by a sense of social justice. Over time her images became less content-dependent and more abstract, though they continued to be driven by her hunger for human understanding and intimacy. Her current series, Naked, consists of photographs of nude older women printed larger than life, acknowledging the beauty in aging women.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
Forthcoming April 2024
The Print Center, Philadelphia, PA
2017
Mom: Writing with Alzheimer’s Photographs by Nancy Hellebrand, Brenau University, Gainesville, GA
2012
James A. Michener Art Museum, Doylestown, PA
2010
Liao Collection, Philadelphia, PA
Allyn Gallup Contemporary Art, Sarasota, FL
2009
Parthenon Museum, Nashville, TN
2007
Museum of the Southwest, Midland, TX
2005
Heidi Cho Gallery , New York, NY
Erie Art Museum, Erie, PA
2004
Richard Rosenfeld Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Allyn Gallup Contemporary Art, Sarasota, FL
2002
Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
1989
Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York, NY
1986
Tartt Gallery, Washington, DC
1985
Morris Gallery, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Sol Mednick Gallery of Photography, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
1984
Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York, NY
1981
Paul Cava Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
1975
Light Gallery , New York, NY
A Space, Toronto, Canada
Halsted Gallery, Detroit, MI
1974
The National Portrait Gallery, London, UK
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2019
After Virginia, Abstraction in Photography (1989) Zabriskie Gallery, Chart Gallery, New York, NY
2017
CURRENTS curated by Barbara Zucker, A.I.R. New York, NY
Another Way of Telling: Women Photographers from the Collection, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
Light & Matter: The Photographic Object, James A. Michener Art Museum, Doylestown, PA, curated by Kelsey Halliday Johnson
Mom: Writing with Alzheimer’s Photographs by Nancy Hellebrand, Brenau University in the Leo Castelli Gallery, Gainesville, GA
Sex Symbol, ARTSPACE 1241, Philadelphia, PA
2016
Strange and Familiar: Britain as Revealed by International Photographers, curated by Martin Parr, the Barbican Centre, London
Double Take: Drawing and Photography, The Photographers' Gallery, London
Size Matters, Low Gallery, San Diego CA, curated by Allie Haeusslein
2014
The Female Gaze: A Survey of Photographs by Women from the 19th to the 21st Centuries, Haverford College, Haverford, PA
2013
Glam! The Performance of Style, Tate Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
2012
Philadelphia Women Photographers, Schmidt Dean Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2010
Pictures by Women: A History of Modern Photography, Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
The Platinum Process: Photographs from the 19th to 21st Century, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
Winter Gallery Show, Schmidt Dean Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2009
Streets of Philadelphia, The Print Center, Philadelphia, PA
2008
Digital Is, Selby Gallery, Sarasota, FL
Clouds, curated by Miriam Seidel, Borowsky Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
20th Anniversary Show, Schmidt Dean Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Some Wonderful Things, Allyn Gallup Contemporary Art, Sarasota, FL
2007
How We Are, Photographing Britain, Tate Britain, London, England
Summer Group Exhibition, Schmidt Dean Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2005
a way of seeing, Southeast Museum of Photography, Daytona Beach, FL
2000
Works from the Collection by Philadelphia Area Photographers, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
Treasure Island, Late Twentieth Century Works by Eight Philadelphia Artists, Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
1998
Silicon, Silver, and Light, Silicon Gallery Fine Art Prints, Philadelphia, PA
1996
Complexity and Contradiction, curated by Sid Sachs, Paley Design Center, Philadelphia, PA
1995
Large Bodies, Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York, NY
1991
Philadelphia Art Now: Artists Choose Artists, Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, PA
Pivot, curated by Susan Beardmore, Orielmostyn, Llandudno, Wales
1990
Group Exhibition, Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York, NY
Contemporary Artists, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
1989
The Indomitable Spirit, curated by Marvin Heiferman, International Center for Photography Midtown, New York, NY
The Photography of Invention, curated by Merry Foresta and Joshua Smith,
National Museum of American Art, Washington, DC
Portraits in Contemporary Photography, curated by Peter Weiermar, Kunstverein, Franfurt, Germany. Exhibition traveled to four galleries and museums in Austria and Italy.
1988
Family Pictures, Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York, NY
Life Like, curated by Marvin Heiferman, Lorence Monk Gallery, New York, NY
Pennsylvania Photographers IV, curated by Anne Tucker, Allentown Museum of Art, Allentown, PA
John Coplans and Nancy Hellebrand, curated by Paula Marincola, Beaver College (now Arcadia University), Glenside, PA
1987
National Endowment for the Arts Anniversary Exhibition, Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
Portrayals, curated by Charles Stainback, International Center for Photography, New York, NY
Portraits: Faces of the 80's, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA
Mothers and Daughters, curated by Aperture Foundation, Field Museum, Chicago, IL
1984
Investigations: Face to Face, Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, PA
1983
BIG Pictures by Contemporary Photographers, Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
20th Century Photographs from The Museum of Modern Art, Sheibu Museum of Art, Tokyo, Japan
Photography in America, curated by Julie Saul, Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa, FL
Pennsylvania Photographers III, curated by Weston Naef, Allentown Museum of Art, Allentown, PA
Women's Caucus of the Arts Juried Exhibition, Philadelphia Art Alliance, Philadelphia, PA
Six Women Photographers, The Photography Place, Philadelphia, PA
1982
Philadelphia, Past and Present, curated by Stephen Perloff, The Print Center, Philadelphia, PA
1981
Summer Light, Light Gallery , New Y ork, NY
Street Sights II, Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, PA
1979
Pennsylvania Photographers, curated by Stephen Perloff and Judith Ross, Allentown Arts Museum, Allentown, PA
Photographs from the Lehigh University Collection, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
1976
Photographs by Nancy Hellebrand and Lawrence Fink, Klein JCC, Philadelphia, PA
1973
Women Photographers, National Film Theatre, London, UK
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
Museum of the City of London,UK
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT
Princeton University Museum, Princeton, NJ
Allentown Art Museum, Allentown, PA
Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
FELLOWSHIPS
1984
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
National Endowment for the Arts
BOOKS AND CATALOGS
2017
Light & Matter: The Photographic Object, Kelsey Halliday Johnson James A. Michener Art Museum, Doylestown, PA
2011
Learning to See: Photographs by Nancy Hellebrand, essays by A.D. Coleman, Julie Mellby, and Bruce Katsiff. James A. Michener Art Museum, Doylestown, PA
2009
Streets of Philadelphia. The Print Center, Philadelphia, PA
Sol Mednick Gallery of Photography: 30 Years. University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
2007
How We Are, Photographing Britain, by Susan Bright and Val Williams, with essays by Gerry Badger, Martin Parr, and Kevin Jackson. Tate Publishing, London, UK
1990
Women Photographers, edited by Constance Sullivan, essay by Eugenia Janis. Harry N. Abrams, New York, NY
1989
"writing," Nancy Hellebrand, introduction by Charles Hagen. Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York, NY
The Photography of Invention, edited by Joshua Smith. National Museum of American Art and MIT Press.
Portraits, by Peter Weiermar. Edition Stemmle, Frankfurt, Germany
1988
Searching Out The Best: A Tribute to the Morris Gallery of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
1987
Legacy of Light, edited by Constance Sullivan. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, NY
The Subject is Women, Philadelphia Musem of Art, Philadelphia, PA
1983
New Trends, edited by Weston Naef. Shueisha Publishing Company, Tokyo, Japan
1981
Voices of Kensington, by Jean Seder, photographs by Nancy Hellebrand. Whitmore Publishing, Ardmore, PA
1974
Londoners, Photographs by Nancy Hellebrand, by Simon Wilson. Lund Humphries, London, UK, distributed in the U.S. by Light Impressions, New York
1971
Theatre in My Head, by Dan Cheifetz, photographs by Nancy Hellebrand. Little, Brown and Company, Boston, MA
PERIODICALS AND REVIEWS
2017
Kadaba, Lini S. “Photographer takes pictures of naked - and beautiful - older women.” The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 14
2012
Donohoe, Victoria.“Learning to See: A layered view of landscape photography.” The Philadelphia Inquirer, January 6
2011
Brokaw, Nancy. “Nancy Hellebrand & the Spiritual Discipline of Digital Photography.”
The Photo Review, Volume 30, Number 1
Higgins, Ed. “Learning to See.” Icon, December
2010
Natural Wonders.” The Sarasota Herald Tribune, January 7
Sozanski, Edward J. “Platinum Photography.” The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 18
Rice, Robin. “Treasure Island.” Philadelphia Citypaper, May 19
2008
Newhall, Edith. “Sky High.” The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 22
Altabe, Joan. “Interview with Nancy Hellebrand.” The Brandenton Herald, September 11
2004
Sozanski, Edward J. "Photographer Distills Water to its Essence." The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 24
Costello, Kevin. "World Class, Artist Morphs Nature Through Photographs." The Sarasota Herald Tribune, November 21
2002
Sozanski, Edward J. "By Process, Photographs Turn Painterly." The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 21
2000
Sozanski, Edward J. "Exhibit Plucks Treasures from a Timeless Place." The Philadelphia Inquirer, January 16
Csaszar, Tom. “Philadelphia Story.” Artnet Magazine
1996
Sozanski, Edward J. "Postmodern Path of Philadelphia Photography." The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 12
1995
Hagen, Charles. "Large Bodies." The New York Times, July 28
1989
Donahoe, Victoria. "Photography." The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 17
Grundberg, Andy. "The Year's Best: Photography." The New York Times, December 24
“Book Reviews.” Print Collectors Newsletter, (now Art on Paper) September/October
Smith, Roberta. "Charting Traditions of Nontraditional Photography." The New York Times, June 11
"Photography." The New Yorker, July 10
"Photography." The Village Voice, August 8
1987
McEvelley, Thomas. "Who Told Thee That Thou Wasn't Naked?" Artforum, February
Aletti, Vince. "Face Off." The Village Voice, July 7
Grundberg, Andy. "Critic's Choice, Photography" The New York Times, Sunday, July 5
1985
Sozanski, Edward J. "Photographic Portraits Close to the Subject." The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 11
Sweetman, Alex. “The New Portrait.” Quiver, Number 11
Edwards, Owen. “Multiple Personalities.” American Photographers, December
1984
Sozanski, Edward J. “The Charm of Images in Platinum Photos,” Philadelphia Inquirer, October 4 1983
"Nancy Hellebrand: More than a Face." Aperture, Issue 91
Grundberg, Andy. "About Face." Modern Photography, November
1981
Isaacs, Chuck. “The Changing Faces of a Neighborhood,” Philadelphia Inquirer, January 23
Lifson, Ben. “Photography,” Village Voice, August 5-11
1982
Meline, Caroline. “Cameras of Six Women: Diversity,” Philadelphia Inquirer, March 12
1978
Meline, Caroline. “Smile! Someday this’ll be worth a fortune,” Philadelphia Magazine, May
1974
“Nancy Hellebrand.” Creative Camera, London, England, October
“Lookout, Photographer Nancy Hellebrand,” People Weekly (now People Magazine), November 18
TEACHING/VISITING ARTIST/LECTURES
2011
James A. Michener Art Museum, Lecture
1989
Society for Photographic Education, Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference Presenter
1988
Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, Visiting Artist
1987
Summer School of Music and Art, Yale University, Norfolk, CT
Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, Visiting Artist
University of Delaware, Newark, DE, Visiting Critic
1986-87
Yale University, New Haven, CT, Visiting Artist and (on-going) Reviewer
1983
Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, Artist’s Evening Lecture
1976-91
Bucks County Community College, Newtown, PA, Associate Professor
1975
Philadelphia College of Art (now University of the Arts), Philadelphia, PA, Instructor
1969-70
Parsons School of Design (now Parsons The New School for Design), New York, NY, Instructor
education
1971-73 Studied photography privately with Bill Brandt, London, UK
1971 B.A. Columbia University, New York, NY
1965 Photography course with Alexey Brodovitch, New York, NY
1963-64 Boston University, Boston, MA
1962-63 University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA