Exhibit | Nancy Lee Katz: A Private Pantheon | Part 1
About
Nancy Lee Katz: A Private Pantheon (https://magnes.berkeley.edu/exhibitions/nancy-lee-katz-a-private-pantheon/) explores the artist's decades-long effort to photograph artists, writers, musicians, and thinkers she admired, including Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Sondheim, Maya Lin, Roy Lichtenstein, and Seiji Ozawa. Created in the intimate environments of personal studios and workplaces, these 133 portraits look behind public accolades to reveal a quiet, private presence. Unfolding in two parts (fall and spring), the exhibition presents, for the first time, the entirety of Katz's Pantheon. Part 1 | Sep 2 - Dec 17, 2026 Part 2 | Jan 19 - May 13, 2027Nancy Lee Katz (1947–2018) was a prolific photographer who spent her life documenting people and places. Katz was born to a Jewish family in Los Angeles and traveled extensively in her youth, exploring Europe and Morocco before beginning work as an assistant film editor and still photographer. From 1986 to 2010, she created a remarkable pantheon of portraits, focusing on artists, musicians, writers, and thinkers whose work she respected, though she never sold nor published her prints. She also pursued music, art, and travel, documenting traditional cultures worldwide. Katz's independence and passion left a lasting mark on those who knew her. Exhibition Team:Lauren Graves, Guest CuratorAlissa Schapiro and Hannah Weisman, Coordinating CuratorsAndrea Calderon, RegistrarDavid Sullivan, Head PreparatorCarole Jeung, Designer Special thanks to Michael S. Sachs, who has made this exhibition possible through his generous gift of Nancy Lee Katz's Pantheon (2024.1), loan of additional prints, and gracious consultations. The Magnes is committed to providing exhibitions and programs that are accessible, welcoming, and inclusive of our community.If you have any questions about accessibility or require accommodations, please contact us at magnes@berkeley.edu (mailto:magnes@berkeley.edu) or 510.643.2526.
