Nancy Byrtus

September 2024

Nancy Byrtus is a Canadian painter who lives and works on the traditional xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) lands in Vancouver. Her background includes the conservation of historic buildings and employment at museums and galleries in Canada and in the US. In 2020, she completed a certificate in painting at the Emily Carr University of Art + Design.

As an emerging artist, she works to record particular moments in life and her surroundings. Documenting mountains and seascapes, and exploring abstraction are the ways she arrives at subject matter to create light-hearted renderings. Her newest goal is to find more environmentally-sensitive ways to paint. Currently, Nancy incorporates raw canvas and charcoal in her work and is on the hunt for sources of natural pigments.

Image: Nancy Byrtus in her studio

SAR was my first artist residency - what a special place to experience! I came to the SAR cabin with many projects to complete, but Similkameen was so beautiful that I spent my time exploring the region, leaving with new ideas, new paintings and good memories.
Many, many thanks to the Freybe family, for their generosity and foresight; to Ali Bischoff who was a lovely and thoughtful host, and to the Syilx Nation for the privilege of visiting their traditional lands. I hope the impact of this programme will continue to grow and to benefit this region.

Nancy Byrtus, Testimonial

Similkameen, Nancy Byrtus, oil on canvas, 2024

(Unfinished), Nancy Byrtus, mixed media, 2024