Nicola Russell is an American-Canadian artist based in New York City. She earned a BA in Studio Art with a minor in Philosophy from Hobart and William Smith Colleges (2019), followed by an MFA from the New York Academy of Art (2024). In 2018, after studying at the Leo Marchutz School in Aix-en-Provence, France, she began painting landscapes en plein air.

Her work spans portraiture, landscape, and figurative painting, and is driven by a deep investigation into existentialism and the beautiful meaninglessness of life. It is her belief that life is meaningless, and it is up to each individual to create meaning for themselves.

She currently teaches oil painting, watercolor portraiture, and figure drawing at the New York Academy of Art.

Education

2024 MFA New York Academy of Art, New York NY                                                                   

2019 BA, Studio Art, minor in Philosophy, Hobart and William Smith Colleges (HWS), Geneva NY            

2018 Leo Marchutz School of Painting & Drawing, Aix-en-Provence, France        

Press

CanvasRebel - https://canvasrebel.com/meet-nicola-russell/

Membership

Alumni Association of the New York Academy of Art 

Shows/ Exhibitions/ Residencies

Upcoming: NYAA Tribeca Ball Alumni Show 2026

NYAA Take Home a Nude Art Auction at Philips, New York NY, 2025

AANYAA Artist in Residence at Fieldstones, 2025

NYAA Deck the Walls, New York NY, 2024

NYAA Take Home a Nude Art Auction at Sotheby's, New York NY, 2024

Forum Gallery, New York Academy of Art Summer Exhibition, New York NY, 2024

NYAA 2024 MFA Thesis Exhibition, New York NY, 2024

NYAA Tribeca Ball Hallway Exhibition, New York NY, 2024

Everyday Rituals NYAA Student Curatorial Committee fall exhibition, New York NY, 2023

Living Gallery Pop-Up Art Show, Brooklyn NY, August 2023

Rocky Neck Plein Air Exhibition, Gloucester MA, August 2023

NYAA Tribeca Ball Hallway Exhibition, New York NY, Exhibition 2023

The Beautiful, Brief Existence NYAA Student Curatorial Committee spring exhibition, New York NY, 2023

Walls NYAA Student Curatorial Committee fall exhibition, New York NY, 2022

Porter Mill Downstairs Gallery, Beverly MA, December 2021 

Color Gallery’s Red show, Marblehead MA, April 2021

Porter Mill Online Exhibition, Beverly MA, December 2020

HWS Annual Student Exhibition, Geneva NY, 2019

Leo Marzutez Salon des Refusés Exhibition, Aix-en-Provence France, May 2018                                

Awards

Bonnie De-Witt Fund Award 2024

NYAA SURP Teaching Assistantship Volunteer Program Award 2023

NYAA Academic Merit Award 2022

HWS The Arthur Dove Award 2019 (Recognition of quality of work and the purchase of a select work of art) 

HWS The Katherine Gracey Merrill Award 2019 (For academic excellence in the fine arts). 

Summa Cum Laude HWS 2019

BCS Headmaster’s Commission Award 2015

B.C.S Tankard Award for Most Outstanding Students

BSC Class Art Award ( 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015)

Duke of Edinburgh Award – bronze and silver