Ree grew up in Redfield, South Dakota, and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.S. in Education. She lived near Denali National Park in Alaska for 50 years and currently lives in Fairbanks, Alaska.
She was a Denali National Park Artist-in-Residence, has been accepted and won awards in many national shows, and has had multiple solo shows.
Major commissions include a four-panel quilt for the U.S. Army (Fort Wainwright Bassett Hospital, Fairbanks AK) and a four-panel quilt for the Eielson Visitor’s Center in Denali National Park, Alaska.
She received an Interior Alaska Mayor's Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts in 2012. She was a Rasmuson Individual Artists Grant recipient in 2020.
Artist's Statement
Our world is one of constant change. We continue to witness the traditional changing of seasons and now the effects of global warming and climate change as seen in erosion, forest fires and other environmental events. All of these are central to my artistic expression. My work varies from abstract to representational, usually seeking to depict the character of a place or life form found in a particular environment, rather than portraying actual places in the world.
I make art quilts, drawing imagery from a lifetime of experience drawing, silk-screening, stenciling, stamping, painting, dyeing fabric, and photographing. Learning to design on the iPad after receiving a Rasmuson Foundation Individual Artist’s Award in 2020 gave me the skills to create the fabrics for my work digitally and intuitively, often creating new color palettes to better express my mood. My elaboratively quilted surfaces enhance the rich imagery and detail of each piece.
Articles & Publications
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Ree Nancarrow quilt joins National Climate Report — Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, August 24, 2023
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Consequences: Observations from the Warming North — Studio Art Quilt Associates, January 1, 2023
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Alaska Fire Science Consortium – Coverage of Ree's participation with In a Time of Change: Boreal Forest Stories
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“In Time of Change: Boreal Forest Stories” melds art and science — Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, September 8, 2022
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‘Microbial World’ blends science, art – Peninsula Clarion, June 9, 2021
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Art in the Arctic – U.S. Fish & Wildlife Alaska, April 2, 2021
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Art + Science at Bonanza Creek, Alaska – Terrain.org, May 27, 2020
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Artist’s Statement for the cover art (Continuum) – Interdisciplinary Journal of Partnership Studies, Volume 8, Issue 1, 2018
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Denali quilter inspired by art, nature, science – Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, July 8, 2012
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Renowned quilter Nancarrow’s art graces Fairbanks Summer Arts Fest poster – Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, March 30, 2012
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2006 Artists-in-Residence – Denali National Park, 2006
Historical Works
Ree has been creating art for many decades now. Below are some selections from her body of work, including various mediums.
