Know Your Neighbor: Gregory Nemec, Illustrator/Art Teacher, Pleasantville
Pleasantville High School art teacher and professional illustrator Gregory Nemec realized last year that his passion for art became all work and no play.
Following an art show at Arc Stages in Pleasantville he attended more than a year ago, Nemec took a hard look at his body of work and realized the hustle and bustle of his life was preventing him from sitting down and drawing just for fun.
“I realized even though I’ve been drawing and being creative for 30 years, I hadn’t really developed a body of work that reflects who I am,” Nemec said. “I was sad that I don’t draw for fun like I did every day when I was a kid, but once it became college assignments and illustration assignments, drawing for fun had kind of gone away.”
Nemec used an Instagram challenge called Inktober, a drawing prompt that dared artists to illustrate one ink drawing a day for the entire month of October, in order to sit down and sketch each night. But what began as a social media challenge turned into a year’s worth of drawings.
Nemec created monthly designs comprised of 28 to 31 drawings. He posted each illustration daily on social media and took requests from friends on what they would like to see incorporated into his designs.
“It took me until I was 50 to realize I could do this for fun,” Nemec said. “Drawing has always been my favorite thing to do.”
While it may have taken some time for Nemec to reignite his passion, the Pleasantville resident and Iowa native spent his childhood devoted to his craft. His love of art led him to The University of the Arts in Philadelphia where he majored in illustration.
“Art has always been who I am,” Nemec said. “I always liked art that was in conversation with the viewer, and illustration always made sense to me.”
Nemec went on to become a freelance illustrator, contributing to publications such as The New York Times, Random House, The Wall Street Journal, National Geographic Adventure, WIRED and Men’s Health, among others.
After Nemec and his family moved to Pleasantville in 1999, he began teaching art in various capacities throughout the village, including the Jacob Burns Animation Studio where he taught fourth-graders animation for 10 years. Nemec has also been teaching an afterschool art class at the Pleasantville Presbyterian Church for 14 years.
A knack for teaching motivated him to attend Pace University where he earned his master’s degree in art education five years ago.
“At one point I did have four different teaching jobs and I figured I should go back to school and make this a career because I like it,” Nemec said. “I’m definitely the classic lifelong learner, I’m just interested in a lot of things.”
Nemec, who spent four years teaching art part-time at Pleasantville High School, was bumped up to a full-time position this year. Nemec has also contributed his talents by painting four murals on the walls of the Bedford Road School.
With Nemec’s year of drawings on display at the Schiffman Butterfield Gallery at Arc Stages through February, he said his current body of work is the most rewarding artistic pursuit of his life.
“It was fun for me to see them all together,” Nemec said about his exhibit’s opening on Dec. 2. “But the great part was seeing people studying them. People lined up and got lost looking at each design.”
Nemec said his New Year’s resolution is to begin drawing again every day in January. While he doesn’t know what his next project will entail, he wants to feel the enjoyment and discipline he had crafting his latest project.
“I love being busy,” Nemec said. “I can’t relate to people when they say they’re bored. I haven’t been bored in 25 years.”
To view or purchase Gregory Nemec’s illustrations, visit www.etsy.com/shop/Nemecmadeit
