Film is Art for Nancy Cervenka, Literally

She’s a Chicago native and an art enthusiast, a sculptor and a massage therapist. Nancy Cervenka seems to have it all planned out. But it wasn’t always that way. It took her some time to recognize her true calling to be an artist.

While she was attending the University of South Florida in the ‘70s, Nancy Cervenka was earning her bachelor’s degree in fine arts. During her time in the undergraduate program, she discovered her love for film. Cervenka then decided to take her education to the next level and work on a masters in cinematography.

In the process of earning her masters, one thing led to another and Cervenka began to experiment with the same material she was learning about: film.

“As I was working with the film all the time, I started playing with it and creating forms,” remembered Cervenka. “That was the first time I experimented with it.”

At the time, Cervenka just thought it was a neat hobby. Little did she know that her experimentation would lead to a career path that had never been traveled.

While working on her masters, Cervenka spent a lot of time in dark rooms developing film. She said that she became so familiar with the texture of the film that she could mold a form in the dark. “I have such a feel for the film, which is nice because I can tell when it’s uniform,” explained Cervenka.

The hobby became a job when Cervenka began showing her work at art shows and galleries. She received such a positive response that she decided it was time to think about sculpting as a livelihood.

With the film industry transitioning to a digital world, there was one inevitable question: where would Cervenka find material to sculpt? Well, she has a back up plan.

“If it comes to a point where I can’t get film anymore, I will go back to clay,” Cervenka said. “I’ve been waiting to get back to clay since I was an undergrad.”

Aside from sculpting, Cervenka is a photographer and massage therapist. However, her film sculptures top her list of favorite things to do. “I love the actual act of creating the pieces,” said Cervenka. “It’s very meditative and very peaceful”

For the time being, Cervenka is happy with her current position as an artist. She loves creating and has no intention of stopping anytime soon.

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You can view Cervenka's work up close during the annual SoStudio Tour on Saturday, May 12 from 3 - 8 p.m. There are 17 artists opening their studios for the tour and Cervenka is one of them. Tickets are $10 at the door, but are half price if purchased by Saturday, April 28. Tickets can be purchased online at www.so49.org using Paypal or by making reservations by emailing bien50@gmail.com or by calling (727) 347-4786.