Meet Renaissance Woman, Nance Frank.
As a master sailor who’s raced around the world chasing Gold Cups, there’s nothing Nance loves more than “burying the rail” in a rolling sea with the wind at her back. Except for one thing. It’s a passion that resonates deep within Nance Frank’s soul: curating art and promoting local artists at her legendary Gallery on Greene in Key West’s Historic Seaport.
So what brought this salty soul to Key West? Flash back to 1979. An avid sailor since the age of six, Nance is cruising in Patagonia Chile when she lands on the island of Puerto Toro, a few miles off Cape Horn. If she had gone any further, she would have ended up in Antartica. Instead, she ends up working at the world’s most southernmost ethnological museum translating exhibits from Spanish into English.
The next decade is a busy one for Nance. She sails on to organize the textile collection for the Baselerfolkerkunde Museum in Switzerland, visits most of the largest museums in the world and captains the first US female crew for what was formerly known as the “Whitbread Round the World Race.”
It wasn’t until 1990 that the adventurous sailor finally beaches herself in Key West where she lays down roots and immediately immerses herself in the island’s burgeoning art scene. Her unbridled enthusiasm for curating local art that captures the heritage, culture and local charm of the Keys from 1934 to present day, provides a platform for her new Gallery On Greene and provides a fantastic look into the minds of the most creative people who have lived in the Florida Keys.
Today, with an extensive collection of contemporary fine art by master artists, Pulitzer Prize winners, and Cuban greats, Gallery on Greene is considered to be one of Key West’s most preeminent galleries. In addition to operating her gallery, Nance has authored several books on renowned Key West artist, Mario Sanchez and has also coordinated the donation of his work to the Smithsonian.
If you’d like to meet one of Key West’s most extraordinary personalities and revel in some of the island’s finest art, stop in and see Nance Frank at the Gallery on Greene, 606 Greene Street in Key West.
She’s one fascinating woman. Info 305-294-1669; galleryongreene.com.
