Lowell Blair Nesbitt
Encyclopedia
Lowell Blair Nesbitt was a painter
, draughtsman
, printmaker and sculptor.
at Temple University
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and also attended the Royal Academy of Arts in London, England where he created a number of works in the mediums of stained glass and etching.
hosted the first solo museum exhibit that Nesbitt was to have in his lengthy career but it was in 1964 with Nesbitt's debut at the Corcoran Gallery of Art
(Museum) in Washington D.C. that the art world truly took notice of his bold new style with this first public exhibition of the botanical series of paintings, drawings and prints which was to be the series of works that was to put Lowell Nesbitt on the map of current art world fascinations. The vast array of botanical works most likely would not have been created had it had not been for the beckoning of fellow artist, Robert Indiana
who, in 1962 after viewing some of Lowell Nesbitt's abstract paintings drawings and prints suggested that he attempt to make a conversion from the abstraction which Nesbitt’s career had been focused on pre-1962, to the style of realism.
Nesbitt was often classified as a Photorealist artist, though, he fought inclusion with this group of artists throughout his career. Lowell Nesbitt quickly established himself as an artist who could employ both diversity of technique and subject matter while creating paintings, drawings and prints using studio interiors, articles of clothing, piles of shoes, x-ray figures (Nesbitt was the first highly recognized artist to use this subject matter since the artists of the New
Zealand region unknowingly painted "x-ray style" figures at the early portion of the last millennium), caverns, ruins, landscapes, flowers, groupings of fruits and vegetables, and electronic components (he is credited for being the first artist to use computer parts as subject matter for his artwork). He also used his pet dogs in addition to birds, reptiles, various mammals and the Neoclassical facades of SoHo's 19th century cast-iron buildings and several of Manhattan's major bridges, in addition to a number of series in which he incorporated numerous Victorian staircases, and other interior scenes as subject matter for his artwork. His last series in the 1980‘s, titled the “impossible series” was a grouping of surrealistic landscapes paintings and drawings.
To honor Lowell Nesbitt's monumental contributions to the art world, in 1980, the United States Postal Service
issued four stamps based on his floral paintings. He also served as the official artist for the NASA
space flights of Apollo 9
and Apollo 13
. Lowell Nesbitt was found dead in his New York studio in 1993 at the age of 59. Police stated he died of natural causes.
in the middle portion of the 1960s) in New York, to 389 West 12th, Street, New York. Formerly the site of a police stable that he purchased and renovated the area measured in excess of 12500 square feet (1,161.3 m²). This studio and living space, included an indoor swimming pool, a four-story atrium
and a rooftop entertainment area; Nesbitt labelled the facility "The Old Stable." Nesbitt hired two full-time staff members, a caretaker for his plants and a chef. This provided a befitting backdrop to the artist's larger-than-life artworks – the largest single painting that Nesbitt is known to have created was more than 30 feet (9.1 m) long, with many 20 feet (6.1 m) in length or height. The Lowell Nesbitt studio became a popular gathering place for major art world figures, celebrities and dignitaries including Andy Warhol
, Roy Lichtenstein
, Robert Indiana
, Jasper Johns
, Robert Motherwell
, Larry Rivers
and James Rosenquist
. This monumental space that Nesbitt created resulted in feature articles about the facility in the New York Times, the Washington Post and Architectural Digest Magazine in the late 1970s. After Lowell Nesbitt’s death the "Old Stable" was purchased by fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg
who used it for her primary design studio and inner-city living area. She continued to use the structure until the early 2000s when it was sold and demolished to make space for a new high-rise building.
. The Corcoran Gallery of Art
(Museum) in Washington D.C. had agreed to host a solo exhibit of Mapplethorpe's works without stipulating what type of subject matter would be used. Mapplethorpe decided to make his famed debut of "sexually suggestive" photographs in Washington D.C.; a new series that he had explored shortly before his death. The hierarchy of the Corcoran and even certain members of United States Congress
were horrified when the works were revealed to them, thus the museum refused to go ahead with the exhibit. It was at this time that Nesbitt stepped forward. As a long time friend of Mapplethorpe's he revealed that he had a 1,500,000.00 USD bequest to the museum in his will. However, in public statements causing a press sensation regarding the issue, Nesbitt promised that if the museum refused to host the exhibition of the controversial images created by Mapplethorpe he would revoke his bequest. The Corcoran refused and Lowell Nesbitt bequeathed the 1,500,000.00 USD to the Phillips Collection
which he cited as an early inspiration to his career when he had worked there as a young man in the position of a night watchman.
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, draughtsman
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
, printmaker and sculptor.
Early years
Lowell Nesbitt was a graduate of the Tyler School of ArtTyler School of Art
The Stella Elkins Tyler School of Art, usually just referred to as Tyler School of Art is Temple University's school of art, which confers BFA and MFA degrees. The school was originally founded by sculptors Stella Elkins Tyler and Boris Blai on a separate 14-acre estate in Elkins Park...
at Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and also attended the Royal Academy of Arts in London, England where he created a number of works in the mediums of stained glass and etching.
Career
In 1958 the Baltimore Museum of ArtBaltimore Museum of Art
The Baltimore Museum of Art in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, was founded in 1914. Built in the Roman Temple style, the Museum is home to an internationally renowned collection of 19th-century, modern, and contemporary art. Founded in 1914 with a single painting, the BMA today has 90,000 works...
hosted the first solo museum exhibit that Nesbitt was to have in his lengthy career but it was in 1964 with Nesbitt's debut at the Corcoran Gallery of Art
Corcoran Gallery of Art
The Corcoran Gallery of Art is the largest privately supported cultural institution in Washington, DC. The museum's main focus is American art. The permanent collection includes works by Rembrandt, Eugène Delacroix, Edgar Degas, Thomas Gainsborough, John Singer Sargent, Claude Monet, Pablo...
(Museum) in Washington D.C. that the art world truly took notice of his bold new style with this first public exhibition of the botanical series of paintings, drawings and prints which was to be the series of works that was to put Lowell Nesbitt on the map of current art world fascinations. The vast array of botanical works most likely would not have been created had it had not been for the beckoning of fellow artist, Robert Indiana
Robert Indiana
Robert Indiana is an American artist associated with the Pop Art movement.-Life and work:Robert Indiana was born Robert Clark in New Castle, Indiana. His family relocated to Indianapolis, where he graduated from Arsenal Technical High School...
who, in 1962 after viewing some of Lowell Nesbitt's abstract paintings drawings and prints suggested that he attempt to make a conversion from the abstraction which Nesbitt’s career had been focused on pre-1962, to the style of realism.
Nesbitt was often classified as a Photorealist artist, though, he fought inclusion with this group of artists throughout his career. Lowell Nesbitt quickly established himself as an artist who could employ both diversity of technique and subject matter while creating paintings, drawings and prints using studio interiors, articles of clothing, piles of shoes, x-ray figures (Nesbitt was the first highly recognized artist to use this subject matter since the artists of the New
Zealand region unknowingly painted "x-ray style" figures at the early portion of the last millennium), caverns, ruins, landscapes, flowers, groupings of fruits and vegetables, and electronic components (he is credited for being the first artist to use computer parts as subject matter for his artwork). He also used his pet dogs in addition to birds, reptiles, various mammals and the Neoclassical facades of SoHo's 19th century cast-iron buildings and several of Manhattan's major bridges, in addition to a number of series in which he incorporated numerous Victorian staircases, and other interior scenes as subject matter for his artwork. His last series in the 1980‘s, titled the “impossible series” was a grouping of surrealistic landscapes paintings and drawings.
To honor Lowell Nesbitt's monumental contributions to the art world, in 1980, the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
issued four stamps based on his floral paintings. He also served as the official artist for the NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
space flights of Apollo 9
Apollo 9
Apollo 9, the third manned mission in the American Apollo space program, was the first flight of the Command/Service Module with the Lunar Module...
and Apollo 13
Apollo 13
Apollo 13 was the seventh manned mission in the American Apollo space program and the third intended to land on the Moon. The craft was launched on April 11, 1970, at 13:13 CST. The landing was aborted after an oxygen tank exploded two days later, crippling the service module upon which the Command...
. Lowell Nesbitt was found dead in his New York studio in 1993 at the age of 59. Police stated he died of natural causes.
Studio and mansion
In 1976, Nesbitt had moved from his studio, an already large location on West 14th Street (which he shared with artist Ian HornakIan Hornak
Ian Hornak was an American draughtsman, painter and printmaker associated with the Hyperrealist and Photorealist art movements.-Biography:...
in the middle portion of the 1960s) in New York, to 389 West 12th, Street, New York. Formerly the site of a police stable that he purchased and renovated the area measured in excess of 12500 square feet (1,161.3 m²). This studio and living space, included an indoor swimming pool, a four-story atrium
Atrium (architecture)
In modern architecture, an atrium is a large open space, often several stories high and having a glazed roof and/or large windows, often situated within a larger multistory building and often located immediately beyond the main entrance doors...
and a rooftop entertainment area; Nesbitt labelled the facility "The Old Stable." Nesbitt hired two full-time staff members, a caretaker for his plants and a chef. This provided a befitting backdrop to the artist's larger-than-life artworks – the largest single painting that Nesbitt is known to have created was more than 30 feet (9.1 m) long, with many 20 feet (6.1 m) in length or height. The Lowell Nesbitt studio became a popular gathering place for major art world figures, celebrities and dignitaries including Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
, Roy Lichtenstein
Roy Lichtenstein
Roy Lichtenstein was a prominent American pop artist. During the 1960s his paintings were exhibited at the Leo Castelli Gallery in New York City and along with Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, James Rosenquist and others he became a leading figure in the new art movement...
, Robert Indiana
Robert Indiana
Robert Indiana is an American artist associated with the Pop Art movement.-Life and work:Robert Indiana was born Robert Clark in New Castle, Indiana. His family relocated to Indianapolis, where he graduated from Arsenal Technical High School...
, Jasper Johns
Jasper Johns
Jasper Johns, Jr. is an American contemporary artist who works primarily in painting and printmaking.-Life:Born in Augusta, Georgia, Jasper Johns spent his early life in Allendale, South Carolina with his paternal grandparents after his parents' marriage failed...
, Robert Motherwell
Robert Motherwell
Robert Motherwell American painter, printmaker and editor. He was one of the youngest of the New York School , which also included Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, and Philip Guston....
, Larry Rivers
Larry Rivers
Larry Rivers was an American artist, musician, filmmaker and occasional actor. Rivers resided and maintained studios in New York City, Southampton, New York and Zihuatanejo, Mexico.-Biography:...
and James Rosenquist
James Rosenquist
James Rosenquist is an American artist and one of the protagonists in the pop-art movement.-Background and education:...
. This monumental space that Nesbitt created resulted in feature articles about the facility in the New York Times, the Washington Post and Architectural Digest Magazine in the late 1970s. After Lowell Nesbitt’s death the "Old Stable" was purchased by fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg
Diane von Fürstenberg
Diane von Fürstenberg, formerly Princess Diane of Fürstenberg , is a Belgian-American fashion designer best known for her iconic wrap dress. She initially rose to prominence when she married into the German princely House of Fürstenberg, as the wife of Prince Egon of Fürstenberg...
who used it for her primary design studio and inner-city living area. She continued to use the structure until the early 2000s when it was sold and demolished to make space for a new high-rise building.
Robert Mapplethorpe scandal
In June 1989 Lowell Nesbitt became involved with the scandal involving fellow artist photographer Robert MapplethorpeRobert Mapplethorpe
Robert Mapplethorpe was an American photographer, known for his large-scale, highly stylized black and white portraits, photos of flowers and nude men...
. The Corcoran Gallery of Art
Corcoran Gallery of Art
The Corcoran Gallery of Art is the largest privately supported cultural institution in Washington, DC. The museum's main focus is American art. The permanent collection includes works by Rembrandt, Eugène Delacroix, Edgar Degas, Thomas Gainsborough, John Singer Sargent, Claude Monet, Pablo...
(Museum) in Washington D.C. had agreed to host a solo exhibit of Mapplethorpe's works without stipulating what type of subject matter would be used. Mapplethorpe decided to make his famed debut of "sexually suggestive" photographs in Washington D.C.; a new series that he had explored shortly before his death. The hierarchy of the Corcoran and even certain members of United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
were horrified when the works were revealed to them, thus the museum refused to go ahead with the exhibit. It was at this time that Nesbitt stepped forward. As a long time friend of Mapplethorpe's he revealed that he had a 1,500,000.00 USD bequest to the museum in his will. However, in public statements causing a press sensation regarding the issue, Nesbitt promised that if the museum refused to host the exhibition of the controversial images created by Mapplethorpe he would revoke his bequest. The Corcoran refused and Lowell Nesbitt bequeathed the 1,500,000.00 USD to the Phillips Collection
Phillips Collection
The Phillips Collection is an art museum founded by Duncan Phillips in 1921 as the Phillips Memorial Gallery located in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Phillips was the grandson of James H...
which he cited as an early inspiration to his career when he had worked there as a young man in the position of a night watchman.
Works in Museum and Government Collections
The following is a partial listing of bodies owning works by Lowell Nesbitt—- American Embassies: Monrovia, Dar es Salaam, Tel Aviv, São Paulo
- The Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois
- Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center for the performing arts, New York, New York
- Baltimore Museum of Art, Maryland
- Butler Museum of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio
- Castel Gandolfo, Rome, Collection of the Vatican
- Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio
- Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
- Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, Dallas, Texas
- Detroit Institute of Art, Detroit, Michigan
- Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art, Wichita State University, Kansas
- Environmental Protection Agency, Washington D.C.
- Federal Reserve Bank, Baltimore, Maryland
- Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Virginia
- Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, Mass.
- Fort Worth Art Center, Texas
- Goucher College, Baltimore, Maryland
- Green Mountain County Museum, South Carolina
- The High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia
- Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture GardenHirshhorn Museum and Sculpture GardenThe Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is an art museum beside the National Mall, in Washington, D.C., the United States. The museum was initially endowed during the 1960s with the permanent art collection of Joseph H. Hirshhorn. It was designed by architect Gordon Bunshaft and is part of the...
, Washington D.C. - Hunt Institute of Botanical Documentation, Canegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- International Monetary Fund, Washington D.C.
- Israel Museum, Jerusalem
- John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, Florida
- La Jolla Museum, La Jolla, California
- Library of Congress, Washington D.C.
- Loch Haven Art Center, Florida
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston
- Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, New York
- Miami-Dade Public Library System, Miami, Florida
- Milwaukee Art Center, Wisconsin
- Morris Museum of Arts and Sciences, Morristown, New Jersey
- Museum of Modern Art, New York
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington D.C.
- National Art Gallery, Washington D.C.
- National Collection of the Fine Arts: The Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.
- National Gallery of Art, Wellington, New Zealand
- New York City Center, New York
- Oberlin College, Ohio
- Oklahoma Art Center, Tulsa
- The Parrish Art Museum, Southampton, New York
- Peter Ludwig Collection, Neue Galerie Der Stadt Aachen, Germany
- Philadelphia Museum of Art, Penn.
- Phillips Collection, Washington D.C.
- Plateau Beauborg Museum, Paris, France
- Renwick Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.
- Saginaw Art Museum, Saginaw, Michigan
- San Antonio Museum, Texas
- Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken, Goteborg, Sweden
- Temple University, Philadelphia, Penn.
- Thyssen Bormemisza Collection
- Tucson Museum of Art, Arizona
- Twelfth Naval District, Treasure Island Museum, San Francisco, CA
- United States Department of the Interior, Washington D.C.
- University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
- University of Virginia, Charlottesville
- Washington & Lee University, Lexington, Virginia
- Worcester Museum, Worcester, Mass.
- Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT
Solo exhibitions
His solo exhibitions were held in the following galleries (partial listing)—- Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD, 1958
- Franz Bader Gallery, Washington D.C., 1963
- Corcoran Gallery of Art: Washington D.C., 1964
- Rolf Nelson Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., 1965
- Henri Gallery, Washington D.C., 1965
- Howard Wise Gallery, New York, NY, 1965
- Rolf Nelson Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, 1966
- Gertrude Kasle Gallery, Detroit, MI, 1966
- Henri Gallery, Washington D.C., 1967
- Gertrude Kasle Gallery, Detroit, MI, 1967
- Jefferson Gallery, San Diego, CA, 1967
- Louisiana Gallery, Houston, TX, 1967
- Stable Gallery, New York, NY, 1968
- Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD, 1969
- Henri Gallery, Washington D.C., 1969
- Gertrude Kasle Gallery, Detroit, MI, 1969
- Stable Gallery, New York, NY, 1969
- Galerie M.E. Thelen, Essen, Germany, 1969
- Galerie M.E. Thelen, Cologne, Germany, 1970
- Gertrude Kasle Gallery, Detroit, MI, 1970
- Stable Gallery, New York, NY, 1970
- Gimpel Fils, London, England, 1971
- Gimpel and Weitzenhoffer, New York, NY, 1971
- Gimpel and Weitzenhoffer, New York, NY, 1971
- Gertrude Kasle Gallery, Detroit, MI, 1971
- Lambert Studios, Los Angeles, CA, 1971
- Pyramid Gallery, Washington D.C., 1971
- Hansen Fuller Gallery, San Francisco, CA, 1972
- Galerie M.E. Thelen, Cologne, Germany, 1972
- Gimpel and Hanover Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland, 1972
- Fabian Carlson Galeries, Goteborg, Sweden, 1972
- Corcoran and Corcoran, Miami, FL, 1972
- Galerie Ostergren, Malmo, Sweden, 1972
- Gertrude Kasle Gallery, Detroit, MI, 1972
- Kunstverei, Frieburg, Germany, 1972
- Galerie Arneson, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1972
- Gerlerie Aronovitsch, Stockholm, Sweden, 1972
- The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., 1973
- Marian Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, 1973
- Galerie Arneson, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1973
- Gertrude Kasle Gallery, Detroit, MI, 1973
- Gimpel and Weitzenhoffer, New York, NY, 1973
- Galerie John Craven, Paris, France, 1973
- Gimpel Fils, London, England, 1973
- Hester Van Royen Gallery, London, England, 1973
- Stefanotty Gallery, New York, NY, 1973
- Gimpel Fils, London, England, 1974
- Stefanotty Gallery, New York, NY, 1974
- Galerie Arneson, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1974
- Booke Alexander, Inc., New York, NY, 1974
- Gertrude Kasle Gallery, Detroit, MI, 1974
- Fendrick Gallery, Washington D.C., 1974
- Galerie H.M., Brussels, Belgium, 1974
- Museo de Bellas Artes, San Juan, PR, 1974
- Walton Galleries, Inc., San Francisco, CA, 1974
- The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., 1975
- Pyramid Gallery, Washington D.C., 1975
- Memorial Art Gallery, University of Rochester, NY, 1975
- Pyramid Gallery, Washington D.C., 1975
- Andrew Crispo Gallery, New York, NY, 1975
- Josef Gallery, New York, NY, 1975
- Pace Gallery, New York, NY, 1975
- Andrew Crispo Gallery, New York, NY, 1976
- Gallerie H.M, Brussels, Belgium, 1976
- Hokin Gallery, Palm Beach, FL, 1976
- Hokin Gallery, Chicago, IL, 1976
- Hayden, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 1976
- Navy and Marine Corps Museum, Treasure Island, San Francisco, CA, 1976
- Graphis Gallery, Toronto, Canada, 1977
- Gumps Gallery, San Francisco, CA, 1977
- Andrew Crispo Gallery, New York, NY, 1977
- Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art, Wichita KS, 1977
- Janus Gallery, Venice, CA, 1977
- Galeria Arte/Contacto, Caracas, Venezuela, 1977
- Galerie Jollen, Cologne, Germany, 1977
- Strong’s Gallery, Cleveland, OH, 1978
- Intown Club, Cleveland, OH, 1978
- Kent State University, Kent, OH, 1978
- Andrew Crispo Gallery, New York, NY, 1978
- B.R. Kornblatt Gallery, Baltimore, MD, 1978
- Art Contact, Miami, FL, 1978
- Andrew Crispo Gallery, New York, NY, 1979
- Selby Botanical Gardens, Museum of Botany and the Art's, Sarasota, FL, 1979
- Marion Koogler Mcnay Art Institute, San Antonio, TX, 1980
- Lyford Cay Fallery, Nassau, Bahamas, 1980
- Galerie Jerome, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1980
- Galeria Arte/Contacto, Caraca, Venezuela, 1980
- Profile Gallery, New York, NY, 1980
- The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, CT, 1980
- B.R. Kornblatt Gallery, Baltimore, MD, 1980
- Galerie Herder, Falsterbo, Sweden, 1980
- Hull Gallery, Washington D.C., 1980
- Hokin Gallery, Palm Beach, FL, 1981
- General Electric Gallery, Fairfield, CT, 1981
- Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA, 1981
- South West II Gallery, Dallas, TX, 1981
- Andrew Crispo Gallery, New York, NY, 1981
- Editions Inc, Houston TX, 1981
- Keny and Johnson Gallery, Columbus, OH, 1982
- Reinhard Onnasch Gallery, Berlin, Germany, 1982
- Robert Kidd Gallery, Birmingham, MI, 1982
- Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH, 1982
- Art Gallery, Kilcawley Center, Youngstown State University, OH, 1982
- Andrew Crispo Gallery, New York, NY, 1982
- Editions Inc., Houston, TX, 1982
- Andrew Crispo Gallery, New York, NY, 1983
- Atlantic Center for the Art, New Smyrna Beach, FL, 1983
- Burpee Art Museum, Rockford, IL, 1983
- Greenwich Garden Center, CT, 1983
- Images Gallery, Toledo, OH, 1983
- Mansfield Art Center, OH, 1983
- Martin Lawrence Galleries, Los Angeles, CA, 1983
- Morris Museum of Art?s and Sciences, Morristown, NJ, 1983
- Oklahoma Art Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 1983
- Southwest Gallery, Dallas, TX, 1983
- Texan Ivy Fine Arts, Orlando, FL, 1983
- Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA, 1983
- Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Penn., 1983
- Gallery 24, Bay Harbor, FL, 1984
- Oklahoma Art Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 1984
- G. Sander Fine Art, Daytona Beach, FL, 1985
- Peri Renneth Gallery, Southampton, NY, 1985
- Tyler Alumni Gallery, Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 1985
- Bourne Gallery, Surrey, England, 1985
- DiLaurenti Gallery, New York, NY, 1986
- Foster harmon Gallery, Sarasota, FL, 1986
- Images Gallery, Toledo, OH, 1986
- Tyler Gallery, Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 1986
- Wally Findlay Galleries, Palm Beach, FL, 1986
- Joy Tash Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ, 1987
- Louis Newman Galleries, Beverly Hills, CA, 1987
- Peri Renneth Gallery, Southampton, NY, 1987
- DiLaurenti Gallery, New York, NY, 1988
- Joy Tash Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ, 1988
- Galerie 1900-2000, Paris, France, 1989
- Joy Tash Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ, 1989
- Ted Gallery, Albany, NY, 1989
- Tyler Gallery, Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 1989
- Center for Cultural Arts, Gadsden, AL, 1989
Posthumous exhibitions
- "Lowell Nesbitt (1933-1993): A Comprehensive Retrospective Exhibit," Eric I. Spoutz Gallery, Detroit, Michigan, 2003
- "Lowell Nesbitt – Paintings from the Seventies," Galerie Jöllenbeck, Cologne, Germany, 2004
Selected books and catalogues
- Flowers Facades and IBM Machines, Howard Wise Gallery, New York, New York, September/October 1965. Text by Henry Martin.
- Art 1965, New York Worlds Fair, New York, New York, 1965. Text by Brian O’Doherty, statement by artist.
- Interior Spaces, Howard Wise Gallery, New York, New York, 1966. Text by Bill Wilson.
- The Big Drawing, Graham Gallery, New York, New York, April/May 1969. Text by Barbara Kulicke.
- Aspects of New Realism, Milwaukee Art Center, June/August 1969. Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, September/October 1969; Akron Art Institute, November/December 1969. Text by John Lloyd Taylor.
- The New Painting, Praeger, New York 1969. Text by Kultermann, Udo.
- Lowell Nesbitt, Pyramid Gallery, Washington D.C.
- Lowell Nesbitt, Gallery Ostergren, Malmo, Sweden, January/February 1972. Text by Anders Bergh.
- Lowell Nesbitt, Gallery Fabian Carlson, Goteborg, Sweden, March/April 1972. Text by Anders Bergh.
- Lowell Nesbitt, Gimpel and Hanover Gallery, Zurich, Switzerland, May/June 1972. Text by Udo Kultermann.
- Lowell Nesbitt, Gallery Aronovitsch, Stockholm, Sweden, November 1972. Text by Anders Bergh.
- Radical Realism, Praeger, New York, 1972. Text by Udo Kultermann.
- Hyperrealiste Americain, Galerie Des Quatre Movements, Paris, France 1972.
- Botanical Art and Illustration 1972-1973, The Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1972.
- The Flowers Series 1964-1973, The Corcoran Gallery [Museum] of Art, Washington D.C., April/May 1973. Text by Henry T. Hopkins. Introduction by Roy Slade.
- Hyperrealisme, Paris, France, 1973. Text by Isy Brachot.
- Le Fleurs du Mal, Walton Galleries, San Francisco, California, June 1974. Text by John Pereault.
- Lowell Nesbitt, Museo de Bellas Artes de Puerto Rico, October 1974. Text by Roy Slade.
- Painting and Sculpture Today 1974, Contemporary Art Society of the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indiana 1974.
- Imagist Realism, Art Museum of the Palm Beach and the Norton Museum of Art, Palm Beach, Florida, December 1974/January 1975. Text by Richard Martin.
- Tokyo International Biennale, "New Image in Painting," Tokyo, Japan 1974.
- The Present Situation of American Art. Text by John Perrault.
- Super Realism: A Critical Anthology, E.P. Dutton & Company, New York 1975. Text by Gregory Babcock.
- Lowell Nesbitt: An Autobiography, ACG, New York, New York, January 1976. Text by Andrew Crispo.
- American 1976: Bicentennial Exhibition, United States Department of the Interior, Washington D.C. 1976.
- Artists Cookbook, Museum of Modern Art, New York, New York, December 1977.
- Modedr med Kunstnere I Weekendavisen, Denmark 1977.
- Lowell Nesbitt: Still Lifes, Andrew Crispo Gallery, New York, New York, March 1978. Text by Andrew Crispo.
- Lowell Nesbitt, Art Contact, Miami, Florida 1978.
- Sneakers, Workman Publishing Company, New York, New York 1978. Text by Samuel Americus Walker.
- Lowell Nesbitt Flowers, 1964–1979, Andrew Crispo Gallery, New York, New York 1979. Text by Andrew Crispo.
- The Bicycle, Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, Rotterdam, Belgium 1977.
- Lowell Nesbitt: A Selection of Paintings and Drawings Since 1963. The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, Connecticut 1980. Text by Noel Frackman.
- Nesbitt’s Nesbitt’s, Marion Koogler Mcnay Art Institute, San Antonio, Texas 1980.
- New York Gallery Showcase, Oklahoma Art Center, Oklahoma City, 1981.
- Lowell Nesbitt, General Electric Gallery, General Electric Corporate Headquarters, Fairfield, Connecticut.
- Lowell Nesbitt - Works 1964-1971. Onnasch Gallery, Berlin, Germany 1982.
- Lowell Nesbitt, Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio 1982.
- Lowell Nesbitt: An American Realist 1962-1983, Oklahoma Art Center, Oklahoma City 1983. Text by Noel Frackman.
- Reflections: New Conceptions of Nature, Hillwood Art Gallery, May/July 1984.
- Art Collection of the American Embassy Vienna, Austria 1984.
- Art Collection of the American Embassy Brussels, Belgium 1985.
- American Realism: 20th Century Drawings and Watercolor, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, November/September 1987.