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“ART IS LOVE, TRANSFORMED INTO WORK.” — NINA WINKEL


In The Myers Fine Arts Building, the Winkel Sculpture Court is home to sculptures representing 45 years of artistry by the late Nina Winkel. Works of terracotta, stone, bronze and copper adorn the largest space in our country devoted to art created by one woman.

Nina Winkel Sculpture Court


The Winkel Sculpture Court was made possible by the generous donation of George and Nina Winkel to the SUNY Plattsburgh College Foundation. The dedication ceremony was held on October 24, 1987. The donation included sculpture, drawings and sculpture studies. Some works not on display in the Winkel Courtyard may be viewed at the Rockwell Kent Gallery.

This gallery was dedicated on October 24, 1987 in recognition of sculptor Nina Winkel. Located on the second floor of the Myers Fine Arts Building, the Winkel Sculpture Court is home to sculptures representing 45 years of artistry by the late Nina Winkel. Works of terracotta, stone, bronze and copper adorn one of the largest space in our country devoted to art created by one woman.

The artist was born in Germany in 1905 and died in 1990. Winkel was in Paris when it fell to the Nazis and fled to the United States with her husband in 1942, living first in New York City. Unable to speak English in the beginning, she worked as a cleaning woman in the Clay Club, where she later produced her earliest terracotta pieces in this country. She was the first woman in N.Y.C. to get a welder’s license, and in 1959 she moved from working in clay to creating welded copper sculptures. Winkel’s work is included in collections throughout the United States and Europe.

Nina and George Winkel distinguished themselves as leading benefactors and caring friends of SUNY Plattsburgh. They earned the admiration and gratitude of all who study and appreciate art. Their creation of the Winkel Sculpture Court to house Nina Winkel’s award-winning works provided a legacy that will continuously enrich the total educational program for students, enhance the quality of the college’s permanent art collection, and transmit lasting values to future generations.

Portrait of Nina and George Winkel and an image of the courtyard

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