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Who’s Minding the Gallery?: Frank Nackos

Frank Nackos

1969-1970

Although born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on July 20, 1939, Frank spent his youth in Washington, Oregon, and mostly Oakland, California. He had been drawn to art early in his youth and took every opportunity to visit art galleries and museums in San Francisco and the Bay Area.

His formal education started at Brigham Young University, majoring in art and design, but moved to Switzerland in 1960 for 2½ years serving for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where his exposure to European art and architecture increased his desire to create

Returning to B.Y.U., Frank finished his B.A. and went to California State University at Long Beach earning an M.A. in Sculpture and Silversmithing. Yakima Valley Community College offered a one-year replacement position for a professor on sabbatical and so he served a “very happy year” as an art instructor and Curator of the Larson Gallery from September 1969 through June 1970.

After living for a year in Houston, Texas he returned in 1971 to teach part-time at B.Y.U., Provo, Utah, which continued for more than 20 years while pursuing work in sculpture and design.