Mercer Memories: Nancey Price, CLA ’15 

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Nancey B. Price with her artwork
Mercer alumna Nancey B. Price has her first solo art exhibit on display at the Averitt Center in Statesboro.

Nancey Price stays busy pursuing passions in art, writing and philanthropy, as well as in her job as the office manager for the Business Innovation Group at Georgia Southern’s Parker College of Business. Statesboro resident, she graduated from Mercer with a bachelor’s degree in women’s and gender studies in 2015 and earned a Master of Public Administration with concentration in nonprofit management from Georgia Southern in May 2019. 

Here are five things to know about Price:

1. She’s a collage artist. 

Price created her first piece of collage art in September 2016. Her work often centers around her experiences as a black woman and her femininity. 

Price’s favorite piece so far is her most recent one, a self-portrait. This was the first piece where she used a photo of herself, and it helped her accept herself for who she is and build her confidence. Price said it has been amazing to see the growth of her work.  

“I want to continue to see if I can surprise myself,” Price said. I want to see if I can continue to be amazed at my work. So far, I have succeeded.” 

2. Her first solo art exhibit is now on display. 

Price’s artwork has been featured in exhibits at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts and Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia, and one of her pieces appeared in a 2017 issue of O, The Oprah MagazineNow, she has her first solo art show. INVOCATIONS, a “fully immersive exhibit,” opened in early October at the Averitt Center for the Arts in Statesboro and closes at the end of November.  

“The solo exhibition is a meshing of my storytelling and my performance art as well as my visual storytelling with the collages,” she said. “In addition to invoking various emotions, I’m also evoking my ancestors to help guide me as I develop in my creative journey. … It’s a fully immersive exhibit.”

Inside the art gallery, Price has recreated the living room where she heard countless stories from her grandparents as a child. Gas lamps, benches, chairs, rugs and photos of her ancestors are set up, and Price’s artwork hangs on the surrounding walls. 

TOP PHOTO: Mercer alum Nancey B. Price has her first solo art exhibit on display at the Averitt Center in Statesboro (photo by Nicole Anelas). ABOVE: Price is pictured with her self portrait collage (submitted photo).

3. She’s a ‘Young Black Author in Need of Hug.’

Price has been writing for as long as she can remember. She wrote her first novel the summer after eighth grade. While it was never published, the experience provided the motivation for her to tackle other writing projects.  

She’s now halfway through her next novel, which is based on the town where she grew up, Girard, and the people there. Her book is “emblematic of the black experience in rural Georgia” and touches on spirituality and family dynamics. She’s keeping herself accountable on her novel by writing regular entries for her blog, Diary of a Young Black Author in Need of a Hug.”

4. A Mercer On Mission trip inspired her to take action. 

Price participated in a Mercer On Mission (MOM) trip to Malawi in 2013. The Mercer team ran a health clinic and tested the water supply in a rural community, and the experience inspired Price to start the Malawi Girl Project a few years later.  

Price raises money so that she can send feminine hygiene products to school-age girls in that area. She has mailed two shipments of supplies, and she and her mother flew to Malawi in 2017 to deliver four suitcases worth of products and provide education to female students. The project has raised more than $3,400 and served 250 girls so far. Price plans to start fundraising again soon and hopes to return to Malawi in summer 2020. 

5. She gained life skills at Mercer.

Price was part of Mercer’s Minority Mentor Program, which helped her transition to college when she felt alone. The program gave her the confidence to build relationships, become active in her classes and join clubs on campus. 

“It really gave me a sense of community early on. From that program, I still have friendships and mentorships to this day,” Price said.  

She did a lot of research and critical thinking as a women’s and gender studies major. She has been able to apply those skills to all facets of both her professional and creative life. In addition, classes at Mercer helped Price develop her approach to her art and writing.