On August 8, 2007 Evans opened its gallery with the exhibition of oil paintings, drawings and sculptures by Nikita Polyansky. Nikita chose Venice as the theme for his latest works.

Nikita Polyansky was born in Russia in 1960. He began the serious study of drawing at age 8, at the same time he was introduced to the theater. He has remained connected to the theater ever since.

He attended the Moscow Art Theater School where he studied under V. Levental and received his first Master of Fine Arts Degree. In a cultural exchange with the North Carolina School of the Arts, Nikita arrived in the United States as part of a production of The Seagull directed by A. Kayaking/MAT Arena Stage/. Continuing his studies at NCSA, Nikita was awarded a second MFA degree in Scenic Design in 1993.

The Buffalo Opera Company in New York hired Nikita that year as its resident designer and scenic design instructor. Soon, he arrived in New York City where he has worked extensively on Broadway as an associate designer to David Rockwell, Heidi Ettinger, James Leonard Joy and others. For the Millennium Celebration in Times Square, Nikita designed a 24-hour living puppet parade with Michael Curry Design (The Lion King). Also with Michael Curry, Nikita conceived and designed a major amusement park attraction in Japan, the Tokyo Lotto Theatre Park.

In 2002 Nikita conceived & designed the famous animated Christmas windows for Sacks 5th Avenue, a work based on the Mariinsky Theater’s ballet which he then translated into book illustrations which were published under the title The Sleeping Beauty by Glitteratti (available at amazon.com). Also that year, Nikita provided designs based on the Nutcracker ballet for Lord & Taylor’s Christmas window display.

Nikita has continued his painting & drawing practice throughout his theatrical career. His paintings have been exhibited at Lincoln Center, the Louise Fletcher Gallery in Los Angeles, and his mural work can be found in the homes of both the Duke and Hanes families in North Carolina

Please contact us if you are interested in Nikita’s art, or if you'd like to be included on our mailing list for future gallery announcements.