Georgia Nassikas is a Virginia-based artist whose work regularly appears in galleries in Washington, D.C. and Providence, Rhode Island. Several of her pieces have gone to public and private collections throughout the country and abroad. ¹ Nassikas specializes in encaustic painting, a technique that is based around combining melted beeswax with select pigments. ²

Though most of her exhibitions are apolitical, she recently appeared at the right-of-center Cato Institute’s “Freedom: Art as the Messenger” gallery. She has also displayed her artwork at environmentalist exhibitions, including the Encaustic Art Institute’s “Global Warming is Real” gallery and at one of Rhode Island’s Save the Bay Bay Centers. ³

Outside of art, she holds board positions for the Potomac Conservancy, the Woods Hole Research Center, and the Amazon Conservation Association. ⁴

She is the daughter of late U.S. Senator John H. Chafee (R-RI) and the brother of former Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee (D-RI). ⁵

Early Life

Georgia Nassikas was born to U.S. Senator John H. Chafee (R-RI) and his wife, Virginia Coates Chafee. She is one of six children: four sons and two daughters. ⁶ Her only sister, Tribbie, was killed in a horse-riding accent during their childhood. ⁷

Through her mother, she is descended from George de Forest Brush, an accomplished painter and forefather of modern camouflage. ⁸ Though her father, she is descended from Rhode Island Governor Charles Warren Lippitt (R-RI), who briefly served from 1875 to 1877. ⁹

Nassikas graduated from St. Mark’s School, one of the New England “Saint Grottlesex” boarding prep schools, historically known for sending its graduates to prestigious universities. She then attended and graduated from Illinois’ Lake Forest College, later obtaining a professional certificate in interior design from the now-closed Chamberlayne Junior College in Boston. ¹⁰

Career

Nassikas began her career as a design assistant with the architectural firm of Rust, Orling & Neale of Alexandria, Virginia. ¹¹

She has said that she was inspired to take up her signature encaustic work because of renowned painter Jasper Johns, whose paintings she saw at the National Gallery. ¹² Encaustic painting, which involves beeswax, allowed her to put to use the bee colonies she fostered at her home. ¹³

Nassikas has since gone on to be featured in several galleries, with current gallery representation in D.C.’s Long View Gallery, Rhode Island’s Providence Art Club, Santa Fe’s Encaustic Art Institute, and Birmingham, Alabama’s Beverly McNeil Gallery. ¹⁴

Political Contributions

In 2019, Nassikas donated $1,000 to Pete for America, a PAC supporting South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s campaign for the Democratic Presidential nomination. She also donated $2,700 to U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), the representative for her Congressional district. ¹⁵

Personal Life

Nassikas and her husband, John Nassikas, live in McLean, Virginia. John Nassikas is a partner at the Washington, D.C.-based law firm Arnold & Porter. They have four children. ¹⁶

1. “Upcoming Exhibitions and Resume of Georgia Nassikas – Encaustic Artist.” Georgia Nassikas. June 01, 2019. Accessed August 09, 2019. https://www.georgianassikas.com/upcoming-exhibitions/.
2. “AerieArt Gallery in Rehoboth to Introduce Beeswax Artist during Mosaic Art Walk Oct. 1.” Cape Gazette. October 13, 2012. Accessed August 06, 2019. https://www.capegazette.com/article/aerieart-gallery-rehoboth-introduce-beeswax-artist-during-mosaic-art-walk-oct-1/35324.
3. “Upcoming Exhibitions and Resume of Georgia Nassikas – Encaustic Artist.” Georgia Nassikas. June 01, 2019. Accessed August 09, 2019. https://www.georgianassikas.com/upcoming-exhibitions/.
4. “Georgia Nassikas.” Island Press. Accessed August 09, 2019. https://islandpress.org/board/georgia-nassikas.
5. “Georgia Nassikas.” Woods Hole Research Center. Accessed August 06, 2019. http://whrc.org/staff/georgia-nassikas/.
6. Bernstein, Adam. “Sen. John Chafee Dies at 77.” The Washington Post. October 26, 1999. Accessed August 06, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/daily/oct99/chafeeob26.htm.
7. Smith, Michelle R. “Stephanie Chafee in New Role as RI First Lady.” Boston.com. November 22, 2010. Accessed August 06, 2019. http://archive.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2010/11/22/stephanie_chafee_in_new_role_as_ri_first_lady/.
8. Taboh, Julie. “US Artist Sweet on Bees as Subjects, Contributors.” Voice of America. September 26, 2015. Accessed August 06, 2019. https://www.voanews.com/arts-culture/us-artist-sweet-bees-subjects-contributors.
9. “Miss Chafee to Wed John Nassikas 3d.” The New York Times. December 22, 1985. Accessed August 06, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/22/style/miss-chafee-to-wed-john-nassikas-3d.html.
10. “Miss Chafee to Wed John Nassikas 3d.” The New York Times. December 22, 1985. Accessed August 06, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/22/style/miss-chafee-to-wed-john-nassikas-3d.html
11. “Miss Chafee to Wed John Nassikas 3d.” The New York Times. December 22, 1985. Accessed August 06, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/22/style/miss-chafee-to-wed-john-nassikas-3d.html.
12. Esquer, Rafael. “This Weekend: Georgia Nassikas at Artexpo New York.” Alfalfa Studio. March 23, 2012. Accessed August 06, 2019. http://alfalfastudio.com/2012/03/23/this-weekend-georgia-nassikas-at-artexpo-new-york/.
13. Funkhouser, Catherine. “Waxing Poetic.” Home & Design Magazine. March 16, 2015. Accessed August 06, 2019. https://www.homeanddesign.com/2014/08/07/waxing-poetic.
14. “Upcoming Exhibitions and Resume of Georgia Nassikas – Encaustic Artist.” Georgia Nassikas. June 01, 2019. Accessed August 09, 2019. https://www.georgianassikas.com/upcoming-exhibitions/.
15. “Georgia Nassikas Political Contributions.” FEC.gov. Accessed August 09, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=georgia nassikas&two_year_transaction_period=2020&min_date=01/01/2008&max_date=12/31/2020
16. “AerieArt Gallery in Rehoboth to Introduce Beeswax Artist during Mosaic Art Walk Oct. 1.” Cape Gazette. October 13, 2012. Accessed August 06, 2019. https://www.capegazette.com/article/aerieart-gallery-rehoboth-introduce-beeswax-artist-during-mosaic-art-walk-oct-1/35324.