Judith Kurz Foster's career has focused on two branches of the art world – first on classical music and later on the visual arts. She began her professional life as a lyric coloratura soprano, appearing as a soloist in opera and recitals in the United States, Europe, and Japan. Her performing activities introduced her to music management, which led to her becoming Assistant Director of Young Concert Artists, a distinguished non-profit artists' management in New York City. She then served as Assistant Director of Performing Arts at the 92nd Street Y in New York, where in addition to working on an extensive classical music program, she oversaw the Poetry Center and launched a jazz series. Subsequently, she established Judith Kurz Enterprises with clients including Charles Wadsworth, founder of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center; director Robert Wilson; and the American Symphony Orchestra League.
In 1995, Ms. Foster became interested in exploring her talents in the visual arts, and she enrolled in a drawing course at the National Academy of Design. Very quickly, drawing in pastels and painting in oil became her primary focus. She studied extensively at the National Academy of Art and at the Art Students League and was singled out for awards at both institutions. Among her teachers have been Sharon Sprung, Peter Cox, Mary Beth Mackenzie, Cornelia Foss, Terence Coyle and Thomas Torak.
Since the late 1990s, Ms. Foster has regularly exhibited her work. She has frequently participated in group exhibitions at the Garrison Art Center in Garrison, NY, and her paintings have been included in juried exhibitions at the Cork Gallery of Art at Lincoln Center, Riverhead Gallery in Rhinebeck, NY, and at the Southern Westchester Arts Alliance in Cortland, NY. She has also exhibited at the Art Students League and National Academy of Art in New York City, winning awards from both institutions. In 2014, her work was presented in a joint solo exhibition at Gallery 66 in Cold Spring, NY. Her oil paintings and pastels are included in private collections in the U.S. and abroad.