Alice Neel was one of the great American painters of the Twentieth Century, and a pioneer among women artists. A painter of people, landscape, and still life, Neel was never fashionable or in step with avant-garde movements. When abstract expressionism and pop art were all the rage, she painted in a style and with an approach distinctively her own.
Come and hear about her unconventional life and her remarkable career, and see examples of her unique, and sometimes shocking, paintings.
Janet Mandel taught in New Jersey’s public schools for 32 years, the last eighteen of which were at Columbia High School in Maplewood, where she taught English, art history, and World Languages and Cultures. In October of 2003 she was named runner-up for the New Jersey Council for the Humanities (NJCH) Teacher of the Year award and was formally recognized by the New Jersey State Legislature and Governor Codey for this achievement. In May of 2004 she was the recipient of the “Innovations in Special Education Award” from the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) and the Association of Schools and Agencies for the Handicapped (ASAH). Now retired, Janet presents illustrated talks on a variety of art history topics at adult schools, libraries, museums, senior centers, community centers, and similar venues.