Quite a Trip: The Art of Maggie Schmidt Mandell

Art Gallery of NS, Western Branch – Creative Minds Series

Maggie Schmidt Mandell was born in New York City. From the age of nine, Maggie knew that she was meant to be a visual artist. Her parents made her a studio in a cabin on their property. She was later educated in Fine Art and Education at Pratt Institute of Brooklyn and also studied Behavioral Sciences, Sociology and Printmaking. In 1972, she arrived in Canada and then became a Canadian citizen. She has worked in the fields of education and art therapy in addition to her own artistic pursuits, with additional forays into dairy goat farming, the lobster fishery, communications, and advertising.

Needless to say, such a varied background has served her well as an artist.

In Maggie’s own words, “I am primarily a painter. Painting is my passion.”

Her work has been featured in numerous exhibitions, from Charleston, SC to Victoria, Montreal and Halifax. It may be found in the collections of many notable individuals and organizations, including Standard Life Insurance, Bank of Nova Scotia, Readers’ Digest and former Prime Minister and Mrs. Brian Mulroney.

“In my talk, I will address being an artist all of one’s life … I am now 72, so it has been quite a trip to live the creative life.” In addition to the development of her own work, Maggie’s presentation will include a discussion of the role of women in the arts, the concept of painting as opposed to picture making, and the artist in old age. Maggie Schmidt Mandell now lives in Wedgeport with her husband, Roy Mandell, who is also a visual artist. Their website http://www.schmidtmandellstudio.com contains much more detailed information about both artists and their work.
The presentation will take place on Sunday, December 1 at AGNS Yarmouth, starting at 2 PM. There is no admission charge.