Marc Mannheimer has been an artist all his life.
Since long before selling his first piece or becoming a professor of art and design at Northern Essex Community College, art was always an intrinsic part of who he is.
The heart of the art world, New York City, which has accommodated centuries of gifted artists is where Mannheimer first called home. In addition to spending his earliest years in the midst of such a creative hotspot, Mannheimer says he comes from a family of artists.
It is as though this has always been the path Mannheimer was destined to travel down, constantly leading him in the direction of fascinating places all over the world along the way as his work has been widely shown and collected.
Mannheimer reportedly spends between two and six hours in his home studio on a daily basis, the studio is an addition built onto the side of the artists Haverhill home where every inch of the walls are covered in prints, self-portraits and artifacts found from his travels, Mannheimer seemingly lives and breathes art.
The virtuoso claims to have never taken art classes of any kind, but rather has taken the unofficial role of pupil under personal role models such as Frank Stella, Max Ernst, and Lucien Freud, the latter of whom Mannheimer cites as his “hero.”
From a distance without having met these esteemed artists in the contemporary genre personally, Mannheimer was able to glean valuable lessons through close observation of their specific styles and significant themes.
A lack of having received formal teaching has not diminished Mannheimer’s ability to teach art to others in the slightest bit. If anything, Mannheimer’s real life experience combined with skills covering a myriad of mediums such as painting, printmaking, photography and sculpture make him an admirable and insightful teacher whose fervent passion for the craft sparks enthusiasm in a new generation of artists.
A painting of Mannheimer’s, entitled Selyatan is currently on view and for sale at the SJ Art Gallery, a Haverhill based Art Consulting company that represents local artists, Marc Mannheimer being one. This painting is a part of an exhibition called Small Works, which consists of small scale artworks created by over 60 local artists.
Mannheimer tells me that this specific piece is directly inspired by the Ukrainian village, Selyatan, where his mother is from.
In his youth his mother shared stories of her life in the village, she described the town square as having old dirt roads and Mannheimer drew a picture in his mind of what this might have looked like. In 2011, Mannheimer traveled to Selyatan and was surprised to be standing in a strikingly familiar spot, like déjà vu from a dream, the roads of the town square were still made of dirt, now muddy from the rain.
The painting, Selyatan, is of the muddy Ukrainian streets Mannheimer glanced down upon over a decade ago, a snapshot of a time before the recent events of war had taken place.
The gallery at SJ Consulting is owned by Sarah LoVasco. LoVasco is a curator, residential installation designer and also a close friend of Mannheimer’s. Through an understanding and respect for each other’s talents, a mutually beneficial relationship is created.
LoVasco says she is inspired by working artists, “I want to live this life surrounded by people who are innately passionate and creative and have figured out a way to express it” she says.
LoVasco’s gallery is a place where the working artist’s she loves can be loved by an even wider audience.
The Small Works show is on display currently until January 6th, 2024
