By Rachel Mancour
Here, Colored Pencil
I fell in love with the art of observation. Observation, as an act, is just as important in the creative process as is the actual hands-on creation of artwork. I believe we can only capture the world around us in an effective way if we are truly seeing it; observation teaches people how to see.
Who Am I?, Colored Pencil
In my artwork, I aim to create scenes that allow the viewer to see the world in a way that they would otherwise be unable to see. Although everything looks lively, I like the stillness of my artwork. I try to work as realistically as a possibly can. I admire art that functions as a mirror into different snapshots of life and gives viewers a different perception. I typically work in Prismacolor colored pencils on various surfaces. I discovered Prismacolor my sophomore year of high school through my art teacher, Mrs. Carnerio, and I haven’t looked back since.
Pomegranates, Top: Acrylic, Middle: Colored Pencil, Bottom: Gauche
Art has played a major role in my life as I was growing up. I took art classes at local museums, camps, and with local artists. When it came time to decide where I wanted to go to college I knew I needed to incorporate art into my future. I found the arts management program at MCLA and I immediately knew I wanted to go here. During my first semester of my freshman year I missed taking art classes and I decided to add a second major in art. This decision has helped me figure out my passions and my desire to create. Taking classes in arts management has allowed me to develop a wide range of practical skills in the field. I’ve learned how to write a grant, explore a variety of writing structures from press releases to interview profiles, and I now understand how arts organizations are structured. I appreciate how the classes at MCLA expose students to what the area has to offer through local museums, field trips, artist talks, workshops, and through the experiences of the professors. The balance between the arts management program and the art program at MCLA will provide me with a solid foundation for working at a museum in the future.
Barred Owl. Watercolor
Girl in Neon, Colored Pencil
Vase and Fruit, Colored Pencil
Bikes, Sharpie
Rachel Mancour is a sophomore at MCLA and editor of the Sm[ART]commons Blog. She is a double major in Art and Arts Management with a minor in Art History. Rachel has loved art her whole life and has been drawing ever since she can remember. She works mostly with colored pencils and focuses on realism. In the summer of 2018 Rachel interned at the Attleboro Arts Museum in Attleboro, MA where she spent time painting the gallery walls, hanging artwork, gallery lighting, and preparing for different museum/community events. In addition to her work at an art museum, she has also received several awards such as a Silver Key award from Scholastic Art and was in the Top Ten of the national Celebrating Art contest. She has also had five publications in the Celebrating Art books, as well as a publication in MCLA’s Spires Literary Journal. In the summer of 2019 Rachel will be interning at the Norman Rockwell Museum in the curatorial department. Rachel’s anticipated graduation from MCLA is Fall 2020. After graduate school, Rachel plans to become a curator at an art gallery or museum.