Beatrice Mandelman was an American painter known for her contribution to the Abstract Expressionism movement. Born in Newark, New Jersey, Mandelman attended the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts before moving to New York City to study at the Art Students League. She later settled in Taos, New Mexico, where she was part of a vibrant artistic community.

Mandelman’s paintings are characterized by bold colors, gestural brushstrokes, and a sense of energy and movement. She often worked in series, exploring variations on a particular theme or style. In the 1950s and ’60s, she experimented with hard-edge abstraction, creating geometric compositions with flat colors and sharp lines. Later in her career, she returned to more organic forms, incorporating elements of landscape and natural forms into her work.

Mandelman was also a skilled printmaker and teacher. She and her husband, fellow artist Louis Ribak, established the Taos Valley Art School in 1957, which became a center for modernist art in the Southwest. Mandelman continued to paint and teach until her death in 1998, leaving behind a rich legacy of abstract expressionist art.

In recent years, Mandelman’s work has gained renewed attention and interest. In 2019, the Harwood Museum of Art in Taos presented a retrospective exhibition of her paintings and prints, highlighting her contribution to the development of modern art in the American Southwest. Today, her works can be found in major museum collections, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the New Mexico Museum of Art.

Beatrice Mandelman was a trailblazing artist whose commitment to abstraction and experimentation helped to shape the course of American modernism. Her legacy continues to inspire new generations of artists and art lovers alike.