ARTIST AT WORK

by Selene Paschoal

The National Associate of Women Artists’ (“NAWA”) history and existence are marked by many remarkable talents, including nationally known artist Belle Manes who has been a NAWA member for 55 years.

Belle Manes with Olympia’s Maid. Photo credit: Jennifer Kish

Raised in the Lower East Side of New York City at a time when life spilled into the streets, Manes described herself as “a painter whose life and direction find their roots in the city and in memory.”

Belle went to schools that emphasized the study of art, namely Music & Art High School and Cooper Union, where she earned her B.A. “The years at Music & Art High School and then Cooper Union, taught me the value of art to my own life and to the world around me,” said Manes.
She was aware of NAWA’s existence even as a young adult. “I was acutely aware of the problems women artists faced in that man’s world,” she said.

While at Cooper Union, Manes had her first piece accepted for exhibition –by the Brooklyn Museum. After graduation, Belle taught briefly in an art program for children in New Jersey. She continued to show in galleries and museums, joined several art groups such as The Silvermine Guild, Artist Equity and was on the Artist Advisory Board at the Katonah Museum. Manes also mentored art students at Pratt and New York University. During these years, she became a member of NAWA.

“I felt the honor of being a part of an organization that had been involved in improving the lives and workplace of women. Of course, I brought paintings to all the Annuals and was pleased to win many prizes including a Medal of Honor,” she said.

“Today I am very excited to be part of the Pennsylvania Chapter of NAWA as Vice President,” she said. “We are growing in number and possibilities. We are an intimate group of hard-working women enjoying an expanding future in this changing world.”

Manes’ work is often characterized by thematic elements reflecting on memories, family, and cultural upbringing, with available pieces listed on Saatchi Art and other auction sites.

Mane’s painting, Olympia’s Maid, (see above) was selected by the NOW Editor for the cover of NAWA’s commemorative print issue to be published in April 2026.