Jane Oneail is an independent scholar specializing in engaging and entertaining art appreciation programs. She holds a master’s in Art History from Boston University and a master’s in Education from Harvard University. Born and raised in New Hampshire, she has worked at some of the state’s most esteemed cultural institutions, including the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, where she served as Executive Director, and the Currier Museum of Art, where she held the role of Senior Educator. Jane has also taught at the college level for more than a decade, most recently at Southern New Hampshire University. Jane’s abilities as a public speaker have also led to work as a speech writer. She has written for a variety of leaders including a Nobel Peace Prize winner, the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company and the chancellor of a top-tier research university.  

Fierce Females: Women in Art

Women have long been the subject of art, often depicted as nothing more than objects of desire. How do images of women change when women become the creators? This program examines the history of women in art in brief and then explores the lives, careers and works of several major women artists from the Renaissance to the twentieth century, including Artemisia Gentileschi and Mary Cassatt.

Mary Cassatt & Company: The Women Impressionists

The visual arts revolution that was Impressionism is, too often, only understood only through the lens of the leading male practitioners – Monet, Renoir and Degas. How did the women Impressionists contribute to this novel style and how did their work differ from their male contemporaries? This program explores the paintings of Marie Bracquemond, Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt and others and considers the unique challenges they faced as women artists in a male-dominated profession.

Norman Rockwell: Inclusion, Exclusion and Representing America

The illustrator Norman Rockwell is beloved for his ability to depict and define American life. He often captured bittersweet images of people experiencing universal and relatable feelings of being left out or left behind. Yet, as an artist working in the 20th century, his works are curiously devoid of America’s rich cultural and racial diversity. In the final decades of his career, Rockwell painted several poignant works about race in America that can be seen as an extension of his earlier sense of the power of inclusion and exclusion.  

John Singer Sargent: Master with a Brush

The 19^th-century portrait painter John Singer Sargent found success creating flattering likenesses with virtuoso brushwork. His fluid, buttery brushstrokes and ability to render luxurious silks, satins and velvets made him a favorite among the upper class and aristocracy. Despite this, his career was punctuated by criticism and controversy, including the scathing reception of major works like Madame X (1884) and Isabella Stewart Gardner (1888). Sargent himself admitted, “Every time I paint a portrait, I lose a friend.” Through it all, his talent with a brush proved to be his redemption, earning him an endless string of patrons and opportunities. This program provides an overview of Sargent’s career – as well as the scandals along the way!