American Art in Twenty-Five Landmark Works
Marie-Anne Mancio gives talk for The Arts Society Ealing
Nighthawks by Edward Hopper (1942) – The Arts Institute of Chicago
July 22, 2026
The Arts Society Ealing will mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with an evening devoted to the sweep of American art, tracing the country’s cultural story through twenty-five landmark works. The lecture, The History of American Art in 25 Iconic Works, brings together paintings, sculpture, land art and photography to illuminate the moments that shaped the United States — from the Gold Rush and the Civil War to the Civil Rights movement and the rise of modern American identity.
Among the works explored are some of the most recognisable images in American culture: Grant Wood’s American Gothic, Dorothea Lange’s Migrant Mother and Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks. The talk ranges widely across movements including the Hudson River School, Regionalism, Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art, while also foregrounding the contributions of Indigenous artists and early American painters such as John Singleton Copley and Thomas Eakins. Later figures including Georgia O’Keeffe, Andy Warhol and Kara Walker help complete a vivid portrait of a nation expressed through its art.
The lecture will be delivered by Marie-Anne Mancio, an art historian and curator whose teaching experience spans Tate Modern, the V&A, Dulwich Picture Gallery, HENI Films and the Ben Uri Gallery. Mancio trained as an artist before completing a DPhil in Art and Critical Theory, and she also leads art-history study tours abroad for ACE.
The event takes place at St Barnabas Church Hall, Pitshanger Lane, Ealing W5 1QG, on Monday 27 July. Doors open at 6.45pm, with the lecture beginning at 7.30pm. Visitors are welcome at £10 (students £3), payable by card on the evening.
Ealing audiences will not have long to wait for another opportunity to explore the arts in depth. On Wednesday 12 August, The Arts Society Ealing hosts a Special Interest Morning titled The Brilliance of British Architecture, featuring two one-hour lectures by Ian Swankie on London’s skyline and the work of designer Thomas Heatherwick. The session runs from 10am to 1.15pm at St Barnabas, with tickets priced at £25 and advance booking required.
The Arts Society Ealing belongs to the large umbrella organisation, The Arts Society, previously known as the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies (NADFAS), which was founded in 1968. The local Society has a membership of around 140.
The Arts Society Ealing holds 10 lectures a year and more information can be found by visiting its web site.
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