Herb Mandel was a modern day renaissance man. He was a veteran, painter, singer sculptor, poet, educator, and lifelong learner.
When he passed away at 90 in 2016, Mandel’s home in Bristol Township’s Levittown section was filled with his artwork.
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Running through May 10, Cairn University in Langhorne Manor Borough will be exhibiting some of Mandel’s artwork at the Connie A. Eastburn Gallery on campus.
Carol Robidoux, Mandel’s daughter and publisher of New Hampshire local news organization Manchester Ink Link, said the exhibit shows off a collection of his paintings that are inspired by the Bible.
Robidoux and her husband Jim explained that the artwork on display gives a new life to biblical events many learned of growing up.
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“He was such a great artist,” Jim Robidoux said. “He was inspired by the Bible even though he would say he was not religious. The greatest story ever told had inspired him.”
The artwork ranges from Jonah and the great fish, renderings of Jesus, and Moses leading the Israelites. The paintings cover the Old Testament and New Testament.
Jean McBryar, Mandel’s daughter, said the faces and expressions on his paintings bring such personality and create a connection with those viewing.
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“My dad was able to use canvas, paint, and brush to bring the people and situations of the Bible to life,” she said.
Mandel was a curious child who was the son of German immigrants. He was raised in Philadelphia and attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art and the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Arts. He also attended the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University. During his career, he served during World War II as a military artist and then as an educator and administer at Bucks County Technical High School. He retired after a 41-year career in the late 1990s.
A longtime Levittown resident, Mandel and his wife, Ann, raised their children locally and he continued his passion of creating art.
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Carol Robidoux and McBryar said their father won acclaim during his life and they hope to continue sharing his artwork with the world.
The exhibit at the Connie A. Eastburn Gallery at the local university runs through May 10. The gallery hours are Monday to Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
