History

History of Amanda R. Block

Amanda always knew she was an artist, but life kept getting in her way. Born in 1912 in Louisville, Kentucky, into a prominent and illustrious Jewish family, Amanda attended Smith College, but dropped out to marry in 1931. She soon began attending classes at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, Ohio, and even exhibited for the first time, sculpture, at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1941. Then, WWII intervened, and Amanda found herself in Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, for the duration of the war. There, her only child, JG Wolf, was born.

Child-rearing and divorce occupied her until she was able to return to art school during the middle and late fifties. Her real work began in 1960 upon graduation from John Herron Art School in Indianapolis, Indiana, where she lived with her second husband, Maurice Block Jr., a successful department store executive.

From 1960 until 1983 she produced hundreds of prints, paintings, drawings, and mixed media images, at which point she retired from active production. Many, many shows, numerous purchases by museums and private collectors, and acceptance at the highest levels validate her career. Additionally during this time, she taught drawing and lithography at John Herron, where she was thought to be a gifted and talented instructor.

Her work only seems to improve with aging, becoming more accessible, and more appreciated as her unique sensibilities come more in line with today’s.