ART: We’re fond of highlighting pioneers from Pennsylvania, and one of note is prolific artist Mary Cassatt, born in Allegheny City in 1844.

Her work is known for its depictions of women and children in everyday life, and her insight into the female experience. Moving to Europe, she continued to paint, expressing in her art women’s ability to stand alone in society. In 1915, she organized an exhibition to benefit women’s suffrage, featuring her own works and those of fellow Impressionist Edgar Degas.

According to the Smithsonian, “Cassatt exhibited with such artists as Monet, Pissarro, and her close friend Degas, and shared with them an independent spirit, refusing throughout her life to be associated with any art academy or to accept any prizes.”

Her work is seen as a bridge between Impressionism and Modern Art with its more contemporary style.

The Arts to Hearts project stated: “Cassatt displayed precocious talent from a young age, studying painting under Nancy Garden at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts at the tender age of 15. At 19 she enrolled in the Academy’s Women’s School, where she studied drawing from casts and nudes. In 1865 at 20 years old she made the momentous decision to move to Paris following an offer from friends who already lived there. She quickly established herself in Parisian society with her family connections to wealthy Americans living in Europe — and soon her own artistic notoriety which would follow her for decades.

“By the end of her life, Mary Cassatt had become recognized internationally not just as an influential artist but also as an inspirational figurehead who fought tirelessly on behalf of women artists everywhere.”