Julia Mandle

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Join date: Dec 16, 2019

About

Julia Mandle is the founder of Art LAB Amsterdam and the main instructor. She spent 15 years in NYC working as a professional artist and has become well known in Amsterdam for her unique teaching programs, especially her school-wide exhibitions of "Klik” the digital black & white photography project at the elementary schools of Ijburg (Laterna Magica and Montessori Steigereiland). Reviewed in several articles, the exhibitions astonished many viewers by the ability of the children and professional quality of the presented artwork.

Julia Mandle has a Master's degree in Fine Art and a Bachelor's degree in Art History with special honors. She believes in making art accessible to all ages and abilities. She comes from a family of artists including two generations of painters. Like Julia, her grandmother also founded her own small-scale arts program in her home atelier. Julia's father was the director of the prestigious American arts academy, the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).

Each year Mandle encourages her students to enter into International Art Competitions. Each year one or more of her young students have won and placed in each competition, including at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam!

Mandle's own artwork is conceptual, ranging widely in material and is exhibited internationally. For more information about her artwork, visit: www.JuliaMandleArt.com

Posts (9)

May 28, 2026 ∙ 5 min

What Makes a Good Arts Education?

To answer this important question, I would like to first like to reflect on something I unfortunately and surprisingly hear often from parents about themselves. Again and again, a parent will tell me some version of the same story: "When I was young, I loved making art, but I had a teacher who criticised my work, told me I wasn't talented, or made me feel that I wasn't creative." Now decades later, the critical comment they received still seems very fresh and painful. Sometimes parents tell...

Apr 16, 2026 ∙ 4 min

Celebrating Wonder: Nature in the Art Lab Classroom

At Art Lab Amsterdam, one of the most important things I hope to nurture in children is a sense of wonder. Not only in the big, exciting moments—but in the quiet, everyday details of the world around us. The changing seasons, the color of a flower, the texture of fur, the way light moves across a page. To me, this is one of the most meaningful parts of being human : to be here, on this planet, and to notice. This theme has been gently present throughout the entire winter–spring season. Even...

Feb 19, 2026 ∙ 3 min

Creativity from the Inside Out

How meditation plays a role in our Art Lab classes There is a moment in our lively art class when everything becomes very, very still. Pencils are put down. Shoes off, feet relax. Hands gently cover the eyes. We take 3 deep breaths together to help relax even more. This is preparation for tuning in and feeling. Before we begin drawing, we begin by feeling . Over the years, I developed what I now call the Inside-Out technique — a practice that blends mindfulness and art-making in a way that...