Joe Mancuso

Some of Joe’s earliest memories are viewing the landscape paintings hanging on the walls of his home and at his Grandma Mancuso’s house. He found himself captivated by the scenes he wanted to be part of and this is when his love of drawing began. One of his favorite activities was camping in the High Sierra with his family. While on the annual family camping trip, he discovered some sketches by artist Helen Seal, at the local art festival in Mammoth Lakes. The beautiful simplicity of her drawings of the High Sierra made a lasting impression on the young artist. His mother, recognizing his obvious enthusiasm, purchased one of her drawings which hangs in his studio today. In 1991, while earning his art degree, he visited a pastel exhibition by Clark Mitchell. This is when he chose pastel as his medium of expression. 
Joe has received numerous prestigious awards throughout his career. In 2012 he received his first Best Of Show. At the 2017 Carmel Plein Air Festival, a juried exhibition of 60 nationally recognized painters, Joe received The Artist’s Choice, People’s Choice and Best Pastel awards. In 2021, Joe achieved Master Circle Status with I.A.P.S., The International Association Of Pastel Societies.
Joe is a member of many art organizations. He is a Signature Member with the Pastel Society of America and an Artist Member of the California Art Club. He is also an artist member of The Laguna Beach Plein Air Painters as well as a Distinguished Pastelist with The Pastel Society Of The West Coast.