Marlene was born in Brooklyn and grew up in New Jersey, but for the last few decades has called the ‘North Coast’ her home. She lives in Beachwood, Ohio with her husband, James Newman. Marlene retired from a 30 year career as a Family Physician in 2012 and completed a BFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Akron’s Myers School of Art in 2016.
Marlene shows her work in regional and university exhibits. Most recently in 2023, she held a solo show, Homage To Our Mothers, at the Beachwood Library. She participated in Beyond Cute: The Doll Show 2022, Ursuline College, Cleveland, Ohio. Also in 2022, she exhibited in Art Made In The Shut Down at Yards Projects, Cleveland, Ohio. In 2015, 2016 and 2019 she participated in The Mandel JCCJuried J-Show. In August 2017 she participated in Eastern Edge atUrsuline College. In November 2016, Marlene had a solo show at Coffee Phix in South Euclid. In 2014, she received a Purchase Award from University of Akron’s Center for Conflict Management. In this, her triptych Freedom became part of the collection of the Center for Conflict Management.
Marlene also engages in her community through teaching as an Instructor of Drawing at Beachwood Recreation Center and Cleveland Heights Recreation Center and of Painting at Orange Art Center. Her other interests include reading, weight lifting, and paper crafts.
ARTIST STATEMENT In my previous body of work I explored storefronts and doorways of Cleveland and Akron. In my current work I emerge from the doorway and into the community. I walk the streets of my suburban neighborhood. The physical environment inspires my art and I am trying to capture the suburbs in my paintings. There are few people out and about. The quiet streets can sometimes appear peaceful while other times seem alienating. I use bright, cheerful color to enliven the gray landscapes. Several objects in each painting are depicted with enlarged scale in order to add contrast and movement. In this current series I am painting all the homes on my street in groups of 4.
EDUCATION 2016 B.F.A. May 2016. University of Akron Myers School of Art, Akron, Ohio. 1982-1985 Residency in Family Practice, Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital, Case. Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 1982-1985. 1982 M.D. Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel. 1978 B.A. Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, New York. Major: Biology.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE 2021-present Instructor: Drawing Class at Cleveland Heights Senior Activity Center - Senior Center in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. 2019-present Instructor: Drawing/Painting Class at Orange Art Center, Adults, Orange, Ohio. 2017-present Instructor: Drawing Class at Beachwood Recreation Center for Adults, Beachwood, Ohio. 2018-2019 Instructor: Art Class for residents at Maple Ridge Senior Living Solutions, Willoughby, Ohio.
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE 2022-present Processing donated books with Friends of the Beachwood Library, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Beachwood, Ohio. 2015-2019 Instructor: Drawing Class to Memory Impaired Senior Citizens in Benjamin Rose Adult Day Care Program. 2017-2019 Instructor: Art Class at Ascencia Day Program for Developmentally Disabled, Pepper Pike, Ohio. 2017-2019 Instructor: Art Class with Day Treatment/Partial Hospitalization Program for Older Adults With Mental Health Needs, Cleveland, Ohio.
EXHIBITS/WORKS 2023 BEYOND CUTE: THE DOLL SHOW, Florence O’Donnell Wasmer Gallery, Ursuline College, Pepper Pike, Ohio. 2020 LOCAL ARTISTS KEEP CREATING THROUGH THE PANDEMIC, Beachwood Recreation Center Gallery, Beachwood, Ohio. 2020 ART MADE IN THE SHUT DOWN, YARDS Projects, Cleveland, Ohio. 2019, 2016, 2015 The Mandel JCC J-Show Juried Art Show, Mandel Jewish Community Center, Beachwood, Ohio. 2017 Eastern Edge: A Juried Art Exhibition, Florence O’Donnell Wasmer Gallery, Ursuline College, Pepper Pike, Ohio. 2016 Solo Show: Move Forward, November 2016, Coffee Phix, South Euclid, Ohio. 02016 Threshold, Senior Exhibition, BFA in Painting and Drawing, Beachwood Library, Beachwood Ohio. 2014 78th Annual Myer’s Juried Student Show, Emily H. Davis Gallery, University of Akron Myers School of Art, Akron, Ohio. 2013 Rags Make Paper Juried Show, Morgan Paper Conservatory, Cleveland, Ohio. 2013. Sketchbook Exhibition: Idea Culture Juried Show, FORUM Artspace. HONORS AND AWARDS 2014 Purchase Award from Center for Conflict Management Student Scholarship Award, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio. Freedom, oil on canvas, triptych. 2012-2016 Dean’s List, Myers School of Art, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio.
Complete physician employment history from 1985-2012 available upon request.