Passionate about art for as long as she can remember, Mary French Sweet is proud of her continued contributions to the field. She has notably been an exhibitor in a group shows at the Albuquerque Museum and The Gallery Store since 2004, the Dartmouth Street Gallery since 2002, and the Weyrich Gallery since 1985. Ms. Sweet is also represented in the permanent collection, “Arts Thrive,” in the Albuquerque Museum, as well as in the permanent collections of the La Posada Hotel, the Carlsbad Art Museum, and the First National Bank of Albuquerque. Some other exhibitions include “The Spirits of Two Deserts” at the Museum of Fine Arts in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, “East Meets West” at the Donkey Mill Art Center in Hawaii, and “Landscape of New Mexico” at the Manitou Galleries in New Mexico. Her specialties include acrylic painting, Chinese brush painting, and woodblock printing using the Japanese style of water over color with sumi ink.
Ms. Sweet prepared for her endeavors by earning a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Arts in art from Stanford University in 1960 and 1959, respectively. To ensure she remained connected to her peers and community, she became affiliated with prominent organizations like the National Museum of Women in the Arts and the Escribiente Calligraphy Society. She also became a signature member of the Western Federation of Watercolor Societies and the New Mexico Watercolor Society.
In recognition of her talent, Ms. Sweet earned accolades like Second Prize in the Spring Exhibit at the New Mexico Watercolor Society in 2013 and inclusion in Who’s Who of American Women, Who’s Who in the West, and Who’s Who in America. She attributes much of her success to her mentor, Daniel Mandelowitz, and her husband, James Newton Sweet.
Outside of her field, Ms. Sweet’s hobbies include skiing, hiking, backpacking, running, and traveling.