About Mary Attwood

“Mary draws on both contemporary art history and psychology, and on ancient but half-forgotten approaches to art. New ways of seeing, and new insight, are the result . . . She is clearly a teacher and communicator of the highest calibre.”

Dr Simon Wilson

Mary Attwood is an art historian, author, teacher, mentor and producer.  Her scholarly historical and philosophical background make her courses truly inspirational and unique.  Her personal warmth is immediately apparent and she has a knack for putting people at ease and eliciting each participants own inner wisdom. If you enjoy beauty in all its forms and would like to develop new ways of seeing, Mary’s work will suit you well.

Mary holds a BA (Hons) in the History of Art from London University, where she focused her dissertation on Italian late medieval and renaissance art and architecture.  She also earned an MA, with distinction, for her research into the influence of art on the human psyche.  This came about through a broad spectrum of lenses, including the neuroscientific studies of British psychiatrist Dr Iain McGilchrist’s brain hemisphere hypothesis.  Subsequently she became co-founder and director of Channel McGilchrist, Dr McGilchrist’s online archive of work, exploring the ways in which the hemispheres of the brain give rise to different, yet complementary, worldviews.

Mary is also co-founder and co-director of the Centre for Myth, Cosmology and the Sacred – an organisation which grew from the Master of the Arts degree she undertook – dedicated to reviving the spark of wisdom-enriched learning from the world’s leading thinkers. Prior to this, she was the founding Chairman of the Victoria branch of The Arts Society, a 400,000 member strong charity dedicated to enriching peoples’ lives through the arts.

An art historian whose strength lies in her penetrating insights into Art, and the History of Art, and her capacity to generate rich and nourishing dialogue

Mary’s expertise lies in her scope of experience, practice and study in academic Art History, her research into epistemologies, and her pragmatic business mind. She emphasises the importance of awakening to the potency of art beyond rational analysis, to include imaginative and felt responses.  Her work as a qualified meditation and yoga teacher lend an added dimension to her work.

As you can see from testimonials, Mary’s courses, Art of Seeing sessions, gallery visits and private consultations are deeply nourishing and life-enhancing.

She currently lives in London, UK.

“I met Mary when she ran an art appreciation class. I was entranced by her knowledge – and the way she made a subject that could be thought of as ‘dry’ by some, totally fascinating!”

D. Harding