Mary Dana Hicks

Mary Dana Hicks (née Mary Dana; at second marriage, Mary Dana Hicks Prang; 7 October 1836 – 7 November 1927) was an American art educator from the U.S. state of New York.

She was largely instrumental in founding the Social Art Club of Syracuse, New York. Hicks appeared before the Woman's Congress in 1875 and 1876, urging that the subject of art education should be promoted by associations for study similar to the Social Art Club and Portfolio Club of Syracuse, and that public exhibitions, loan exhibitions and museums should be established. She urged the matter through art and educational journals. In 1879, she was called to Boston to assist in the Prang art educational work in the public schools. Hicks brought to the art educational movement exceptional qualifications for directorship. She had received not only technical art training, but she had also studied the history and literature of art. As the art educational movement has developed throughout the country, Hicks was recognized as one of the leaders. She was deeply interested in the kindergarten and industrial movements in education, and did much to bring them into harmony with art teaching in the public schools. She was one of the pioneers in summer school teaching.^[1]