< Back to Directory

Gayle Mangan Kassal

Drawing, Painting, Public Art, Visual / Media

Painting extends well beyond it's frame. My mission is to inspire and empower, while sharing the joy of my vibrant world, brightening as many walls and lives as possible, celebrating life with my art.

About the Artist

Gayle Mangan Kassal is a local Maryland artist who expresses the vibrancy and exuberance of life’s experiences in her work.  She paints colorful moments, capturing abounding movement and energy, expressing genuine joy and passion for the world around us. Gayle has created whimsical murals and fine art adorning corporations, hospitals, and private residencies nationwide. An award-winning artist, Gayle Mangan Kassal lives and creates in Annapolis, Maryland. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, Magna Cum Laude, from Salve Regina University in Rhode Island and earned her Master’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.  She was an adjunct professor at UMass Dartmouth, Salve Regina University, and eventually Anne Arundel Community College when she moved to Annapolis in 2001. Currently, Gayle is a professional artist and educator as a teaching artist through Anne Arundel County public schools.  She is currently a signature board member of the Maryland Pastel Society and a member of the Annapolis Art Alliance. Kassal’s public art include establishments up and down the eastern seaboard from Boston to Washington and beyond, among them, Boston Medical Center in Boston, Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, Children's National in Washington D.C., Restaurants in Rhode Island and a dozen primary schools in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

Gayle Mangan Kassal website View Website Gayle Mangan Kassal website Gayle's Murals Gayle Mangan Kassal website Gayle's Fine Art Pastels

Featured Work

Photos

8 ft detail of the16ft x 38 ft wall - Arts in Education Residency Mural - 3 months, 592 students then completed by Gayle Mangan Kassal - the mural highlights the school's mascot: the seagull and it's surroundings and creatures the students want to protect, from monarchs to terrapins.
Acrylic on canvas mural
Acrylic on canvas
pastel on paper
Pastel on paper

Videos

  • Pediatric Burn Unit Children's National Medical Center

    See more information about Pediatric Burn Unit Children's National Medical Center
    Pediatric Burn Unit Mural
    In healthcare settings, art offers a welcome and calming presence. For pediatric patients especially, treatment can be stressful—making art and other distraction therapies an important part of the healing process for patients, caregivers, and medical staff.

    This mural, created for the pediatric burn unit at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., transforms the space into a whimsical underwater world filled with cheerful, colorful fish. Designed to engage young patients, the mural encourages an “I Spy”-style game, providing moments of distraction, curiosity, and joy. The hidden and swimming fish spark a sense of wonder, helping caregivers and staff build connections with children during treatment and easing the overall stress of the experience. Ultimately, this vibrant artwork supports emotional well-being and fosters a more compassionate, healing environment.
    Medium: Acrylic on Canvas installed and expanded along the counters and surrounding space
    Year: 2010
    Details: 9ft x 36ft

  • Cape St. Claire School Mural - "Soar"

    See more information about Cape St. Claire School Mural - "Soar"
    Cape St. Claire Elementary School Mural (Detailed image is 12ft x 8ft)
    Created in collaboration with artist-in-residence Gayle Mangan Kassal, this 16-foot-high by 38-foot-wide mural was painted in sections on panels over a three-month residency. The project revitalized a worn, open garden area where a peeling mural once stood, transforming it into a bright and inspiring courtyard visible from surrounding classrooms. All 592 students—from kindergarten through fifth grade—contributed to this vibrant legacy piece. The mural celebrates the school’s mascot, the seagull, and showcases local wildlife and beloved creatures the students hope to protect, from monarch butterflies to terrapins.
    Medium: Acrylic on PVC panels for ease of painting with students
    Year: September 2017
    Details: 240 + sq. ft.

  • Sailing to Success - Benfield Elementary School Mural

    See more information about Sailing to Success - Benfield Elementary School Mural
    “Sailing to Success” – Benfield Elementary School Mural
    Created in collaboration with artist-in-residence Gayle Mangan Kassal, this 12-foot-high by 15-foot-wide mural was painted in sections on PVC panels during a three-week residency. More than 300 students from 3rd to 5th grade participated, each leaving their mark on this vibrant legacy piece. The mural not only unifies the school’s challenging color palette—tying together orange lockers and apple green posts—but also reflects the local waterfront environment and the school year's theme of “Sailing to Success.” It transforms a new hallway into a bright, welcoming space and stands as a lasting tribute to student creativity and collaboration.
    Medium: Acrylic on PVC panels for ease of student painting work
    Year: 2018
    Details: 180 + square feet

  • Tracey's Elementary School wall mural

    See more information about Tracey's Elementary School wall mural
    Three-Year Legacy Mural Project
    This three-year Legacy Project transformed a plain gray concrete retaining wall into a vibrant celebration of the school's surrounding community. From 2016 to 2018, artist Gayle Mangan Kassal collaborated with 5th-grade students each year to design and paint sections of the mural, gradually completing the full 128-foot wall. All "bricks" are actual painted mural work to connect with their school's architecture. The final panel was installed in September 2018, marking the project’s inspiring conclusion.
    Medium: Acrylic on Celtec
    Year: 2016-2018
    Details: 4ft high x 128ft long mural on panels applied to cement wall

  • One- Corkran MIddle School's Mural

    See more information about One- Corkran MIddle School's Mural
    Corkran Middle School Cafeteria Mural Unveiling
    Corkran Middle School proudly unveils its new cafeteria mural, created in collaboration with artist-in-residence Gayle Mangan Kassal. The mural reflects the school’s vision of unity—celebrating how students from diverse backgrounds come together, sharing meals, stories, and experiences around one table. It is a vibrant expression of community, creativity, and togetherness. Painted by all 7th grade Digital Palette & True Color Students (236), designed and lead by artist Gayle Mangan Kassal.
    Medium: Acrylic on PVC panels for ease of painting with students
    Year: 2019
    Details: 5ft x 20ft Cafeteria mural

  • Our Annapolis

    See more information about Our Annapolis
    Mural creation : sketch to installation “Our Annapolis” my artistic interpretation of the Annapolis skyline centered around the US Naval Academy and my client’s favorite sites which hold special memories and meaningful moments in a custom view. Private Residence
    Medium: Acrylic on canvas
    Year: 2019
    Details: 9ft x 12ft stairwell wall

Booking

Eleni Dykstra, Coordinator of Visual Arts, Anne Arundel County Public Schools
Thomas Cordts, Vice Principal, Broadneck Elementary School
April Nyman, Executive Director, Arts Council of Anne Arundel County
Shelby Morris, Art Educator, Cape St. Claire Elementary School
Tracy Edwards, Art Educator, Crofton High School