Jo Evarts

A double major in English and History of Art, Jo Evarts was a Wellesley College Scholar in the Class of 1972. She earned her EdM with distinction at Harvard in 1982. She has taught English, History of Art, European and American History, and Literature throughout her adult life. From 1990-2022, Evarts and her late husband Jerry staged annual Shakespeare productions with youth, ages 5-20. She is also a writer: The Complete Hoot, a non-fiction study of Maxfield Parrish, and, currently, a novel.

American Impressionism and Realism, 1865-1950: Painting What You Cannot See (Fall Term 2023)

Participant Testimonials:

Jo knows a great deal about art and all aspects of the Cornish Colony.

Jo Evarts teaches what she knows. She is a major expert on all things concerning the Cornish Colony artists, particularly Maxfield Parrish, and an expert on art eras in general.

Our World in American Art: Where are We? (Fall Term 2022) 

Participant Testimonials:

I was able to expand my basic knowledge of the period and also learned about a few artists who I had not studied in depth before.

Jo could do a TV series on this topic (and many more for that matter) and captivate audiences all over the world. She's the best as was this course and ANY course I've taken with her. (Many, now at this point.) ALL FANTASTIC!

Architecture & Landscape Architecture in the Cornish Colony (Fall Term 2021)

Participant Testimonials:

 Jo Evarts is a great communicator. She also is notably encouraging to all participants.

Jo has an amazing depth of knowledge regarding the Cornish Colony!

Maxfield Parrish and the “Lively Days” of the Cornish Colony (Fall Term 2020)

Participant Testimonials:

 Exceptional knowledge of her topic.

This course was one of the best I have taken through ILIAD/Osher, if not the best.

 Life, Love, Art and Gardens in the Cornish Art Colony, 1880 -1916 (Fall Term 2019)

Participant Testimonials:

I have taken several courses with Jo Evarts and I really enjoy the opportunity (always optional) to pick a subject of interest to do individual research and present it to the class.

course I was surprised that much of what we learned was from Jo’s own knowledge and life experience as part of a family related to the Colony.