Lois Manno has been working in the arts for over 30 years. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree and has spent many years working as a graphic designer, professional illustrator and fine artist. Lois has illustrated over a dozen books for various publishers, and is an award-winning author herself. After a few years of wandering various western states, she settled permanently in New Mexico, which has been her home for 20 years. There, she raised her two daughters and became deeply involved in the sport of caving, working regularly as a volunteer at Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

Her book about the artists and photographers who have been inspired by Carlsbad Caverns over the last 100 years is entitled “Visions Underground: Carlsbad Caverns through the Artist’s Eye.” Her book was recognized with dual honors at the 2009 New Mexico Book Awards, with an award as “Best Art Book,” and “Best Book of 2009,” the top award given to the highest-ranked book out of more than 300 entries!

Lois' interest in music has been with her since childhood. Her husband, Jack Manno, is a composer, arranger, singer, and keyboard player. As Lois began to explore jazz music by the great artists of the genre, she tried to capture the different flavors of the music through drawing and painting. She started her abstract Jazz Art Series in 2004. Several of these pieces have been exhibited in juried exhibits nationally, and are in private collections.

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Lois poses with some of the cave-inspired artwork hanging in the visitor center gallery
at Carlsbad Caverns National Parkduring the grand opening in October, 2008.
Photo by Peter Jones
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WINNER, 2009 New Mexico Book Awards
• Best Art Book
* Best Book of 2009 (the top award)

Visions Underground: Carlsbad Caverns through the Artist’s Eye is a new book by Lois Manno, which describes the history of artists and photographers at Carlsbad Caverns National Park since 1900. The 192-page, full-color book contains many images from the park’s collection and from other sources as well. It is available on Amazon.com or from your local bookseller.