Mandle taught as instructor of art at
Phillips Academy in
Andover, Massachusetts 1963–1964, and at the
McBurney School in New York, 1964–1965. He began his career in museum leadership as an associate director of the
Minneapolis Institute of Art from 1967 to 1974, before becoming associate director at the
Toledo Museum of Art from 1977 to 1976. He was director at Toledo from 1977 to 1988. From 1988 to 1993, as deputy director and chief curator of the
National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, Mandle was outspoken arts activist. While in Washington, Mandle sat on the
National Education Goals Panel that prepared the National Standards for Arts Education, which would become part of the
National Educational Goals (or
Goals 2000). Presidents
Ronald Reagan and
George H. W. Bush appointed Mandle to the
National Council on the Arts, one of many policy and advisory groups where he served.
Rhode Island School of Design In 1993, Mandle was named president of the Rhode Island School of Design in
Providence. In May 2009, Mandle was awarded an
honorary doctorate from the Rhode Island School of Design.
Qatar Museum Authority and late career After leaving his post at RISD in July 2008, Mandle assumed the directorial position at the
Qatar Museums Authority where he remained until 2012. He oversaw many museums in Qatar including the
Museum of Islamic Art, the Qatar Natural History Museum and the
National Museum of Qatar. His work has helped develop the world's first non-profit, tuition-free, online academic institution that seeks to revolutionize higher education by making college-level studies accessible to students worldwide. He served on the boards of the
American Association of Museums, the
Williams College Museum of Art, the
Clark Art Institute, and the
Silk Road Project. == Awards and honors ==