Florida Artists Group

Artists Bio:

Having been raised in Central Florida, Barbara has loved art and nature her entire life, knowing at a very early age that art would be a big part of her future.
Beginning her career as a commercial artist, she always found time to draw. In 1980, she began participating in outdoor art festivals, as well as museum exhibits and competitions through the state and on a national level, winning awards along the way.
Barbara’s early works of art were exclusively graphite and colored pencil. In 1986, private lessons with Maury Hurt, taught the classical approach to painting while introducing the effects of light. This dramatically changed her work and also her approach to teaching, which she has been doing since 1984. From 1987 until 2008, she maintained a studio at The Maitland Art Center. Began teaching at Crealdé School of Art in Winter Park, in 2012 and became the head of the painting and drawing department for five years as well as curator of exhibitions which she still is currently doing.

Artist Statement:

“With awe and wonder, I am inspired by many things, complex or simple, as long as there is light. With hope, my work will be a means by which the observer will become a participant.”

Solo Exhibitions:

Arts on Douglas, New Smyrna Beach, FL - 2004, 2008, 2012 Lake Eustis Museum of Art, Eustis, FL - 2012
The Maitland Art Center, Maitland, FL - 2008
Casa Feliz, Winter Park, FL - 2007
Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando, FL - 2005
Atlantic Center for the Arts at Harris House, New Smyrna Beach, FL - 2002 Wiregrass Museum of Art, Dothan, AL - 1998

Group and 2 Person Exhibitions:

Salon International Competition, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX 2011, 2012, 2013
The Mennello Museum, Orlando, FL - 2011
Florida Museum of Women Artists, Deland, FL - 2011
Albin Polasek Museum, Winter Park, FL - 2007
Daytona Beach Art League, Daytona Beach, FL - 2004
Shakespeare Festival Theater, Orlando, FL - 2002
Epcot Flower and Garden Festival, Orlando, FL - 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Casselberry City Hall, Casselberry, FL - 2001, 2010
Lake County Court House, Taveres, FL - 2000
Deland Museum of Art, Deland, FL - 1999, 2001
University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL - 1996
Wiregrass Museum of Art, Dothan, AL 1996
Orlando City Hall, Orlando, FL 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002
Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando, FL - 1995, 2003, 2004
Society of the Four Arts, Palm Beach, FL - 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995
The Maitland Art Center, Maitland, FL - 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2010

Selected Awards:

2012 - Jury’s Top Fifty, Salon International, International Museum of Contemporary Masters of Fine Art, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX
2009 - Best in Show, “Faces 2009”, a juried exhibition, Henegar Center for the Arts, Melbourne, FL 2006 - Purchase Award, Maitland Art Center, Maitland, FL
1999 - Individual Artist Recognition Award, Orlando FL
1997 - Second Place, Ridge Art Association, Winter Haven, FL
1996 - Third Place, Wiregrass Biennial, Wiregrass Museum of Art, Dothan, AL
1991 - Mary Hulitar Award, 53rd Annual National Exhibition of Contemporary American Paintings,
Society of The Four Arts, Palm Beach, FL

Selected Collections:

Church Street Station, Orlando, FL - Commission for permanent corporate collection University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL - Commission for permanent collection Seminole Community College, Lake Mary, FL - Purchase for permanent collection Orlando City Hall, Orlando, FL - Commission and purchases for the permanent collection Wall Street Marketing, Inc., Orlando, FL - Commission for permanent corporate collection McCree Architects, Orlando FL - Commission for permanent corporate collection
Roger Holler Family, Winter Park, FL - Commission for permanent corporate collection Maitland Art Center, Maitland, FL - Purchases for the permanent collection
Gannett Publishing, Purchase for the permanent corporate collection
The Medalist Club, Greg Norman, Hobe Sound, FL - Commission for the permanent collection Radford University Art Museum, Radford, VA - Purchase for the permanent collection
Texas A & M - Purchase for the permanent collection
Plus many private collections through the United States as well as Colombia and Sweden