Exhibit Info
Title:
The Places We Shop – Princeton Series
Dates:
June 15 to Sept. 30, 2026
Location:
History Hallway and 2nd floor Technology Center
Artist Bio
Barbara is the author and illustrator of several books for children. She teaches drawing and painting classes at the Arts Council of Princeton and supports graphic design students (Photoshop and Illustrator) at the New York Institute of Art + Design. She also leads online drawing programs for the Princeton University Art Museum several times yearly. She has a B.F.A. in illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design and an M.A. in illustration (with Merit) from Falmouth University (U.K.). She also studied painting for a year with Mary Beth McKenzie at the Arts Students League of New York.
In addition to making books and teaching art to all ages, Barbara loves participating in community events. She works with children whose families are unhoused, sharing her love of art with students once a week. Barbara lives with her family in Central New Jersey. Rachel Orr of the Prospect Agency represents her.
Artist Statement
About 20 years ago, I was offered a solo art show at my high school. Since I wanted to show something beyond representational skill (especially since my inspirational art teacher was still there), I worked hard to come up with a meaningful concept. At the same time, I saw a documentary about big-box stores taking over the retail landscape of many small towns, which made me reflect on my grandfather’s 33 years as an independent pharmacy owner. I decided to create an experiment, showing up to paint on location at various industries, comparing and contrasting both in paint and words, the box stores and their indie counterparts. A farm stand was compared with a wholesale club store. A local toy shop was compared with the giant toy store of the day. In this project, I tried to keep an open mind and treat each painting as a new adventure. But it was very clear early on that the local independent stores are jewels in our communities, often offering very competitive prices while giving so much back to local people.
In the following two years, I recreated this project, but without the box stores. I just had fun popping into local shops in my hometown, Ipswich, MA. When I moved to New York, I found homes for all the work.
Now that I have worked in the Princeton community for over 12 years, this is the perfect time to bring this painting project back. When the library offered me a residency, I thought immediately of revising the Places We Shop. Instead of a simple exterior or a photograph, I could paint alla prima (all in one session) and en plein air (on site), and get to know these business owners, workers, and their customers better. I am so happy that I did, because I have loved every opportunity to paint these independent retailers. Since I only had a few months, the selection of stores is just a sampling of our community. But I plan to continue this project, as I did in Ipswich, MA, over 20 years ago.
Website
Social Media
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