Biography
Paula Barr was born in Pennsylvania. She was raised in Mobile, Alabama during the tumultuous times of the 1960’s. Barr studied painting at Boston University and gained a BFA with honors. Upon graduation, she went directly to New York City to set up her first studio
in Little Italy.
It was a magical time in New York City – the late 60’s, 70’s and 80’s - it was a small bourgeoning community of artists’ sharing ideas. An ideal day was spent in the studio making art and a nightcap at Max’s Kansas City to connect with friends.
From 1967 until the present, Barr has exhibited and is in the following collections that include; Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum and the Biennial, Brooklyn Museum, Museum of the City of New York, Bykert Gallery, Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, New York Public Library, Smithsonian, Library of Congress, Chase
Manhattan Bank, Getty Museum, Bill Gates, Henri Gallery, Neikrug, Newark Museum, Indianapolis Museum, Cincinnati Museum, Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art, International Photography Museum, New York State Museum, One World Trade Center, Center for Photography at Woodstock, Penn State University Gallery, Fine Arts Museum of the South, Huntsville Museum, Mobile Museum of Art and the John Samuels Collection.
In 1974 Barr was a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship. She received grants from the Z.B.S Foundation and the A.I.R Committee for the Visual Arts in 1976.
In 1985 with the birth of her son Barr broadened her palette to include photography and alternative media. She was an innovator in creating site-specific public art installations.
In 1995 Barr was commissioned to create “Twilight Interlude”. The 10’ x 74’ photo-mural is composed of glass-photo tiles for which she holds a patent. Her public commissions are found at; JFK Airport, Penn Station, NYC, Columbus Circle MTA subway, Mobile Infirmary Medical Center, Bellevue and Goldwater Hospitals.
In 2008 Barr was invited by the World Economic Forum to exhibit at their meeting in Davos, Switzerland. She presented “Gulf Coast Echo Pre and Post Hurricane Katrina”. The mural size images showed the international leaders the reality of a natural disaster after it is no longer reported in the news.
Since 2011, Barr has worked with the 9/11 Memorial Museum. Presently the 9/11 Museum has commissioned two silk scarves of the Twin Towers which may be purchased at the Museum’s shops.
Paula Barr was born in Pennsylvania. She was raised in Mobile, Alabama during the tumultuous times of the 1960’s. Barr studied painting at Boston University and gained a BFA with honors. Upon graduation, she went directly to New York City to set up her first studio
in Little Italy.
It was a magical time in New York City – the late 60’s, 70’s and 80’s - it was a small bourgeoning community of artists’ sharing ideas. An ideal day was spent in the studio making art and a nightcap at Max’s Kansas City to connect with friends.
From 1967 until the present, Barr has exhibited and is in the following collections that include; Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum and the Biennial, Brooklyn Museum, Museum of the City of New York, Bykert Gallery, Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, New York Public Library, Smithsonian, Library of Congress, Chase Manhattan Bank, Getty Museum, Bill Gates, Henri Gallery, Neikrug, Newark Museum, Indianapolis Museum, Cincinnati Museum, Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art, International Photography Museum, New York State Museum, One World Trade Center, Center for Photography at Woodstock, Penn State University Gallery, Fine Arts Museum of the South, Huntsville Museum, Mobile Museum of Art and the John Samuels Collection.
In 1974 Barr was a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship. She received grants from the Z.B.S Foundation and the A.I.R Committee for the Visual Arts in 1976.
In 1985 with the birth of her son Barr broadened her palette to include photography and alternative media. She was an innovator in creating site-specific public art installations.
In 1995 Barr was commissioned to create “Twilight Interlude”. The 10’ x 74’ photo-mural is composed of glass-photo tiles for which she holds a patent. Her public commissions are found at; JFK Airport, Penn Station, NYC, Columbus Circle MTA subway, Mobile Infirmary Medical Center, Bellevue and Goldwater Hospitals.
In 2008 Barr was invited by the World Economic Forum to exhibit at their meeting in Davos, Switzerland. She presented “Gulf Coast Echo Pre and Post Hurricane Katrina”. The mural size images showed the international leaders the reality of a natural disaster after it is no longer reported in the news.
Since 2011, Barr has worked with the 9/11 Memorial Museum. Presently the 9/11 Museum has commissioned two silk scarves of the Twin Towers which may be purchased at the Museum’s shops.