A little bit about me

Barbara van Buskirk in her studio (photo by Michael Sterling)
Printing a monotype at The Button Factory in Portsmouth, NH
Photo Credit: Michael Sterling

I was born in Pittsburgh and raised about 25 miles north of the city in the small town of Mars, Pennsylvania.  My professional art career began over 20 years ago in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I began making and exhibiting monotypes at New Grounds Print Workshop, a group studio. In early 2003, I opened my own small studio in Albuquerque’s Nob Hill and, within a couple of years, moved to a larger studio in the Harwood Art Center. In June 2012, my husband and I moved to Portsmouth, New Hampshire where, in January 2013, I began renting press time and printing monotypes at Darlene Furbush Ouellette’s studio in The Button Factory. My etching press printmaking activities at The Button Factory came to a screeching halt when Covid reared its ugly head and have been nonexistent since 2020. I’ll be returning to The Button Factory in early 2024 to print a new series of monotypes. It will be interesting to see what comes forth after a four year pause.

Meanwhile, in my home studio, I’m making whimsical drawings, knitting, collaging, and playing around with a pin press and Japanese baren to print small monotypes.

My monotypes are in private collections throughout the United States as well as in the public collection of the College of Santa Fe.

Statement

Growing up in a small town, I had ample opportunity to exercise my imagination. I continue to flex these muscles by making all kinds of things with my hands: monotypes, collages, woodblock prints, blank books, hand knit and crocheted pieces, clay pieces and more. Through my making, I excavate, explore and unearth treasures. For me, this is play, not work. Lots of fun surprises and endlessly interesting as well as  beautiful.

Barbara van Buskirk in her studio (photo by Michael Sterling)
Pausing during a printing session at The Button Factory in Portsmouth, NH
Photo Credit: Michael Sterling

Résumé

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2019 TORN-TO-PIECES-HOOD:
A series of monotype collages by Barbara van Buskirk
Ceres Bakery, Portsmouth, NH

2017 Rapt in Winter (II):
A Mix of Monotypes/Paintings/Collage by Barbara van Buskirk
Indian Hill Music, The Gallery at Indian Hill, Camilla Blackman Hall, Littleton, MA

2016 Rapt in Winter: A Mix of Monotypes/Paintings/Collage by Barbara van Buskirk
Sentry Hill, Tennyson Gallery, York, ME

2013 The Wonder of Life: Monotypes by Barbara van Buskirk
Sentry Hill, Tennyson Gallery, York, ME

2009 To Imagine Is Everything: New Work by Barbara Van Buskirk
The Fisher Gallery, Albuquerque, NM


SELECTED JURIED EXHIBITIONS

2022 New England Printmakers Juried Exhibition
New Hampshire Art Association, Portsmouth, NE

2018 Open Regional Juried Show
The Barn Gallery, Ogunquit, ME

2018 National Juried Competition ⎯ Works on Paper 2018 Exhibition
Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences, Loveladies, NJ
Juror: Kim Conaty, Steven and Ann Ames Curator of Drawings and Prints
The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City, New York

2018 All Over The Place: Summer 2018 Exhibit
The Gallery at 100 Market, Portsmouth, NH

2017 Barn Gallery Regional Artists Exhibit
The Barn Gallery, Ogunquit, ME

2014 28th Annual Omer T. Lassonde Open Juried Exhibition
New Hampshire Art Association, Portsmouth, NH

2013 14th Annual Joan L. Dunfey Memorial Open Juried Exhibition
New Hampshire Art Association, Portsmouth, NH

2013 Barn Gallery Regional Artists Exhibit
The Barn Gallery, Ogunquit, ME

2013 Prescott Park Arts Festival ExhibitHosted by New Hampshire Art Association
Sheafe Warehouse, Prescott Park, Portsmouth, NH

2013 Un-themed and Varied: The Winter 2013 Exhibit
The Gallery at 100 Market, Portsmouth, NH

2012 Fall into Winter 2012
The Gallery at 100 Market, Portsmouth, NH

2012 Works on Paper
York Art Association, York, ME

2008 Faces of Woman
18th Annual National Juried Art Exhibition
Las Vegas Arts Council, Las Vegas, NM

2007 Professional Fine Arts Exhibit
EXPO New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM

2005 Imprints
Albuquerque Arts Alliance, Albuquerque, NM

2005 Hand Prints
The University of New Mexico-Los Alamos, Los Alamos, NM

2005 Imprinted: Contemporary Printmaking
El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe, Santa Fe, NM

2004 First Annual Go Figure Exhibition
Maryland Federation of Art, Circle Gallery, Annapolis, MD
Juror: Wilford W. Scott, Department Head of Adult Programs,
Education Division, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

2003 Euro-Estampe 2003, 5th Biennale Europeenne de Gravure
(International Juried), Lorient, France


SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

Portsmouth Athenaeum, Randall Gallery, Portsmouth, NH
2022 Portsmouth Athenaeum Proprietors’ Exhibition

New Hampshire Art Association, Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery, Portsmouth, NH
2014 Inspired
2013 Figure It Out
2013 Breaking All the Rules

Kittery Art Association, Kittery, ME
2013 Reflections

York Art Association, York, ME
2012 Wonderful Water


SELECTED INVITATIONAL EXHIBITIONS

Portsmouth Music and Arts Center, Portsmouth, NH
2016 The Button Factory at PMAC
2015 The Button Factory at PMAC

Bebe Café & Gallery, Old Town, Albuquerque, NM
2012 Unplugged: Works from the Darkroom and Studio

Satellite Coffee, Nob Hill, Albuquerque, NM
2011 The Breakfast Club

The Harwood Art Center, Albuquerque, NM
2010 Personal Space: Work by the Harwood Studio Artists

Albuquerque Museum of Art and History, Albuquerque, NM
2007 A Starry Night (Sponsored by Escuela del Sol Montessori & Harwood Art Center)

Works on Paper Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2007 Awakenings

Sandia Resort and Casino, Albuquerque, NM
2007 Maravilla 2007 Gala (Sponsored by the National Hispanic Cultural Center)

The Fisher Gallery, Albuquerque, NM
2008 Pressing Objectives
2007 The Feminine Touch
2006 Printmaking Perceptions
2005 Lasting Impressions
2003 Emerging Artists

College of Santa Fe Printmaking Center, Santa Fe, NM
2003 Monothon 17
2002 Monothon 16
2001 Monothon 15

New Grounds Print Workshop, Albuquerque, NM
2002 New Work by New Grounds’ Artists
2001 New Work by New Grounds’ Artists
2000 New Work by New Grounds’ Artist


PUBLICATIONS AND OTHER MEDIA

The Creators of SomeCity (YouTube), Episode 123: “Barbara van Buskirk: A Home in Monotype,” Premiered February 8, 2019

“Other Lives: The art of experimenting” by Mike Lohmeier, EDGE Magazine, September 6-12, 2018, page 18

The Woven Tale Press: Cybersphere’s Premier Literary and Fine Arts Magazine, Feature Article: “How I Make a Monotype” by Barbara van Buskirk, May 16, 2016

The Woven Tale Press: Cybersphere’s Premier Literary and Fine Arts Magazine
, Volume IV, #3, April 2016

Monoprint-Monotype e-zine, Volume 1, Issue 1, Winter 2015


PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

College of Santa Fe, Santa Fe, New Mexico


SELECTED PRIVATE COLLECTIONS

California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania