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 are currently on hiatus.
Meanwhile, in my home studio, I’m focused on making and developing a series of whimsical drawings.
I’m also a voracious knitter and knit every day. Since beginning to knit with woolly wool pretty much exclusively since 2019, I’ve learned so much about sheep breeds, carding, spinning, sheering and more. Unlike synthetics, woolly wool is natural, sustainable, cozy warm and beautiful. I love it!
for the first – yet by no means the last – time.
What and why I make
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.
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
2024 Proprietors’ Art Show
2023 Proprietors’ Art Show
2022 Proprietors’ Art Show
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