ABOUT BARB ANDERSON

…a retired special education teacher who has been influenced greatly by her students. The children and adults she worked with viewed the world in their own unique way, not necessarily understood by others; Barbara felt quite at home with them.

…Barbara used poetry, art, and drama as ways to tap into the hidden talents of children who didn’t learn by more conventional ways.

…growing up in Pittsburgh where both hills and city influenced her, Barbara loves the business of urban life and the serenity of hills and woods.

…Barbara has been painting about fifteen years. After leaving teaching, art has become a principle part of her life, as has the poetry she has always written.

…She finds art and poetry to have a lot in common; both use metaphors to explain reality as well as unreality, neither demands “…just the facts, maam”.

…Barbara paints in acrylic, oil, or watercolor on either paper, board, orcanvas–whatever the painting needs. For example, if she were painting a poppy she would use paper and transparent colors. If painting fanciful houses, wood would be good choice because of the more rustic surface that requires a hardier use of paint. Barbara uses multiple layers of color, each layer picks up a bit of what came before – like our lives – each layer adds another dimension of interest.

SELECTED EXHIBIT

University of Michigan Taubman Center

Washtenaw Council for the ArtsAnn Arbor District Library

Washtenaw Community College

North Campus, Univ. of Michigan

Ella Sharp Museum

Matthaei Botanical Gardens

Visual Arts of Livonia

Our Town – Birmingham

Birmingham-Bloomfield Art Center

Celebration of Life – Cranbrook

Birmingham Temple

ONE WOMAN EXHIBITS

First Unitarian Universalist Congregation

Michigan League

Ann Arbor District Library

St. Joseph’s Hospital

Ann Arbor Women’s City Club

GROUP EXHIBITS

Two women – Chelsea Art Gallery

Two women - Gallery 55+ - Sponsored by the University of Michigan

Five women - Kerrytown Music Hall

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

Teach art at the Turner Senior Resource Center

Participant in Chelsea Art Fair – June, Chelsea

Hospital grounds, yearly

University of Michigan Hospital permanent collection

Education

B.A. – Wayne State University

M.A. – Eastern Michigan University: Learning Disabled and Emotionally Impaired certifications