UPCOMING

In celebration of our 25th season Barbara Prey Projects is pleased to present three upcoming exhibitions by internationally acclaimed artist Barbara Prey this summer:

Barbara Prey: Nature Remixed

Celebrating 25 Years of Barbara Prey Projects                                 July 1 – July 13

Numinous                                                                                          July 14 – Sept 1

There and Back Again                                                                             Aug 11 – Sept  1                                                

BARBARA PREY: Nature Remixed  Celebrating 25 Years of Barbara Prey Projects

July 1 – July 13

Her attention to details recalls Vermeer…it’s a painter’s job to notice, and to draw out the nuance and light in what the rest of us ignore.  Prey has that eye and hand … what she makes touches the divine and has staying power.           -The Boston Globe

With her artist’s eye, esteemed American artist Barbara Prey explores the importance of the natural world in a striking collection of previously unseen oil paintings. These works delve into the landscapes of her immediate surroundings, exploring the intricate ways in which we inhabit and engage with the environment.

Drawing from her distinguished academic background in art history from Williams College and Harvard, Prey pushes the boundaries of her artistic expression. Her paintings not only engage with themes of memory and art history but also offer a fresh, contemporary reinterpretation of American art, contributing to its evolving narrative.

Known for her monumental watercolor works, Prey’s new oil paintings stand in contrast—smaller in scale and created en plein air. These intimate pieces capture a raw, gestural energy, with brushstrokes that feel impulsive yet intentional. This approach invites viewers into the artist’s immediate experience, offering a deeper insight into her creative process.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Barbara Ernst Prey is considered one of America’s foremost painters. A living master, her recently completed commission for MASS MoCA, described as a “technical tour de force” by commissioning Director Joe Thompson, is the largest watercolor ever exhibited. Her paintings are in the collections of the National Gallery of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum,  Kennedy Space  Center, the privatecollections of Tom Hanks and Orlando Bloom, and the permanent  collection of the White House, where she is one of just two living female artists represented.

She was appointed by the President of the United States to the National Council on the Arts,  the governing body of the National Endowment for the Arts, a position she held for the past 14 years. Her 2003 painting of the Diplomatic Reception Room was featured on the White House Christmas card. With dozens of artworks commissioned by government agencies and institutions, such as four paintings for NASA, Prey is a global ambassador for American Art. Tapped annually for the U.S. Art in Embassies program, Prey’s work has been on display in over one hundred U.S. Embassies and Consulates worldwide, including those in Paris, Hong Kong, and Madrid. Her painting Gallantly Streaming is currently on exhibit in the lobby of the U.S. Mission to the U.N.

Prey earned a Bachelor’s degree from Williams College, where she is an adjunct faculty member, and a Master’s degree from Harvard University. She has received numerous institutional accolades, including a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation, and the New York Senate’s “Women of Distinction” Award, joining Eleanor Roosevelt and Susan B. Anthony. She maintains studios in New York, Maine, and the Berkshires.