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Libby Barrett has lived in Maine since 1971. She received her BFA in graphic design from Portland School of Art (now Maine College of Art) in 1988 and worked in that field for eighteen years. Looking for a more tactile involvement in her art-making, Libby began painting and exhibiting floorcloths in 2002. In 2005 she took a six-month educational leave from her job to pursue an independent study making artist's books. She continues to work in both mediums and exhibits her work internationally. Always eager to try new things, Libby has added collage to her repertoire with a series of "Game Fish" constructed from old game boards as well as a series of "Travel Bugs" which are made out of maps. She has also produced a number of encaustic paintings. While making artist's books offers the opportunity to experiment with structure, materials, and processes, encaustic painting and painting placemats and floorcloths fulfill my desire to play with design and color. I enjoy the different ways of thinking--a visual approach when painting with encaustics or on canvas and a more conceptual approach when making books and collages. Geometric shapes and color interaction often inspire my floorcloths and placemats, while painting with encaustics offers the luminosity and texture possible only with this unique medium. Many of my book and collage ideas are inspired by language--a pun, a turn of phrase, something that offers possibilities for interpretation in an unusual way. I am also inspired by countless small quiet moments. Themes of nature, place, and human experience are common in my work.
TO PURCHASE ARTWORK Artist's books are available, where noted, through Vamp and Tramp, Booksellers, LLC (http://www.vampandtramp.com/html/home.html) or by contacting me directly. Placemats and floorcloths are available by special order from this Web site. Or contact me directly about any of my artwork.
CURRENT AND UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS
EXHIBITIONS 2018 solo show May 21 - July 15, Scarborough Public Library, Scarborough, Maine 2018 "Narrative Threads," May 4 - May 25, Carbondale Arts Center, Carbondale, Colorado; June 1 - June 30, Dayton Memorial Library, Regis University, Denver, Colorado 2018 "When I Was...," March 8 - May 30, Wishcamper Center, University of Southern Maine, Portland, Maine 2018 "Boundless Possibilities," February 28 - March 26, Portland Public Library, Portland, Maine 2018 "USM Kate Cheney Chappell '83 Center for Book Arts Critique Group," January 19 - February 15, Centre Street Arts Gallery, Bath, Maine 2017-2018 "Bound and Determined: The Remarkable Physical History of the Book," August 30, 2017 - January 15, 2018, Hawthorne Gallery, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine 2017 "Harmony," March 10 - May 31, Wishcamper Center, University of Southern Maine, Portland, Maine 2016 "Bound Together III," April 7 - April 30, Portland Public Library, Portland, Maine 2016 "It's not down on any map... true places never are," March - May, Wishcamper Center, University of Southern Maine, Portland, Maine 2015 "Handmade Artists' Books: One of a Kind," July 9 - September 30, Maine Fiber Arts, Topsham, Maine 2015 "A Show of Hands," March 13 - May 29, Wishcamper Center, University of Southern Maine, Portland, Maine 2015 "Bound Together II," April 2 - April 29, Lewis Gallery, Portland Public Library, Portland, Maine 2015 "The Rumpus Revival," March 27 - April 11, Engine, Biddeford, Maine 2015 "Artist's Books by Libby Barrett," January 12 - February 14, Joanne Waxman Library, Maine College of Art, Portland, Maine 2015 "BookART," books from the collection, January 19 - May 31, Hawthorne Longfellow Library, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine 2014 "Bound Together," April 4 - April 30, Lewis Gallery, Portland Public Library, Portland, Maine 2014 "Rescued, Revived, Redeemed," March 13 - May 30, Wishcamper Center, University of Southern Maine, Portland, Maine 2014 "The Inspired Hand VI," January 17 - March 15, Atrium Gallery, Lewiston-Auburn College, University of Southern Maine, Lewiston, Maine 2013 "Paste & Pages," June 7 - June 29, juried exhibition, Harlow Gallery, Hallowell, Maine 2013 "Is That a Book?!," March 14 - May 31, Wishcamper Center, University of Southern Maine, Portland, Maine 2013 "Artists' Books: Meaning & Definition," April 5 - April 30, Portland Public Library, Portland, Maine 2013 "Ekphrasis," April 8 - May 25, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth, Maine 2012 "New Books in the Library," solo exhibition, November 1 - November 30, Thomas Memorial Library, Cape Elizabeth, Maine 2012 "FUSE: Maine Encaustic Artists at the Harlow Gallery," juried group exhibition, August 3 - August 25, Harlow Gallery, Hallowell, Maine 2012 "The HeART of the Home," May 4 - May 30, The Gallery at Harmon's and Barton's, Portland, Maine 2012 "Book Bazaar," Sunday, April 1, Wishcamper Center, University of Southern Maine, Portland, Maine 2011-2012 "The Decorated Book: Continuing a Tradition," December 2, 2011 - March 9, 2012, juried exhibition, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 2011 "Artists Books from the Bridwell Art Library," June 27 - August 7, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 2011 "Un-Speak-Able," juried show, March 4 - April 2, 2011, The Arts Center, Corvallis, Oregon 2009-2011 "The Perfect Fit," juried traveling exhibition, June 6-January 3, 2010, Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, Massachusetts; April 30-September 12, 2010, The Nicolaysen Museum, Casper, Wyoming; October 16-January 2, 2011, Albany Institute of History & Art, Albany, New York; February 5, 2011-April 3, 2011, Kimball Art Center, Park City, Utah 2010-2011 "The Book: A Contemporary View," invitational, December 22, 2010-April 17, 2011, Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, Wilmington, Delaware 2010 "Altering Matters," new work by Maine members of the Surface Design Association, September 7-November 30, 2010, Atrium Gallery, Lewiston-Auburn College, University of Southern Maine, Lewiston, Maine 2010 "Step on It," solo exhibition of hand-painted floorcloths, November 1-November 30, 2010, The Gallery at Harmon's and Barton's, Portland, Maine 2010 Bradbury Mountain Arts Holiday Show, guest artist, December 3,4,5, 2010, Mallett Hall, Pownal Center, Maine 2010 "Decadal" April 1-30, solo exhibition, Thomas Memorial Library, Cape Elizabeth, Maine 2010 "Quantified Aesthetics," juried group exhibition, March 12-June 20, 2010, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Minneapolis, Minnesota 2010 "Chroma," March 1-March 31, 2010, Hope.Gate.Way., 185 High Street, Portland, Maine 2009 "Art at the Cathedral," group exhibition, October 2, Cathedral of St. Luke, Portland, Maine 2009 "Spineless Wonders: Inspiring Invertebrates," group exhibition, September-December, Atrium Gallery, Lewiston-Auburn College, University of Southern Maine, Lewiston, Maine 2009 "4-Point Persepective," group exhibition, September 4-26, Harlow Gallery, Hallowell, Maine 2008 "Renewals," group exhibition, November 7-21, Belfast Free Library, Belfast, Maine 2008 "Revisions of the American Dream," group exhibition, June 6-July 7, The Susan Hensel Gallery, Minneapolis, Minnesota 2008 "Re:," traveling group exhibition: May 12-29, The Gallery, The University of Northampton, Northampon, England; July 14-August 14, Artworks MK, Milton Keynes, England; Summer, Herefordshire College of Art, Hereford, England; November 3-14, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, England 2008 "Beyond Reading: Books as Art," group exhibition, April 25-June 6, Suffolk Museum, Suffolk, Virginia 2008 "Shelter," traveling group exhibition: April 10-22, Wedeman Gallery, Yamawaki Art and Cultural Center, Lasell College, Newton, Massachusetts; May 9-June 19, Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, Silver Spring, Maryland; July 9-August 15, Fleet Library, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island; October 1-29, 301 Gallery, Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, Massachusetts; April 8-May 3, 2009, The String Room Gallery, Wells College, Aurora, New York 2008 "Transparent/Opaque," group exhibition, April 4-26, Abecedarian Gallery, Denver, Colorado 2008 "Secrets and Lies," group exhibition, March 20-April 26, 23 Sandy Gallery, Portland, Oregon 2008 "New England Artists' Exhibition," group exhibition, March 19-April 26, Turner Center for the Arts, Turner, Maine 2007 "Work of the Hand," group exhibition, Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockport, Maine 2007 "Bird Sightings," group exhibition, Atrium Gallery, Lewiston-Auburn College, University of Southern Maine, Lewiston, Maine 2007 "Regenerator: Altered Books," group exhibition, University of West England, Bristol, England 2006 "From My Mind's Eye," solo exhibition, University of Southern Maine, Portland, ME 2006 "Work of the Hand," group exhibition, Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockport, Maine 2006 "Bookmarks IV Infiltrating the Library System: Australia, UK and USA," group exhibition, multiple venues 2006 "Forest: Anchors of Earth, Tellers of Time," group exhibition, Atrium Gallery, Lewiston-Auburn College, University of Southern Maine, Lewiston, Maine 2005 "Handmade Carpets: Art Meets Function," group exhibition, Old Point Comfort Gallery, Waldoboro, Maine 2003 "Work of the Hand," group exhibition, Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockport, Maine 2002 "After Hours," group exhibition, Art Gallery, University of Southern Maine, Portland, Maine
REPRESENTATION Vamp & Tramp, Booksellers, LLC
PUBLICATIONS Eco Books, Janet Takahashi, Lark Books 500 Handmade Books, Volume 2, Julie Chen, juror, Lark Books 1000 Artists' Books: Exploring the Book as Art, Sandra Salamony with Peter & Donna Thomas, Quarry Books Bound & Lettered, Volume 14, Number 1, Publisher John Neal
PERMANENT COLLECTIONS Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library, UCLA, Los Angeles, California Special Collections, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia Margaret M. Bridwell Art Library, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky Dr. Ronald B. Madge Entomology Collection, Bruce Peel Special Collections Library, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine Osher Map Library, University of Southern Maine, Portland, Maine Maine Women Writers Collection, Abplanalp Library, University of New England, Portland, Maine
EDUCATION Book Arts, University of Southern Maine, Portland, Maine Independent study, University of Worcester, Worcester, England BFA, Maine College of Art, Portland, Maine
GRANT West Gardiner Community Enterprise Grant, 2009-2010
AFFILIATIONS Kate Cheney Chappell '83 Book Arts Center critique group Maine Crafts Association
TEACHING Maine College of Art, Portland, Maine Artascope Studios, South Portland, Maine Spiral Arts, Portland, Maine Thomas Memorial Library (workshops), Cape Elizabeth, Maine Pond Cove Elementary School (residency), Cape Elizabeth, Maine Cape Memory Care, Cape Elizabeth, Maine |
