On Friday, April 1 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. the Parkersburg Art Center will be hosting an exhibit opening reception for artist Barrie Kaufman.

Barrie Kaufman is an award-winning, international artist from West Virginia working in print media, painting, glass, and ceramics.  She has been creating art for thirty-five years, making personal statements about the environment and social consciousness.  

“Stories of the natural world, its beauty, and current imbalance inform my work. Living in West Virginia, I am aware of the delicate interplay between our mountains, rivers, and forests,”  says Kaufman.

Trained as a printmaker, in 2013 she began working in sculpture in The Czech Republic making a monumental cast glass column on global warming. For the last three years, she has been exclusively creating ceramic sculptures. 

Not only will Barrie be exhibiting at the Art Center, she is also going to be a resident artist for two weeks in April thanks to funding from a Living Traditions: Folk Art Project Support grant through the West Virginia Department of Arts Culture and History. 

“I visited the PAC and was moved by the expansive ceramics program which included ample hand-building spaces, glazing facilities with studio-made glazes, a pug mill, extruder, large kilns, and state-of-the-art purifiers.

During this artistic residency, I will continue to develop unique ceramic pieces. A wonderful opportunity to work non-stop for two weeks does not come often. Much can be accomplished,” adds Barrie.

The Exhibit Opening Reception on Friday cost $10 to attend but is free to Art Center members and children 12 and under. Delicious hor d’oeuvres and refreshments will be available.

The exhibit will remain on display through April 23 and can be viewed Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Regular entry is $2 for non-members but always free for Art Center members and children.  Wednesdays are free days for all.


The Parkersburg Art Center is located at 725 Market Street in downtown Parkersburg at the corner of Market and Eighth Streets with ample parking in the lots along 8th Street between Market and Juliana.  Find out more about the Art Center on Facebook, Instagram or their website www.parkersburgartcenter.org.

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