SUMMARY
Mosaic and terrazzo artist interested in public art opportunities.
EDUCATION
MINNEAPOLIS COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE
Associate’s Degree in Graphic Design 2004
HAMLINE UNIVERSITY
Master in Education 1996
CONCORDIA COLLEGE
Kindergarten Endorsement 1994
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
BS in Elementary Education 1988
PUBLIC ART
Amplatz Children's Hospital, Minneapolis, MN
St. Francis Hospital, Birth Center, Milwaukee, WI
Gillette Children's Hospital, seven mosaics, St. Paul, MN
Children's Hospital, large scale mosaic, Minneapolis, MN
Bemidji Regional Event Center/Sanford Center, designed 15,000 square foot epoxy terrazzo floor, Bemidji, MN
Kaiser Permanente Hospital, two mosaics for Labor and Delivery, Los Angeles, CA
Health Partners, Woodbury, MN
Health Partners, Sartell, MN
Health Partners, Cottage Grove, MN
Olmsted Medical Center, four mosaics, Preston, MN
Mayo Clinic, four mosaics, Rochester, MN
Roseville Bandshell, design cement terrazzo medallion, Roseville, MN
Kaiser-Permanente Medical (LAMC), thirty-two mosaics, Los Angeles, CA
St. Joseph's Hospital, two large scale mosaics, St. Paul, MN
St. Cloud Great River Regional Library, large scale mosaic, St. Cloud, MN
Rice Street Branch of the St. Paul Public Library System, large scale mosaic, St. Paul, MN
Regions Hospital, Medical Library, St. Paul, MN
Fairview Pediatric Facilty, Minneapolis, MN
Bank, Willmar, MN
Eye clinic, Willmar, MN
University of Iowa Hospital, eight mosaics, Iowa City, IA
Dell Children’s Hospital, five mosaics, Austin, Texas
Fairview Riverside Adult Behavioral Health Unit, Minneapolis, MN
Health Partners Specialty Clinic, St. Paul, Minnesota
SOLO SHOWS/FEATURED ARTIST
OWATONNA ART CENTER, Owatonna, MN August 2011
GRAND HAND GALLERY, St. Paul, MN December 2010
HOPKINS CENTER FOR THE ARTS Hopkins, MN Oct/Nov 2008
PHIPPS CENTER FOR THE ARTS Hudson, WI January/February 2008
BLOOMINGTON CENTER FOR THE ARTS Bloomington, MN November/December 2007
GALLERY 360 Minneapolis, MN April/May 2007
OLD GEM THEATER AND GALLERY, WI 2006
CORNUCOPIA ART CENTER, Lanesboro, MN 2006
BUFFALO FISH FINE ART GALLERY Willmar, MN 2006
MOSAIC ON A STICK St. Paul, MN 2006
MINNEAPOLIS PUBLIC LIBRARY WASHBURN Minneapolis, MN November 2005
GROUP SHOWS
Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Competition: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2004
Bluff Country Studio Art Tour: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Gallery 360 Five Foot Show, Minneapolis, MN 2009/2010
Red Wing Minnesota Mosaic Guild show, Red Wing, MN 2009
Minnesota Mosaic Guild Art-a-Whirl show, Minneapolis, MN 2007, 2008, 2009
Winona Summer on the River Show, Winona, MN 2006
Northrup King Studio Tours First Thursday Event, Minneapolis, Minnesota 2005
Undercroft Gallery, St. Paul, Minnesota 2005
Minnesota State Fair, St. Paul, Minnesota Fine Arts Competition, 2004
ArTrujillo Gallery, Northeast Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2004, 2005
Minnetonka Center for the Arts, Laura H. Miles Gallery, Minnetonka, MN, 2004
Artists du Nord Northern Showcase Blaine, Minnesota, 2004
Minnesota State Fair, Creative Activities Competition, 2002
GALLERIES - PAST AND PRESENT
Lanesboro Art Center, Lanesboro, MN
Something Original, Grand Rapids, MN
Buffalo Fish Fine Art Gallery, Willmar, MN
Mosaic on a Stick, St. Paul, MN
Clover Gallery, Harmony, MN
Gallery 360, Minneapolis, MN
Grand Hand Gallery, St. Paul, MN
Bluff Country Artist Gallery, Spring Grove, MN
Your Art's Desire, Minnetonka, MN
Artistic Indulgence, Minneapolis, MN
Rogues Gallery, St. Cloud, MN
Cattail Gallery, Park Rapids, MN
Long Lake Gallery, Park Rapids, MN
BOOKS
Mosaic Zoo: An ABC Book By Barbara Benson Keith 2008 (mosaic illustrations)
The Girls and Boys of Mother Goose Compiled and Illustrated by Barbara Benson Keith 2006 (mosaic illustrations)
Lazy Robert by Nancy DeRosa, Illustrated by Barbara Benson Keith 2006 (digital/painted illustrations)
PRESS
Off 90 segment, PBS TV show, station KSMQ out of Austin, MN 2011
Mosaica Na Rede Magazine (Brazil) 2010
Bemidji Pioneer 2010
LaCrosse Magazine 2010
Fillmore County Journal 2009
"Mosaic, Finding Your Own Voice" book by Brit Hammer Dijcks 2009
Glass Craftsman Magazine (cover story) 2008
Tapestry Magazine (cover story) 2008
Mosaic Art Now Magazine 2008
Stained Glass Magazine 2007
Groutline Magazine 2007
Willmar West Central Tribune Newspaper 2007
St. Paul Illustrated Magazine 2007
St. Anthony Park Bugle Newspaper 2006
Pulse of the Twin Cities Newspaper 2006
LECTURES/APPEARANCES
Speaker at the National Tile Conference 2010
Friends of the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts - Rochester Branch 2010
Various school and library appearances
CURRENT PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Minnesota Mosaic Guild
Society of American Mosaic Artists
OTHER EXPERIENCE
FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGNER Apnex, Entellus, City of Anoka, Verona Publishing, Punkin Products, Alzheimer’s Association, American Book Publishers, What Box Creative, LexHam Theater, City of Roseville, Eureka Recycling, Lakeshore Players, Revolution, MindMaze Publications, Home Knob and Handle, Dani Werner, Eureka Recycling, more. (2002-present)
PROFESSIONAL ACTOR AND DIRECTOR Many employers and agencies such as Commonweal Theatre, Wixon Jewelers, Best Buy, Gedney Pickles, and Lifetouch Studios. Managed a school theater department program with a budget of over $12,000.(1995-present)
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER Many appointments such as Kindergarten Teacher and First Grade Teacher in the Mounds View School District. (1988-2000)
AWARDS
Honorable Mention for Bemidji floor, National Terrazzo and Mosaic Association, 2011
First Place, Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Competition 2010
1st Place, Contemporary Art Mosaics Competition #3, Complimentary Colors
Named a 2007 Emerging Artist, FORECAST Public Art 2007
Minnesota Association of Government Communicators, Award of Merit 2006 (Design)
Honorable Mention, Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Competition 2006
Finalist, FORECAST Public Art Project, St. Paul, Minnesota 2006
Minnesota Association of Government Communicators, Award of Excellence 2004 (Design)
2nd Place, Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Competition 2004
1st Place, Minnesota State Fair Creative Activities Competition 2002
ARTIST STATEMENT
I am a self-taught glass mosaicist and terrazzo floor designer living in Lanesboro, Minnesota. My path to mosaics began when I took a community education class on stained glass windows. After creating several pieces, I had quite a bit of scrap glass and decided to try making a mosaic. I absolutely loved it and found that I had a knack for it. I created a second project, but that was it for a while. Then I was inspired by the ancient mosaics during a trip to Italy. Fired up, I couldn’t wait to return home to create another piece. They have been coming fast and furious ever since.
Drawing upon my training in art and graphic design, my artwork continues to evolve and change, and has even spread into the field of designing terrazzo floors. Though I love completing any project, one of my favorite parts of the process is looking at a blank space and knowing that before long I will have filled it, but at the moment, I have no idea what shape my creation will take.
I love working with glass. It is a very unique medium for mosaics and it is very striking whether viewed up close or from a distance. I’m fascinated with its special way of playing with the light, shining and showing off its beautiful color, and in its ability to create the illusion of depth.
In the last few years, my artwork has taken me almost exclusively into the realm of public art. I create pieces mainly for hospitals and clinics, but also libraries, arenas, and other public spaces. This work is very important to me, because I know what an impact art can have on people. It can be very healing and uplifting, educational and fun. It is my honor to create work for the public to enjoy.
BIO
Barbara Keith grew up in Hopkins, Minnesota. Always excited about art and especially drawing, she made sure every used piece of paper had a drawing on the back side. After graduation from Hopkins High School in 1984, she went to the University of Minnesota and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. Barbara went on to teach elementary school for twelve years including one year as an art teacher, earning her Master’s in Education from Hamline University.
In 2000, she left teaching to travel and pursue other interests, obtaining a degree in Graphic Design from the Minneapolis Community and Technical College. She currently works as an artist.