Barbara Hart grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She studied art and creative writing at LSU. She is a published poet with work appearing in Exquisite Corpse, Southern Poetry Review, Columbia: Review of Poetry and Prose, and Cream City Review, among others. She worked in the arts in many capacities including gallery management and fundraising. Most recently she opened Studio Hart Gallery in Buffalo, New York, which had an exciting 10 year run. During that time Hart was instrumental in establishing the Greater Allentown First Friday Gallery Walk which continues today.
Hart was always creatively active, but her work intensified while running Studio Hart. She began drawing on pegs to create “little wood people” which became her delightful obsession; ultimately she sold in excess of 1000 in the United States and internationally, including Australia, Canada, Denmark, The Netherlands, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, and the United Kingdom.
This work and the years of engagement with art fueled Hart’s desire to commit to a serious effort to develop her artistic potential. She continued with doll work, moving from drawing on pegs to carving figures from wood. These figures were chosen for the Burchfield Penney Art Center’s Art In Craft juried exhibition 2015, 2017, and 2021. She also focused on painting, and her work has been recognized in shows including Contemporary Portraiture group invitational at Burchfield Penney Art Center, and the Made In New York 2020 and 2023 exhibitions at the Schweinfurth Art Center in Auburn, NY, and she was honored to win the gold medal in the Buffalo Society of Artists Annual Catalog Exhibition in 2022.
Hart continues her active involvement in the community through support and participation in various arts events at Burchfield Penney Art Center, Buffalo Artist Studios, and Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center, and as an exhibiting member of the Buffalo Society of Artists.
