Kathy Barnard

Bio

Working with architects, interior designers, art consultants, and individual clients, I create custom designed art glass for both residential, liturgical, and commercial installations.  When designing a custom piece, I carefully consider the location, as well as, the client’s tastes. 

All my pieces touch my heart.  Whether abstract or realistic, most of my pieces deal with nature and the forces of nature.  If it is a restoration piece, I research the architectural details and style of that period to embrace the feel of the design in my art.  I pay special attention to the physical details of design and construction to ensure that my work can be viewed for generations.

I am constantly intrigued and amazed at the learning process.  I enjoy the research I do for each of my commissioned pieces, the people that I meet in the process, and the challenges that each new job and installation site brings.

Artwork, as well as architecture, creates the mood for the spaces we inhabit.  This mood is too important, too integrated, to leave the art as merely decorating the walls like wallpaper.  The integration of artwork and architecture in private and public spaces requires a close working relationship and collaboration between the design professionals, the client, and the space.  The goal of this collaboration is to produce artwork that provides a harmonious blend of client, architectural and environmental requirements, as well as, the artist’s particular style.

An opportunity is lost when the artist is hired merely as the maker and supplier of a product, rather than a knowledgeable partner whose ideas can be a vital part of creative design solutions.  A successful partnership leaves a client delighted by the outcome of the collaboration and a space that is pleasing to occupy.  It is magic when the architecture and art join together with the space to create an integrated whole.

I thoroughly enjoy what I do, and I work hard at its creation.  My hope is that the client and the public enjoy it as well.

“It has been a period of surprises, fascination, and finally of sun tinted admiration – and even understanding.  I refer to the process by which Kathy transforms the idea of each commission brought to her into the reality of function and beauty.  It is the workings of high art.” – Judge Charles Shangler, former Executive Director, Scuola Vita Nuova Charter School.

Artist Statement

Kathy Barnard was raised in Kansas City.  Her artistic talents were recognized early when she was awarded a scholarship to study at the Kansas City Art Institute.  She went on to receive a BFA in graphic design and illustration from the University of Kansas also as a scholarship student.  Using her own hand-drawn and hand-cut designs, she has developed her own technique for sandblasting on glass.  She also has learned a variety of art glass techniques which she often combines with stained glass.

Her work is seen around the world and she has had internships at Derix Studio in Germany and the Corning Museum of Glass in New York.  Her architectural art glass has won numerous awards from the American Institute of Architects.  She was inducted into the University of Kansas Women’s Hall of Fame in 1991.  She maintains her art glass studio and gallery in the Crossroads East District where she displays her carved glass and stained-glass pieces.

For more information about Kathy and her work check out her videos on youTube.com or her website at www.KathyBarnardStudio.com.

Exhibitions