North Bellmore Public Library
Ross Barbera, Artist Statement and Bio
The paintings in this exhibition are part of an ongoing series that explores the beauty of freshwater environments, including ponds, snowmelt streams, mountain brooks, and flowers. To find inspiration, I explore and photograph natural landscape and waterscape environments and visit botanical gardens and arboretums to capture the intricate forms and colors of flowers. Nature has always been my inspiration, and since the late 1970s, the interplay between water and surrounding landscapes has remained the central focus of my work.
I was born in 1950 in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in the city, spending summers at our family homes in Smithtown and Peakville, New York. These seasonal retreats sparked my lifelong connection to the natural landscape, which continues to inspire my artwork.
In 1975, I earned an MFA in painting from Pratt Institute and began exhibiting at Razor Gallery in SoHo, New York City. From the early 1980s through the 1990s, my work was shown at Soghor, Leonard, and Associates, also known as the “OK Harris Annex,” on Broome Street in lower Manhattan. During this time, I also exhibited at the Jean Lumbard Gallery on 57th Street in Manhattan and the Clark Whitney Gallery in Lenox, Massachusetts. My paintings have been featured in numerous galleries and juried exhibitions nationwide, as well as in American Artist Magazine.
Honors include a National Endowment for the Arts Painting Fellowship, a New York State CAPS Fellowship in Painting, and a grant from the Hillwood Art Museum at Long Island University, C.W. Post College. I have also received numerous awards from juried exhibitions. Recent recognitions include “Best in Show” at the Setauket Artists’ 39th Annual Exhibition (2019), “Best in Show” at the Setauket Artists Deepwells Exhibition (2023), “First Place” at The Atelier’s 3rd Annual Invitational Exhibition (2021) in St. James, NY, and the “Irene Ruddock Award of Excellence,” at the Setauket Artists Deepwells Exhibition (2025).
From 1990 to 2020, I was a full-time faculty member in the Department of Art and Design at St. John’s University, where I also served as department chair from 2010 to 2013. I retired in 2020 as an Associate Professor. Since retiring from St. John's University, I have continued to teach, leading the course “World of Watercolor with Ross Barbera” at The Art League of Long Island.
I was born in 1950 in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in the city, spending summers at our family homes in Smithtown and Peakville, New York. These seasonal retreats sparked my lifelong connection to the natural landscape, which continues to inspire my artwork.
In 1975, I earned an MFA in painting from Pratt Institute and began exhibiting at Razor Gallery in SoHo, New York City. From the early 1980s through the 1990s, my work was shown at Soghor, Leonard, and Associates, also known as the “OK Harris Annex,” on Broome Street in lower Manhattan. During this time, I also exhibited at the Jean Lumbard Gallery on 57th Street in Manhattan and the Clark Whitney Gallery in Lenox, Massachusetts. My paintings have been featured in numerous galleries and juried exhibitions nationwide, as well as in American Artist Magazine.
Honors include a National Endowment for the Arts Painting Fellowship, a New York State CAPS Fellowship in Painting, and a grant from the Hillwood Art Museum at Long Island University, C.W. Post College. I have also received numerous awards from juried exhibitions. Recent recognitions include “Best in Show” at the Setauket Artists’ 39th Annual Exhibition (2019), “Best in Show” at the Setauket Artists Deepwells Exhibition (2023), “First Place” at The Atelier’s 3rd Annual Invitational Exhibition (2021) in St. James, NY, and the “Irene Ruddock Award of Excellence,” at the Setauket Artists Deepwells Exhibition (2025).
From 1990 to 2020, I was a full-time faculty member in the Department of Art and Design at St. John’s University, where I also served as department chair from 2010 to 2013. I retired in 2020 as an Associate Professor. Since retiring from St. John's University, I have continued to teach, leading the course “World of Watercolor with Ross Barbera” at The Art League of Long Island.