From ages 10 to 101, artist Will Barnet established himself as a master of painting, teaching and art.
Respected among his peers, Barnet was honored with the National Medal of Arts in 2011 by President Barack Obama at age 100. The man continued to create art even at the age of 101, but on Nov. 13 of last year, the artist passed away due to natural causes in New York City.
To celebrate the artist’s long career of teaching and painting, the Kennedy Museum of Art has created “Reflections: Works by Will Barnet,” an exhibit reflecting on the artist’s long career in the arts.
“As a way to also participate in this celebration, Kennedy Museum of Art wanted to display the work we had in our permanent collection created by Barnet,” said Jessica Law, associate curator and public relations and guest services manager at the Kennedy Museum of Art. “The museum finds this exhibition of his work from our collection as a way to honor Barnet’s long history as an artist.”
Though his career spans from the 1930s, Reflections will focus on his career from 1971-2003. The exhibit will be a selection of the artist’s two-dimensional works on paper and canvas. The works were inspired by Barnet’s interest in American romantic literature and his strong family ties. Some works are believed to be inspired by his private and reclusive moments.
“ ‘Reflections’ is the most in-depth exhibit I have worked with,” said Jeremiah Myers, curator research assistant to Law. “My role was a very hands-on one.”
Among the favorites of the museum in the pieces includes “The Dream,” a 2003 work inspired by Emily Dickinson, and “Spring Dreamers,” which is part of his Women at Sea series.
“As a child, Will Barnet loved literature and would draw what inspired him from the books he read,” said Myers.
Admission to the Kennedy Museum of Art is free and open Monday to Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday to Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
In addition to Reflections, the museum is also holding two other exhibits at this time, “Figurations” and “Recent Acquisitions.” The next exhibit for the museum will be “Black Comic Book Superheroes,” starting Feb. 21.
“I started working on the show spring of last year by gathering information and familiarizing myself with Will Barnet and his work,” said Myers. “From there I began to write text and determined how to best display each of the works, with the help of the curatorial staff.”
