Julia Whitney Barnes
Artist Julia Whitney Barnes works in a variety of media from cyanotypes, watercolor, gouache, oil paintings, stained glass, murals, and site-specific installations. Born in Newbury, Vermont, Whitney Barnes spent two decades in Brooklyn, before moving to the Hudson Valley in 2015. Prior to attending Hunter College she received her BFA from Parsons School of Design. Whitney Barnes chose Hunter’s MFA program for its strategic location, distinguished faculty, well-equipped studios, and affordability. “Opting for a three-year program facilitated a balanced approach, allowing time for work while pursuing courses,” she says. “Additionally, the extended duration enabled two summers of dedicated studio time and greater overlap with fellow program peers. Despite having applied to pricier programs, the revelation of my acceptance to Hunter was a game-changer, aligning perfectly with my aspirations.”
Her time as a Hunter student proved to be an invaluable experience that fostered enduring connections within a vibrant and diverse creative community. After graduating from Hunter, Whitney Barnes spent the next two years as the artist in residency at the 68th Street ceramic studio, an experience that enabled her to refine technical skills and gain experience guest teaching. “The impact of my Hunter experience resonated profoundly post-graduation,” Whitney Barnes says. “Serving as a teaching assistant for Valerie Jaudon’s drawing course and Jeffrey Mongrain’s ceramics course offered insight into course development, teaching strategies, and the art-making process. This experience laid the foundation for my subsequent role as a teacher.”
She has exhibited widely in the United States and internationally including the Dorksy Museum, New Paltz, New York; Ely Center of Contemporary Art, New Haven; Woodstock Artists Association & Museum (WAAM), Woodstock, New York; Institute of Contemporary Art, Portland, Maine, and most recently a solo exhibition at Galerie Julian Sander in Cologne, Germany. She was awarded fellowships from New York State Council on the Arts, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Arts Mid-Hudson, Abbey Memorial Fund for Mural Painting/National Academy of Fine Arts, and the Gowanus Public Art Initiative, among others. She has created site-specific installations at the Albany International Airport, Albany, New York; Brookfield Place/Winter Garden, New York; Arts Brookfield, Brooklyn; the Wilderstein Sculpture Biennial, Rhinebeck, New York; Shaker Heritage Society, Albany; The Trolley Barn/Fall Kill Creative Works, Poughkeepsie; GlenLily Grounds, Newburgh; ArtsWestchester, White Plains; Gowanus Public Arts Initiative, Brooklyn; Space All Over/Fjellerup Bund i Bund & Grund, Fjellerup, Denmark; Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, New York; Brooklyn School of Inquiry; New York City Department of Transportation; and Figment Sculpture Garden, Governors Island. Whitney Barnes was awarded a glass commission for NYC Public Art for Public Schools/Percent for Art that is slated to be unveiled Fall 2024.