Barbara Rowe received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Printmaking from Buffalo State College and a Master of Fine Arts in Printmaking from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Her work is in the collections of the Frans Masreel Center in Belgium, the Art Institute of Chicago, Castellani Museum, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Burchfield-Penney Art Center, and several private collections. She owns a screenprinting business, Abaca Press, and is professor emeritus of Niagara County Community College. Ms. Rowe is a community organizer and currently serves as board chair for Vision Niagara, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that serves to guide the success and liveability of the Niagara Street Corridor and its’ international waterfront in the city of Buffalo. 

Artist Statement

Drawing and printmaking have been the medium of choice for most of my artistic career. Working with metal or wood plates, stones, or screens forces a ritual of planning that culminates in layers of meaning that surprise and intrigue me as the maker and viewer.

Bus Stop is a series of prints and mixed media works that begin with observations of figures paused while anticipating a moment before being transported. That pause freezes a remarkable stew of conditions expressed in posture, clothing, and accoutrements. With respect and empathy, these works attempt to capture that condition and build backgrounds for the figures that offer a variety of environments as potential histories and/or futures.