Barbara Astman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Barbara Astman
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Barbara Astman in her studio
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Barbara Anne Astman
12 July 1950 Rochester, New York, U.S.
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| Education | RIT (School for American Craftsmen), OCA |
| Awards | Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council |
Barbara Anne Astman RCA (born July 12, 1950) is a Canadian artist. She is famous for using new technologies in her art. She has used instant cameras, color photocopiers, and digital scanners. She uses these tools to show her inner thoughts and feelings.
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About Barbara Astman
Barbara Astman was born in Rochester, New York. She was one of three children. Her mom was a homemaker, and her dad was an auto mechanic.
She studied at the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1970. Later that year, she moved to Toronto, Canada. She continued her studies at the Ontario College of Art (now OCAD University). She graduated in 1973.
Barbara Astman started teaching at OCAD in 1975. She was the head of photography from 2001 to 2002. She taught as a professor until 2021. She is now a professor emerita, which means she retired with honor.
Her Amazing Artworks
Since the early 1970s, Barbara Astman has explored many types of photo-based art. Her work is well-known in Canada and around the world.
First Exhibitions
Her first art show was in 1973 in Toronto. It happened right after she finished art school. Two years later, her art was shown at the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography in Ottawa. This was her first museum show.
Major Art Shows
Barbara Astman has had many important solo exhibitions. A big show called Barbara Astman - Personal/Persona - A 20 Year Survey toured in 1995. In 2011, her art installation Dancing with Che: Enter through the Gift Shop also toured across Canada.
Other notable shows include Barbara Astman: I as artifact in 2014. In 2016, her two-part exhibition Barbara Astman Looking: Then and Now was very popular.
Group Exhibitions
Her art has also been part of many group shows. Some of these include Beautiful Fictions (2009) and Light My Fire Part I (2013). Her work was also in Look Again: Colour Xerography Art Meets Technology (2015).
In 2024, her art was featured in a show at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. This show highlighted art from their permanent collection.
Barbara Astman's art is represented by galleries in Toronto and Vancouver. Her old artworks and papers are kept at the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Art for Public Spaces
Barbara Astman has created several public art projects. These are art pieces made for public places.
- She made a floor installation for the Calgary Winter Olympic Games in 1987.
- In 2005, she created a glass tower wall for the Embassy of Canada in Berlin, Germany.
- For the Murano on Bay building in Toronto, she designed 217 windows with photo-based images in 2010.
- She also made a photo installation called The Fossil Book for the new Koffler Gallery in Toronto in 2013.
Helping the Arts Community
Barbara Astman has also helped the art world in other ways. She has served on many art boards and committees. She was on the Board of Trustees for the Art Gallery of Ontario. She also chaired the Art Advisory Committee for the Koffler Gallery.
She even helped organize an art show in 2008. It was called The Emergence of Feminism: Changing the Course of Art. It featured works by famous women artists.
Awards and Recognition
In 2000, Barbara Astman was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy. This is a special honor for Canadian artists. In 2024, she received a Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts. This is one of Canada's highest honors for artists.
Where to Find Her Art
Barbara Astman's art is held in many important collections. These include public museums, company collections, and private collections.
Some of the places where you can see her work are:
- National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa
- Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris
- Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto
- Deutche Bank, New York
- Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Other places that have her art include:
- Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Kingston, ON
- Art Gallery of Hamilton, Hamilton, ON
- Burnaby Art Gallery, Burnaby, British Columbia
- The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa, ON
- George Eastman Museum, Rochester, New York
- McIntosh Gallery, University of Western Ontario, London, ON
- Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
- The University of Toronto Art Museum
- Oklahoma City Museum of Art
- Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, MB
