Sharon Barr Information & Sharon Barr Links at HealthHaven.com

Sharon Barr is a Toronto based painter who attended York University, the University of Toronto and the Toronto School of Art. Her studies have focused on Visual Arts, Art History and English Literature. She also received her Bachelor of Education at the University of Toronto in 1986.

Since then, Sharon has worked as an artist and art instructor most of her career. She has focused on teaching intermediate students and has been instrumental in writing curriculum, creating videos and guidebooks, as well as designing and implementing visual arts installation projects. Sharon has served as a specialist in the Visual Arts area, providing support for other colleagues.

Sharon's community involvement in the arts has spanned many years. She has served on many committees promoting the arts in local neighborhoods and was one of the founding committee members of the Riverdale Art Walk. She is the co-founder of Artists Toronto, a website designed to bring Toronto's most talented artists together on one site.

Sharon's art has been popularized by Design Inc. designer Sarah Richardson. Sarah Richardson is a world renowed interior design and has featured Sharon's work in her multi-million dollar design projects as well as in her own private collections.

[edit] Sharon Barr's Art

Sharon Barr's paintings and completed work are in collections across the country. Sharon's paintings have been featured on in numerous television and print media including Design Inc. and Sarah Richardson owns Sharon's work in her private collection. Paintings have also been featured in Canadian Film Centre productions, such as the film, In Shadow which was screened at the Sundance Film Festival in California. Sharon has also directed and installed a wide variety of educational art installations for the York Region District School Board. The City of Toronto, Mount Sinai Hospital and the Ministry of Ontario have many of Sharon's paintings in their facilities and collections. Regarding her inspiration and art career, Sharon states:

"Always fascinated by human forms, I have concentrated on figures throughout most of my painting career...that is, until a recent spring, when while walking, I found myself totally surrounded and captured by a blooming magnolia tree. That was my "paradigm shift", a type of burning bush experience. It was as if the living structure spoke to me....and so, I find myself mesmerized by another living form, that of the creature inside the plant. I don't find them...they find me...through brush and paint."

Sharon's artistic style captures energy and vitality. The passions, power and peace found in the human spirit and depicted in many of Sharon's images. Large, immediate brush strokes and bold use of colour, capture energy, mood and movement. The viewer is not only sees their own connection to life through her work, but is encouraged to absorb the beauty of simple moments that otherwise might be passed by. Her large-scale oil and acrylic on canvas paintings have been in many solo and group shows in and around Toronto and are found in collections across the country.

Samples of Sharon's art include the following:

SolarExplosion Sharon Barr.jpg

Solar Explosion - 2008

Rain Clouds Sharon Barr.jpg

Rain Clouds - 2008

Secret Forest Sharon Barr.jpg

Secret Forest - 2007

[edit] Select Publications & Commissions

Sharon Barr's art has been exhibited and published in numerous collections and publications, including:

Work featured in Canadian House and Home Magazine - December 2008
Work featured in Canadian Style at Home Magazine - November 2008
Work featured in multiple articles within The Globe and Mail - Sarah Richarson, 2007 & 2008
Work featured in Canadian House and Home - May 2008
Work featured in Hello Magazine - January 2008
Work featured in “Evergreen” monthly discussing a community initiative to link business, school and artists in South Riverdale

Interior Design Show - February 21 - 24, 2008 - paintings featured in Design Inc. interior
VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation Millionaire Designer Home designed by Sarah Richardson - two paintings featured virtual tour
Design Inc. - Sarah Richarson's private collection - 2007
Mount Sinai Hospital (four paintings in permanent collection)
Toronto City Hall (two paintings in permanent collection)
Commissioned by the Canadian Film Centre (for the Sundance Film, “In Shadow”)
Student Youth Mobilization (a Ministry of Ontario initiative to retrain disenfranchised youth) – Art Workshops for Youth
SWIM Installation Mural – complete four mural for the Province to commemorate a “street kids” retraining initiative
Video production and published writing for the York Region District School Board

[edit] Selected Exhibits

Selected Exhibitions

Arts on Queen - Toronto - June 2008

Terence Robert Gallery - Ottawa - May 2008

Canvas Gallery - Toronto - ongoing

David Boyes Home Concepts - Waterloo - ongoing

Framed Life Gallery - Toronto- ongoing

Gallery 888 - Group Show - November 29 - December 2007

Tangerine Gecko - Group Show - October 2007

Gallery 44 - Feminine Persuasion - Juried Show - May 2006

Art Tao - Permanent Collection as of May 2006

On Canvas Group Show - November 2005

Eastern Front "Massive Response" – Juried June 5

Zilberschmuck Art-Jewellery "Spirit of the Times" - April 2005

Hang Man Gallery "Hope” [Best in Show] - January 2005

Eastern Front "Cabinets of Curiosity" - October 2004

Juten Gallery Summer Show - July 2004

Hang Man Gallery Group Show - July 2004

The Market Gallery Riverdale: A Retrospective - Summer 2004

Gallery 888 Group Show - April 2004

Ministry of Ontario Archives "Looking at Toronto" - Summer 2003

Ontario Society of Artists Juried Show - May 2003

[edit] References

1. http://www.sharonbarrpainting.com/
2. http://designinc.ca/
3. http://www.canvasgallery.ca
4. http://www.sharonbarr.ca/

Contents

[edit] Sharon Barr's Art

[edit] Select Publications & Commissions

[edit] Selected Exhibits

[edit] References