Barbara Owen

We are proud to present Rhode Island-based artist, Barbara Owen in the Frame 301. Owen’s practice explores how color, shape, material, and paint develop and change one’s experience. Her work is deeply engaged in playing with space and the relationship between shapes, often times combining a range of media such as ink, acrylic, and cut paper to build a unique hybrid of painting and sculpture.
Owen graduated from Bennington College with a dual bachelor’s degree in sculpture and poetry. She wrote a creative thesis under the direction of the poet Ben Belitt and studied sculpture with Brower Hatcher and Lee Tribe, and painting with the painter and art critic Sidney Tillim.  Her work is influenced and characterized by her study of sculpture, but she identifies as a painter. Her use of vibrant color, shape, and form is loaded with concepts about history, feminism, and painting.

Barbara Owen has been featured at numerous venues, including the Minor Injury Gallery, Brooklyn, NY; The Arts Center, Troy, NY; and UMass Dartmouth’s Art Gallery, New Bedford, MA. Owen has participated in artist residency programs nationwide, including the MASS MoCA/Assets for Artists in 2015. She was also a featured artist in the NetWorks 2015 Artist Video Portraits series at the RISD Museum.

The Frame 301 space is presented to the public through expansive storefront windows that face the road, and encourages large-scale, site-specific works from emerging and established artists. The unique venue encourages installations that encompass the entirety of the space and completely transform it. The public is able to view and appreciate the artwork on a 24/7 basis, leading many to unexpectedly experience the artwork.

The Frame 301 is generously supported by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

“Color Magic”, 2016. Image courtesy of Barbara Owen.