Barb Schwarz Karst is best known as a painter who blends traditional media and subject matters with splashes of contemporary freshness and attitude. Originally trained as a watercolorist, she “pushes the envelope” by, now, manipulating oils and acrylics into what some viewers find intriguing, questing the actual source of materials and their method of application.
Her inspirations for her work come from a “heady,” intellectual approach to her expressive, deeply personal subjects that passionately inspire her. Currently, Schwarz Karst is continuing her production of the Montana Rust Belt: Abandoned Industries, a series of brightly colored, interchangeable square canvas oils depicting close ups of rusted, damaged metal equipment, which summarize the dying and lost industries on which Montana was founded; copper mining, the oil industry, passendger trains, etc. “All art in Schwarz Karst’s world, whether abstract or contemporary, is hollow and shallow if without inspiration in mind or purpose of soul.” (Brian D’Ambrosio, Clark Fork Journal)
Her work has been featured in worldwide and domestic exhibitions, publicized in several books and magazines, featured in a number of one-person shows, and has been acquired and housed in permanent collections of museums, corporate, private, and traveling collections throughout the United States.
Schwarz Karst is a Montana Native, born in Billings, but has lived in Missoula for the past 25 years. Her formal education, training, and experiences include receiving a fellowship for two summers studying with TICA (Teacher Institute of Contemporary Art) wit The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The second summer she was chosen as a mentor for the contemporary painting program and helped orientate a group of 20 painting instructors from throughout the United States. She was also selected to be involved in the Creative Capital Professional Development Program in correlation with the Montana Arts Council and the Montana World Trade Center. She graduated with a MIS graduate art degree from the University of Montana and a B.S. in Art Education from Montana State University-Billings.
