About Barbara Skiba-Poniatowski

Artist Biography:

A native of Chicago, Barbara Skiba-Poniatowski is an award winning, professional Fine Artist, mainly working in acrylics, watercolor, oils, and mixed media. Meandering between Abstraction and Contemporary Realism, she is best known for vibrant colors and unique style of creating inviting and captivating images. The strong works she creates show passionate expression, without hesitation to break the rules. Influenced by a decade of living in Oceanside, California and Kailua, Hawai'i. Inspired by nature's alluring beauty, color and light.

Barbara worked as a Graphic Designer and Creative Director, after graduating with a Bachelor of Art in Graphic Design, from the University of Illinois Chicago. She also completed the Commercial Art program at Ray-Vogue College of Design, in Chicago (later known as the Illinois Institute of Art). Barbara later earned her MAFA in painting, graduating with Cum Laude Honors, from the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, studying with Carla Crawford, Angela Cunningham, Suzanne D'Arcy, Carol Nunnelly, Zack Zdrale and Ivanka Georgieva. She studied in workshops with John Lovett, Robert Burridge and David R. Becker.

You can find Barbara working most days in her studio, BabZ' Art Studio, at the historic Starline Gallery & Studios in Harvard, IL. She frequently participates in juried and invitational exhibits. Barbara's paintings hang at Iowa State University's Memorial Union, The Chopin Theatre in Chicago, as well as in homes and businesses across the U.S. Her work is part of private collections in New York, Chicago, California, Nevada, Michigan, Florida, Canada, Poland and Japan.

Juried Exhibits, Events, and Gallery representation:

2024

~ ALMA Art and Interiors, Chicago, IL

~ Blue Moon Gallery, It's for the Birds Exhibition, Grayslake, IL

~ posterworks gallery & frame, Mundelein, IL

~ North Shore Art League, 4th Annual Water! Show, Winnetka, IL

~ Gallery 223, Spring Show 2024, Lake Geneva, WI

~ The Gallery, On Fire Exhibit, Deer Path Art League, Lake Forest, IL

~ Starline 4th Fridays Exhibits and Open Studio Nights, Harvard, IL

~ Gallery 223, New Year Show, Lake Geneva, WI

2023

~ The Art Center Highland Park, IN VIEW 2024, Highland Park, IL

~ Las Laguna Art Gallery, 2023 - small works - BIG TALENT, Laguna Beach, CA

~ 17th Annual Small Works Show, "inchworks", North Shore Art League, Winnetka, IL

~ Gallery 223, Winter Show & Artsy Holiday Market, Lake Geneva, WI

~ Gallery 223, Fall Show, Lake Geneva, IL

~ North Shore Art League, 99th Annual Benefit Party and Members' Show, Winnetka, IL

~ Las Laguna Art Gallery, 2023 Abstract Exhibition, Laguna Beach, CA

~ Las Laguna Art Gallery, 50 and Older, 2023 Show, Laguna Beach, CA

~ Gallery 223, Early Fall Show, Lake Geneva, WI

~ Gallery 223, Mid-Summer Show 2023, Lake Geneva, WI

~ North Shore Art League, 2nd Annual "Inspired by..." Show, Winnetka, IL

~ Gallery 223, Early Summer Show, Lake Geneva, WI

~ Gallery 223, Spring Show, Lake Geneva, WI

~ North Shore Art League, 3rd Annual Water Show, Winnetka, IL

~ Dwell Studio, Chicago Alliance of Visual Artist's, Inspired Stories Exhibit, Chicago, IL

~ Gallery 223, Winter Show, Lake Geneva, WI

~ Starline 4th Fridays Exhibits, Harvard, IL

~ Starline Gallery Winter Resident Artists Exhibit, Harvard, IL

2022

~ Gallery 223, Winter Show & Artsy Holiday Market,

Lake Geneva, WI

~ 2022 Art of the Land benefit for The Land Conservancy of McHenry County, Harvard, IL

~ Gallery 223, Fall Show, Lake Geneva, WI

~ Gallery 223, Late Summer Show, Lake Geneva, WI

~ Starline 4th Fridays Exhibits, Harvard, IL

~ Starline Gallery Winter Resident Artists Exhibit, Harvard, IL

2021

~ Overland Gallery at the Starline, Harvard, IL

~ Virtual Starline 4th Fridays Exhibits, Harvard, IL

2020

~ Gallery 223, Winter Show, Lake Geneva, WI

~ Starline 4th Fridays Exhibit, Harvard, IL

~ Starline 4th Fridays Exhibit Juror, Harvard, IL

~ Virtual Starline 4th Fridays Exhibits, Harvard, IL

2019

~ Winter Solstice Exhibit, Overland Gallery, Harvard, IL

~ 2019 Art of the Land benefit for The Land Conservancy of McHenry County, Harvard, IL

~ Starline 4th Fridays Exhibits, Harvard, IL

2018

~ Later Impressions 2018, Chicago Alliance of Visual Artists, Old Town Art Center Leslie Wolf Gallery, Chicago, IL

~ Starline 4th Fridays Exhibits, Harvard, IL

~ 2018 Art of the Land benefit for The Land Conservancy of McHenry County, Harvard, IL

2017

~ Real People 2017, Old Court House Arts Center, Woodstock, IL

~ Polish Arts Club of Chicago 80th Annual Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture, held at the Polish Museum of America, Chicago, IL

~ 33 Contemporary Gallery, LAYERED exhibit, Zhou B Art Center, Chicago, IL

2015

~ White Ripple Gallery & Co., Second Annual Small Works Exhibit, Hammond, IN

~ 2015 Art of the Land benefit for The Land Conservancy of McHenry County, Harvard, IL

~ Creek Gallery 2015 Exhibition, Crystal Lake, IL

~ Polish Arts Club of Chicago 79th Annual Exhibition of Painting

and Sculpture, held at the Polish Museum of America, Chicago, IL

2014

~ White Ripple Gallery & Co., Inaugural Small Works Show, Hammond, IN

~ 2014 Art of the Land benefit for The Land Conservancy of McHenry County, Harvard, IL

~ Brickton Art Center, The Abstract Show III, Park Ridge, IL

~ Woman Made Gallery, Artist Member online Gallery, Chicago, IL

~ 317 Studio & Gallery, Exhibit, Rockford, IL

~ Small works for sale at the Old Court House Arts Center Gift Shop, Woodstock, IL

~ Artists' Studio Sale!, Old Court House Arts Center, Woodstock, IL

~ Polish Arts Club of Chicago 78th Annual Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture, held at the Polish Museum of America, Chicago, IL

2013

~ Las Laguna Art Gallery, Exhibit: 24 and Under- A Small Works Show, displayed images of selected paintings, as part of visual presentation via Video Wall. As part of Laguna Art Walk, Laguna Beach, CA

~ The Face of McHenry County, 50th Celebration, Juried Fine Art Competition and Silent Auction, Harvard, IL

~ 2013 Art of the Land benefit for The Land conservancy of McHenry County, Harvard, IL

~ Summer Solstice 2013 Art Exhibition, Starline Gallery & Studios, Harvard, IL

~ Art Al Fresco, invitational garden exhibit, Old Court House Arts Center, Woodstock, IL

~ 21st Annual NAAC Members' Show, Old Court House Arts Center, Woodstock, IL

~ Starline Factory ART MARKET, Resident Starline Artists' Exhibit, Starline Gallery & Studios, Harvard, IL

~ International On-line Open Exhibit for the National Oil & Acrylic Painters' Society

~ Polish Arts Club of Chicago 77th Annual Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture, held at the Polish Museum of America, Chicago, IL

~ Open Studio Night Exhibits, every 4th Friday, Starline Gallery & Studios, Harvard, IL

2012

~ Chicago Area Friends of Vesterheim Nordic Marketplace & Luncheon, Fundraiser for Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, IA

~ Starline Artists' Holiday Fine Art Sale, Starline Gallery & Studios, Harvard, IL

~ 2012 Art of the Land benefit for The Land conservancy of McHenry County, Harvard, IL

~ Starline 4th Fridays Exhibits, Harvard, IL

2011

~ Starline 4th Fridays Exhibits, Harvard, IL

Awards:

~ Honorable Mention for 'Le Poulet', Starline 4th Friday, Harvard, IL

~ Honorable Mention for 'Traversing', White Ripple Gallery & Co., Small Works Show, Hammond, IN

~ Third Place for 'Tribal', White Ripple Gallery & Co., Inaugural Small Works Show, Hammond, IN

Media:

~ Arts & Cultural Strategies Magazine, September/October 2015 Issue

http://emagazine.acs-mag.com/art-cultural-strategies-inaugural-issue/page/46-47

Education:

~ Master of Arts in Fine Art, Cum Laude, Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA

~ Bachelor of Art in Graphic Design, University of Illinois at Chicago

~ Certificate of Completion in Commercial Art, Ray-Vogue College of Design (a.k.a. Illinois Institute

of Art), Chicago, IL

~April, 2012 issue of McHenry County Magazine, Art Experience

Artist Statement:

Painting the unexpected creates a sense of mystery, inimitable richness and a deep awareness of expression. I work freely in a place where rhythm of line, color and texture, sing in dazzling harmony.