Barbara Prey

Barbara Ernst Prey was born in New York City in 1957. Her mother Peggy Ernst was an artist and Head of the Design Department at New York City's Pratt Art Institute. Prey cites her mother as one of her greatest influences and inspirations.[5] At 16 she was awarded a summer scholarship to the San Francisco Art Institute.[6] She was 17 when Governor Hugh Carey purchased one of her early oil paintings.[7]

Prey received her B.A in Art History with Honors from Williams College in 1979 where she was mentored by Lane Faison[7] and a master's degree from Harvard University in 1986.[3] A 2007 article in USA Today stated that “Prey’s academic studies at Williams College with the art historian Lane Faisson, and at Harvard University provide the connection between art and art history that so strongly informs her work.”[8] After an internship at The Metropolitan Museum in New York City, she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, enabling her to spend two years in southern Germany where she studied, worked and exhibited extensively. She then worked for a year as a personal assistant-court painter to Prince Albrecht Castell-Castell.[7] A grant from The Henry Luce Foundation from 1986-1987 to Tainan, Taiwan, where she was a visiting Professor in Western Art, enabled her to continue to study with several Chinese master painters.[5] She continued to exhibit in Asia where she painted her first large, full-sheet paintings.[9] Prey is currently Adjunct Faculty at Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts.[10]

Returning to New York in 1981 from her studies and exhibits in Europe, Prey lived in New York City where she worked in the Modern Painting Department at Sothebys. It was also at this time that she began to focus intently on drawing, and to sell her work to publications such as The New Yorker, which bought and reproduced her illustrations for over ten years. Magazines such as Gourmet, Good Housekeeping, Horticulture, as well as The New York Times followed suit, granting wide exposure.[11]

During this time, Prey continued work on her watercolors.[11] She began selling her work to family and friends, then made sales through private exhibitions and social gatherings, eventually retaining representation with numerous galleries.[12]

Prey's work has been featured in many national and international exhibits. For the past three years, her work has been featured in the Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit: NASA Art: 50 Years of Exploration;[13] and selected pieces can be found on exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC and at the Kennedy Space Center. In 2008 the Mona Bismarck Foundation in Paris, France presented the retrospective An American View: Barbara Ernst Prey.[14] Preys painting "Parade Route" was chosen to be exhibited at the U.S. Embassy Hong Kong in 2015.[15]

Barbara Prey on front of her 8 x 15 feet painting at MASS MoCA

Prey was commissioned by NASA to paint four paintings for their collection.[16] She has painted the x-43, the world's fastest aircraft; a commemorative work for the anniversary of the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy titled "The Columbia Tribute; a rendition of the International Space Station"; and a painting of the Space Shuttle Discovery titled "Shuttle Discovery: Return to Flight".[17] In 2003, Prey was commissioned by the President and First Lady to paint the official White House Christmas Card.[18] Prey's painting is included in the White House permanent collection.[19] In 2004 the New York State Senate honored Prey with the Senate's "Women of Distinction Award."[20] Prey was also honored by the Heckscher Museum of Art at their 2011 Celebrate Achievement Gala for her achievements and contribution to American art and culture. Heckscher Museum Director Michael Schantz stated, "Barbara is one of America’s most gifted watercolorists whose works are rooted in the grand traditions of American landscape painting."[21] In 2008, Prey was appointed by the President and approved by the Senate to the National Council of the Arts, which advises the National Endowment for the Arts.[22] Chairman Dana Gioia stated to ARTFORUM “Barbara Prey’s nomination continues our tradition of having prominent visual artists as members of the National Council of the Arts.”[23] She has lectured at the National Gallery of Art,[24] Corcoran Gallery of Art,[25] Dartmouth College, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Thyssen Bornemisza Museum Madrid.[26] In 2015 Prey's painting The Collection was selected by the U.S. State Department as the July 4th image for every U.S. Ambassador and Embassy invitation around the world for their Embassy celebrations.[27] Prey has been commissioned by Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) to paint a monumental watercolor for their new Building 6. Prey's 8 x 15 feet interior portrait "MASS MoCA Building 6" is said to be the world's largest watercolor.[4][28]