Upcoming

• Santa Cruz County Open Studios Art Tour, Santa Cruz, CA

2023

• Out of the Fire, Pajaro Valley Arts Council Gallery, Watsonville, CA
• Passages, Susana Arias & Barbara Downs, Curated by the Sea, Santa Cruz, CA
• Take Aways: Art To Go!, Pajaro Valley Arts Council Gallery, Watsonville, CA

2022

• Take Aways: Art To Go!, Pajaro Valley Arts Council Gallery, Watsonville, CA

2022

• Personal Structures — Reflections, invitational, curated by the European Cultural Centre (ECC) in the context of the 59th Venice Biennale,
  Palazzo Mora, Venice, Italy
• this is now. 3-day exhibit of award winners, Curated by the Sea, Santa Cruz, CA, 2022
• this is now. A tri-gallery exhibit of the Visual Arts Network, Radius Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA, Curators’ Pick award
• Take Aways: Art To Go!, Pajaro Valley Arts Council Gallery, Watsonville, CA

2021

• 2020 Vision – Seeing Ourselves Through Challenging Times, Cabrillo Gallery, Aptos, CA, 2021
• Take Aways: Art To Go! 2021, Pajaro Valley Arts Council Gallery, Watsonville, CA
• 450 Pieces, A Tri-Gallery exhibition of the Visual Arts Network members, R. Blitzer Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA
• Rydell Fellowship 2022-2023 Nomination

2020

• Take Aways: Art To Go! 2020, Pajaro Valley Arts Council Gallery, Watsonville, CA

2019

• Personal Structures — Identities, invitational, curated by the European Cultural Centre (ECC) in the context of the 58th Venice Biennale, Palazzo Mora, Venice, Italy
• The Very Very Rare Affordable Art Fair, JCO’s Art Haus, Los Gatos, CA
• A Figurative Affair V, R. Blitzer Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA
• Yuma Art Symposium: The Show, exhibition and presentation, Yuma Art Center, Yuma, AZ
• Arizona Western College, Artist lecture in conjunction with Yuma Art Symposium, Yuma, AZ
• Rydell Fellowship 2020-2021 Nomination

2018

• de/re/construct, Jeff King & Co., San Francisco, CA
• Sculpture Is: In the Garden, a collaborative piece by Jamie Abbott and Barbara Downs, Sierra Azul Nursery, Watsonville, CA
• Take Aways: Art To Go! 2018, Pajaro Valley Arts Council Gallery, Watsonville, CA
• Santa Cruz County Open Studios Art Tour, Santa Cruz, CA

2017

• Art in the Arboretum: Environmental Installation, A collaborative piece with Jamie Abbott, Barbara Downs, Roy Holmberg, Invitational, UCSC Arboretum, Santa Cruz CA
• Figurative Affair 2017, R. Blitzer Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA
• take aways Art To Go 2017, Pajaro Valley Arts Council Gallery, Watsonville, CA
• stARTup Fair LA, Hollywood, CA

2016

• 12×12(x12): An Open Invitational 2016, Cabrillo Gallery, Aptos, CA
• Art in the Arboretum: Color, Invitational, UCSC Arboretum, Santa Cruz CA
• Sculpture Is — Indoor at the Gallery, Pajaro Valley Arts Council Gallery, Watsonville CA
• Pacers Annual Benefit (Auction), Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis, MN

2015

• Luck of the Draw, Santa Cruz Art League, Santa Cruz, CA
• Beasts on Broadway, Santa Cruz Art League, Santa Cruz, CA, Juror: Melissa Pickford
• Freehand: A Drawing Show, Pajaro Valley Arts Council Gallery, Watsonville, CA
• A Figurative Affair 2015, R. Blitzer Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA

2014

• 12×12 (x12): An Open Invitational, Cabrillo Gallery, Aptos, CA

2013

• 2013 Painting Exhibition, Triton Museum of Art, San Jose, CA
• Stars Auction and Exhibit, Live Auction, Museum of Art and History, Santa Cruz, CA
• Canvas for a Community, Feldner Project, Santa Cruz CA
• A Figurative Affair 2013, R. Blitzer Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA
• The Drawing Salon, Invitational, Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery, UCSC, Santa Cruz, CA
• Sleight of Hand, Pajaro Valley Arts Council Gallery, Watsonville, CA

2012

• Monterey Bay: Land, Air & Sea, Invitational, Pajaro Valley Arts Council Gallery, Watsonville, CA
• Wax: Contemporary Encaustic Works, Pajaro Valley Arts Council Gallery, Watsonville, CA
• Solo Exhibition, Vinocruz, Santa Cruz, CA
• A Figurative Affair, R. Blitzer Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA

2011

• Stars Auction and Exhibit, Museum of Art and History, Santa Cruz, CA
• Mix It Up!, Santa Cruz Art League, Santa Cruz, CA, award
• Summer Gallery Invitational, R. Blitzer Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA
• Solo Show, Lulu’s at the Octagon, Museum of Art and History, Santa Cruz, CA
• EDGE: Art on the Westside, R. Blitzer Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA
• Figuratively Speaking, Davenport Gallery, Davenport, CA

2010

• 2nd Annual Artists Look at Human Rights, Louden Nelson Community Center, Santa Cruz, CA
• Stars Auction and Exhibit, Live Auction, Museum of Art and History, Santa Cruz, CA
• Search for Self, Monterey Peninsula College Gallery, Monterey, CA
• Go Figure!, juried by George Rivera, Santa Cruz Art League, Santa Cruz, CA
• Three Painters: Figure + Form, Michaelangelo Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA
• Los Pájaros, Pajaro Valley Arts Council Gallery, Watsonville, CA
• California, juried by Ruth Braunstein and Shannon Trimble, Cabrillo Gallery, Aptos, CA
• 50-50 Show II, juried by Marian Parmenter, Sanchez Art Center, Pacifica, CA
• Fur, Fins and Feathers, juried by Karen Kienzle, Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA, award

2009

• National Drawing & Sculpture Exhibit, Santa Cruz Art League, Santa Cruz, CA, award
• Stars Auction and Exhibit, Museum of Art and History, Santa Cruz, CA
• Artists Look at Human Rights, Louden Nelson Community Center, Santa Cruz, CA
• Solo Show, Seabright Brewery, Santa Cruz, CA
• Beasts on Broadway, juried by George Rivera, Santa Cruz Art League, Santa Cruz, CA
• cabrilloArts/cabrilloArtists, Pajaro Valley Gallery, Watsonville, CA
• Figures and Faces, juried by George Rivera, Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA
• Wide Open, Juried by Philip Linhares, Sebastopol Center for the Arts, Sebastopol, CA
• Trimodia, MichaelAngelo Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA

2008

• Stars Auction and Exhibit, Museum of Art and History, Santa Cruz, CA
• The Art of Healing, Mill Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA
• Los Gatos Art Association Annual Open Juried Show, juried by George Rivera, Los Gatos, CA, award
• Art is Essential, Invitational, Gavilan College, Gilroy, CA

2007

• Wanderings, Pajaro Valley Gallery, Watsonville, CA
• Solo Show, Seabright Brewery, Santa Cruz, CA

2006

• The Art of Painting, juried by George Rivera, Santa Cruz Art League, Santa Cruz, CA
• A Sense of Place, Pajaro Valley Gallery, Watsonville, CA
• 76th Annual Statewide Exhibit, juried by Karen Kienzle, Santa Cruz Art League, Santa Cruz, CA

1990’s

• Two-Artist Show, Mudzimu Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA, 1996
• Poets and Painters, Invitational, Galleria Tonantzin, San Juan Batista, CA, 1995
• Planet Earth: Artists and the Environment, Invitational, Pajaro Valley Gallery, Watsonville, CA, 1994
• California Works, juried by Inez Storer, California State Fair, Sacramento, CA, 1994, award
• Chaminade Artists’ Series Quarterly Show, Chaminade Conference Center, Soquel, CA, 1994
• Alumni Art Exhibition, juried by Rebecca M. Schapp, UCSC, Santa Cruz, CA, 1993, award
• Two-Artist Show, The Art Museum of Santa Cruz County Sales/Rental Gallery, 1993

1980’s

• Barbara Downs: Works on Paper, Solo Show, Alumni Office/Carriage House, UCSC, Santa Cruz, CA, 1989
• Solo Show, Alumni Office/Carriage House, UCSC, Santa Cruz, CA, 1988
• Women Artists, Invitational, Porter College, UCSC, Santa Cruz, CA, 1985
• Women Printmakers, Invitational, Oakes College, UCSC, Santa Cruz, CA, 1984
• Solo Show, Merrill Lounge, UCSC, Santa Cruz, CA, 1984
• Solo Show, Merrill Lounge, UCSC, Santa Cruz, CA, 1984

Reviews

• Barbara Downs “Making my own paradise” a Palazzo Mora, Sempione News, Cultura, Eventi Culturali, Mostre e Arte, 14 Novembre 2019, click here to open

Lectures and Teaching

• Yuma Art Symposium, Yuma, AZ, Artist Lecture and demo, 2019
• Arizona Western College, Yuma, AZ, Artist Lecture, 2019
• Art Extravaganza Encaustic Workshop, Watsonville, CA, 2009

Selected Publications and Presentations

• Porter Gulch Review 2010, publication of the Cabrillo College Writing Program, back cover art and pgs. 105 & 108
• KSBW Mid-Day News Program, presentation of work as promotional piece for Santa Cruz County Open Studios, Salinas, CA, October 13, 1992

Public Collections

• Special Collections, McHenry Library, UCSC, Santa Cruz, CA, group portfolio purchase
• S.A.P. America Corporation, Foster City, CA

Education

• B.A., Studio Art, UCSC, Santa Cruz CA, 1985
• Undergraduate studies, University of Redlands, Redlands CA

Personal

• Born: Newport News VA, 1959
• Resides in Santa Cruz CA, since 1979