Riverviews Curator, Erin Stover interviewed Building Artist Barbara Cornett in September 2009
What do like most about living/working at RV? The space, the privacy, the whole atmosphere; knowing that people are working all around you.
How did you end up in Lynchburg and at RV? I’m from upstate NY originally. I moved here from Berea College during the arts and crafts movement. It was difficult because there were not many galleries in Lynchburg at that time. I started working on RV ten years ago and I’m delighted to see more things happening downtown now.
How did your art evolve since moving to Lynchburg? When I moved here, I took painting and sculpture classes because that was all that was offered. I started my career in fashion design and had my clothing modeled at VMFA. Fiber art was a natural extension of fashion.
What do you think of the debate of “craft vs. art”? I don’t think there should be a distinction. The 20th century opened up so many new materials in art; freedom to explore these materials was the most important thing.
Tell me a little more about your own work. I don’t want to be political or tell people what to think. I just want people to enjoy the shapes, colors, and textures. I work individually and I sometimes collaborate with a theatre designer and composer. A lot of my individual work is created for commissions. Right now, I’m creating work for a solo show at the Academy of Fine Arts; I’ll have the full gallery at the AFA in March 2010
