Barbara A Zappulla
Barbara’s fiber art path began as a child, learning knitting and crochet from her grandmother and mother. Barb attended Paier College of Art in Hamden, Connecticut, where she pursued Interior Design and fiberart. Thanks to the always uniquely dressed Mrs. Bernie Gorsky, fiber and weaving were in the curriculum. Twenty years later Barbara joined The Weavers Guild of St. Louis, fulfilling her lifelong yearning to create textiles and fiber art.
Barbara’s forty year career in Commercial Interior Design kept her close to textiles. Her work focused on developing the specialties of Programming and Space Planning of office environments from New England to Colorado. During the last ten years of her Interior Design career, Barbara became an Adjunct Instructor in Maryville University’s Art and Design Department, St. Louis, Missouri, teaching textiles, space planning and design to the next generation of designers.
In 2009 Missouri Fiber Artists (MoFA) recruited Barbara to become the first Exhibitions Committee Chair, with the additional duty of MoFA representative to the Innovations In Textiles committee, a regional fiber exhibition of twenty plus events. Barb developed MoFA’s “Speaking Of Fibers!” event to be held concurrently with Innovations in Textiles 2011. That exhibit has become MoFA’s masthead biennial, juried exhibit. Barb discovered that the strong organizational skills required for Interior Design carries over to producing events. She also used her skills to assist the St. Louis Weavers Guild with exhibits and layouts for their yearly sales. She continues to lecture and teach fiber and drawing classes at various venues.
Barbara is currently a member of The Missouri Fiber Artists (MoFA), The St. Louis Weavers Guild (WGSL), the Lower Keys Artist Network (LKAN), and The Florida Arts Council. She has participated in numerous exhibits, events and sales and has been honored with several awards, including People’s Choice 2015 Colorfest exhibit. Barbara’s artwork using weaving, embroidery, watercolor and mixed media is influenced by shapes, shadows and colors, usually with an environmental concept.
Co-Author with Kacey Cowdery of the recently published Produce Successful Art Exhibits, Events, Workshops, book website www.CowZapp.com