A: In 1996 I landed my first major New York gallery, Brewster Gallery.  I was still living in Virginia and Mia Kim, the director, had accepted my work on the basis of unsolicited slides mailed to the gallery in July.  The first time she saw my pastel paintings in person was when I delivered them for a solo exhibition in October.

Brewster represented Latin American masters such as Frida Kahlo, Francisco Zuniga, Diego Rivera, Francisco Toledo, and Rufino Tamayo.  Mia Kim, the director, said that she sometimes had to defend her decision to represent me.  Mia’s fabulous response was, “Barbara has the SOUL of a Latina!”  My work at that time was heavily influenced by Mexican culture.  Mia immediately understood what I was doing in my work.  How thrilled and honored I was to be represented by a gallery where my fellow sole non-Latina was Leonora Carrington!  Leonora came to my opening.

Those were wonderful days!

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