An artist her entire life, Barbara Tiffany joined the Crealdé faculty in 2012 and serves in multiple capacities. She manages the Painting & Drawing program, teaches adult classes and workshops, and serves as curator for the school’s gallery exhibitions. After a long commercial art career, she devoted herself to her painting in 1982. Her studies in classical painting were strongly influenced by her mentor, the late Maury Hurt, at the former Maitland Art Center, where she was an instructor and maintained a studio for many years.
Tiffany’s paintings explore a wide range of subjects. Her goal is to convey to the viewer a sense of participating wonder, leading to unexpected observations, either through extreme realism or abstraction. She is always looking for new inspiration with any subject.
Raised in Central Florida, Tiffany says she always loved art and nature, and knew from a very early age that art would be a big part of her future. She started her career as a commercial artist, but says she always found time to draw. In 1980, she entered her work into art festivals, exhibitions and competitions throughout the state and on a national level, winning awards along the way. Tiffany’s early works were exclusively graphite and colored pencil.
In 1986, private lessons with legendary Central Florida painter Maury Hurt taught her the classical approach to painting, while introducing the effects of light. The mentorship dramatically changed her work and influenced her own approach, when she started teaching in 1984. A popular instructor and a mentor, she is sought-after for her compassion and sensitivity.
Tiffany’s work is included in many public collections including the University of Central Florida, Orlando City Hall, the Maitland Art Center, Radford University Art Museum (Virginia), Texas A&M University, as well as private collections. She continues to gather awards at juried competitions, and her work is solicited for state, national and international collections and exhibitions. She is a recipient of a United Arts of Central Florida Individual Artist Recognition Award.
Artist's Statement
Personal Website“With awe and wonder, I am inspired by many things, complex or simple, as long as there is light. With hope, my work will be a means by which the observer will become a participant.”
Selected Awards
- 2015, Second Place, Annual Exhibition, CityArts Factory, Orlando, Florida
- 2013, Third Place, Annual Exhibition, CityArts Factory, Orlando, Florida
- 2012, Jury’s Top Fifty, Salon International, International Museum of Contemporary Masters of Fine Art, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, Texas
- 2009, Best in Show, Faces 2009, juried exhibition, Henegar Center for the Arts, Melbourne, Florida
- 2006, Purchase Award, Maitland Art Center, Maitland, Florida
- 1999, Individual Artist Recognition Award, United Arts of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
- 1997, Second Place, Ridge Art Association, Winter Haven, Florida
- 1996, Third Place, Wiregrass Biennial, Wiregrass Museum of Art, Dothan, Alabama
- 1991, Mary Hulitar Award, 53rd Annual National Exhibition of Contemporary American Paintings, Society of The Four Arts, Palm Beach, Florida
Selected Exhibitions
- 2016, The Encounter Series: Barbara Tiffany and Leslie W. Hardy, two-person exhibition, Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando Florida
- 2015, Botanicals & Landscapes by Barbara Tiffany & Larry Moore, Garden House Gallery, Harry P. Leu Gardens, Orlando, Florida
- 2014, solo exhibition, The Carousel Emporium, Orlando, Florida
- 2013, 2012, 2012, group exhibition, Salon International Competition, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, Texas
- 2012, 2008, 2004, solo exhibition, Arts on Douglas, New Smyrna Beach, Florida
- 2012, solo exhibition, Lake Eustis Museum of Art, Eustis, Florida
- 2011, group exhibition, The Mennello Museum of American Art, Orlando, Florida
- 2011, group exhibition, Florida Museum of Women Artists, DeLand, Florida
- 2007, group exhibition, Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, Winter Park, Florida
- 2004, group exhibition, Daytona Beach Art League, Daytona Beach, Florida
- 2002, group exhibition, Orlando Shakespeare Festival Theatre, Orlando, Florida
- 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, group exhibition, Epcot Flower and Garden Festival, Orlando Florida
Permanent Collections
- Church Street Station, Orlando, Florida
- University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
- Seminole Community College, Lake Mary, Florida
- Orlando City Hall, Orlando, Florida
- Wall Street Marketing Inc., Orlando, Florida
- McCree Architects, Orlando, Florida
- Roger Holler Family, Winter Park, Florida
- Maitland Art Center, Maitland, Florida
- Gannett Publishing
- The Medalist Club, Greg Norman, Hobe Sound, Florida
- Radford University Art Museum, Radford, Virginia
- Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas