As a member of the National Council on the Arts, the advisory board to the National Endowment for the Arts, I was pleased to read about the recent unveiling of the Rosa Parks statue in the U.S. Capitol Building's...

This week is Art Week in New York City. The Art Show is not only the ADAA's (Art Dealers Association of America) 25th annual fair but also the nation's longest running fine art fair. The Art Show takes place at the...

This year I returned to visit one of my early paintings commissioned by the Prince Lobkowicz family. It is a portrait of their daughter. Since the time that I painted the portrait, the Czech Republic returned...

With the upcoming (Jan. 11) release of the all-star-cast film Gangster Squad, I spoke with author Paul Lieberman about the movie and his true-life book that inspired it. Paul had shared the stories and his research a couple of years ago when they first...

BEST WISHES FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON AND PEACE IN THE NEW YEAR!

Maple Sugar 2012
Watercolor 22" x 30"
Barbara Ernst Prey

Three weeks ago, I went to the IFPDA/Print Fair in New York City, the largest international art fair focusing on printmaking. This was right after Sandy, and I had no electricity, heat, phone or Internet, but I knew the electricity north of 34th Street...

Commissioned by NASA to paint the x-43, the fastest aircraft in the world and document space history as a NASA artist, I was able to work on site one hour before takeoff at Edwards Airforce Base in the Mohave Desert. The painting of the...

I have always been a staunch believer in the importance of the arts in education and the community, both at home and abroad. In the '80s, I spent time at a college in Taiwan as a visiting lecturer on Western art, and...

It was a beautiful day in New York and, although I was born in New York, grew up in New York and now live in New York, it was my first visit to Randall's Island in Manhattan to see...

Last week was art week in New York. There were many art shows to visit, including The Art Show, The Armory Show, SCOPE, Volta NY and Verge Art Brooklyn. On Wednesday, March 7, I went to the opening of The Art Show,...

I recently attended the National Medal of Arts Awards at the White House. The National Medals are awarded by both The National Endowment for the Arts and The National Endowment for the Humanities. The Medals are awarded by the President of the...

I was fortunate to twice preview the new American Wing Galleries for Paintings, Sculpture, and Decorative Arts at the Metropolitan Museum before the opening. It was a wonderful opportunity to see the art up close and to speak...

This past Tuesday, the National Endowment for the Arts celebrated the quintessential American musical art form with their 30th Annual Jazz Masters Awards Ceremony and Concert. The event, produced by Jazz at Lincoln Center, began with a performance by the Jazz at Lincoln...

Overwhelming might be the word to describe my visit to Art Basel Miami Beach and the satellite art fairs. I had come to see the art, and their Website was very helpful as I was able to download the app with the gallery information and map out what I wanted...

In between museums I stop along the way...

Late fall in New England offers some interesting exhibits for the cultural traveler and the last gasp leaf lookers. This fall I began in Maine where I have been painting and exhibiting for over 30 years....

On Wednesday, November 2, I enjoyed an uplifting ceremony at the White House celebrating the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards - the Nation's highest honor for outstanding after-school arts and humanities programs that reach underserved communities. Co-sponsored by the President's Committee on...

I had a call from NASA to be their artist spokesperson for the opening of NASA Art/50 Years at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. NASA commissioned me to paint four paintings for their collection, one of which is included in the exhibit...

Years ago I did artwork for The New Yorker and would sit myself on the corner or anywhere in New York City and draw. I've done that in Europe, Africa and Asia as well. Last week I packed up my paints and headed to Florence and as I drew and...