Bemis Instructor Highlight: Barbara Dimond

Emilio Lobato, "Tratando de Recordar" (Trying to Remember), oil and collage on panel, 2008. Courtesy of the artist
and the William Havu Gallery, from the FAC's 2011 Lobato retrospective, Mi Linda Soledad. Dimond's class covers
mediums which range from collage to painting, pastels to fiber arts, and much more.

Barbara Dimond — cross-paper collage enthusiast and trained paper-artist — has taught at the Bemis School of Art for 15 years. This summer, she will be teaching classes for children such as Young at Art and ArtSmart Express as well as some adult classes, including Your Artist Within: Refreshed. 

No matter what class Dimond is teaching, she brings her enthusiasm for art to her classes.  “I don’t dictate. I consider myself more as a facilitator…There are no rules. By all means [the students should] try to explore, try to see,” continued Barbara, “There is nothing wrong [in the classroom].”

She has found the adults the most nervous when starting a class. “I have to start really slow. They are in fear because they can’t draw a straight line. I just get them into ripping [and relax] people that are in total fear.” 

Close-up of Dimond's artwork.

Since there are endless amounts of materials that you can use in Barbara’s classes, students have various ways to express themselves. From Halloween webbing to collectibles to supplies from nurseries, students can create multiple layers with fun materials to develop unique textures.

Even though Barbara now lives in Colorado Springs, she finds inspiration from her classes through her travels. She still travels back to New York where she finds inspiration from exhibits. She even based her recycled-theme class off of an exhibit she saw at the Museum of International Folk Art Museum in Santa Fe. 

Dimond finds art in many forms, and it is because of this ability that her classes are so unique.  To her, art is about finding your own way.  She explained, “Forget the recipes and throw them out.  [As my friend said], the best book you can get is a whack on the side.”

So if you are looking for a veteran with a fresh approach, you should check out some of Dimond’s classes. 




A94 Your Artist Within: Refreshed
Five-Day Workshop
Mon.-Fri., 7/23-7/27 | 9:30-11:30 a.m.
$111 (Members $96)