Biography
Diane Barber is an Independent Curator with more than 20 years of experience in the Visual Arts. Projects include major exhibitions with an international roster of artists presented in arts organizations, galleries, universities, schools, and
other public spaces and institutions.
Most recently, Barber served as Co-Director/Visual Arts Curator of DiverseWorks ArtSpace (Houston, TX). During her 14-year tenure, Barber curated more than 65 exhibitions for DiverseWorks giving particular emphasis to commissioning new works and site-specific installations and to developing programs with charged cultural and political undertones.
Prior, Barber served as Exhibitions & Publications Coordinator for FotoFest International, the largest photography biennial in the United States. Professional affiliations include the Warhol Initiative, NPN’s Visual Arts Network, the NAMAC 2009 Leadership Institute, the Advisory Board of FotoFest, the Board of Directors of the Friends of Women’s Studies at the University of Houston, and ArtTable. She is past board president of the National Association of Artist Organizations and former Chairman of the Houston Coalition for the Visual Arts. Barber is also a founding member of the Independent Arts Collaborative, a Houston-based organization working to develop a multi-tenant arts complex in Houston’s urban core.
Curatorial Work
2011
CRASH: Scott Teplin
My Life as a Doll
State Fair
The North Wind & the Sun
Patricia Hernandez: Parody of Light
2010
Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then
Before (During) After
Under-Standing Water
Allison Hunter: Zoosphere
2009
Tierney Malone: Third Ward is My Harlem
Stimulus
New Art in Austin: 20 to Watch
2008
Thrive
Understanding Poverty
David McGee: Tetelestai
Stephen Vitiello: Four Color Sound
Kara Hearn: A Problem of Courage
Breaking Earth
Zoe Crosher: 1 Yr Later
Flicker Fusion
Augustina Nunez: Little Polymorphous
2007
Davendra Banhart: Some Drawings
Claude Wampler: Performance (career ender) & Rehearsed Reverse
This Old House
David McGee: El Sonador Elegante
Expansive Link
Julie Green: The Last Supper
Money, Baby!
Michael Jones McKean: The Possibility of Men and the River Shallows
2006
Border Film Project
Dan Havel: House Divided
Sasha Dela & Charles Beronio: Blackout
Erika Harrsch: Eros Thanotos
David Brown: Urban Cathedral
Alfredo Jaar: The Sound of Silence
Marina Zurkow: Nicking the Never
Noel Waggoner: Holy Ghost
2005
Scatter Boats
New Texas Painting
Tom Burkhardt: Full Stop
Chris Sauter: Museum
Lester Julian Merriweather: Chopped & Screwed
Money, Baby!
Thought Crimes: The Art of Subversion
Zane Lewis - Pink Lemonade: The Procession
Contemporary Erotic Drawing
2004
Le Dernier Cri: Comix Revolution
Erika Blumenfeld: Insconstant Moon
2004 - America & The Globe
Carrie Moyer: Sister Resister
Texas Prime
PG-13/Male Adolescent Identity in the Age of Video Culture
Lori Nix: The Banality of Terror
Stable(Stupidity Project Part 10)
2003
Paper Sculpture Show
Andy Coolquitt: Trim
In Houston - Zhang Huan, Zhang Jiu-Jun, Weihong
Harrell Fletcher: The Sound We Make Together
600 Square Miles in 600 Square Feet
William Pope.L: eRacism
Scott Teplin: Lubricious
2002
Maria Elena Gonzalez: UN Real Estates
Straight to Hell: 10 Years of Dyke Action Machine
Paul Henry Ramirez: Elevatious Transcendsualistic
Tracie Brownlee: Channeling
Services
Concept and vision consulting to arts organizations, institutions, and galleries
Curatorial services and administration of exhibitions, site-specific projects and special commissions
Manage loans between artists, institutions, galleries, and private lenders
Write essays, articles, and didactic material related to creative projects
Oversee project-based marketing efforts including web content and external communications
Develop written content for use in fundraising initiatives and grant proposals
Coordinate event and education program development including lectures, artist talks, workshops, etc.
