About the Artist
Barbara Becker Simon has been a jeweler for over fifty years and a lampwork/bead artist since 1996. She received a Master of Fine Arts Degree in metalwork and jewelry from the University of Wisconsin.
Her teaching duties have included: the University of Wisconsin, Menomonie, and Iowa State University. She held the position of professor of Fine Arts at Edison State College, Ft Myers, Florida (now Florida SouthWestern State College)
Barbara traveled the country from 1999-2014 as a Senior Instructor for the Rio Rewards Precious Metal Clay Certification Classes. She has also had the privilege to teach at Penland School of Crafts, Haystack School of Crafts and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Barbara's teaching has taken her to Japan, Australia, The United Kingdom, Austria and Switzerland.
Barbara has made presentations at conferences such as the PMC Guild Conferences, the International Society of Glass Beadmakers, and the Society of North American Goldsmiths.
In 2007 her necklace "Big Links" was a finalist in the Saul Bell Design Awards. "Mandala" won first place for Precious Metal Clay in the same competition in 2011.
In 2009, Lark Books published her book Metal Clay Beads. Even though it is currently out of print, Metal Clay Beads remains a favorite with MC'ers! (find copies on Amazon and other online vendors.)
In addition to metalwork Barbara has gained a national reputation as an artist and teacher for her Lampworked glass beads and jewelry. The third edition of Contemporary Lampworking by Bandhu Dunham features her hollow core vessels on the cover. Formed of Fire by Bandhu Dunham and Cindy Jenkins' book, Beads of Glass, contain examples of her work and a how-to on hollow core vessels. Please click on Media page to see a list of where Barbara's work can be seen.
She has garnered recognition for both her metalwork and her glass work in such publications as
Lapidary Journal/ Jewelry Artist, Bead & Button and such venues as the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C.
Her glass bead work is in the permanent collection of the Corning Glass Museum, N.Y. and the Kobe Bead Museum, Japan.
Her teaching duties have included: the University of Wisconsin, Menomonie, and Iowa State University. She held the position of professor of Fine Arts at Edison State College, Ft Myers, Florida (now Florida SouthWestern State College)
Barbara traveled the country from 1999-2014 as a Senior Instructor for the Rio Rewards Precious Metal Clay Certification Classes. She has also had the privilege to teach at Penland School of Crafts, Haystack School of Crafts and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Barbara's teaching has taken her to Japan, Australia, The United Kingdom, Austria and Switzerland.
Barbara has made presentations at conferences such as the PMC Guild Conferences, the International Society of Glass Beadmakers, and the Society of North American Goldsmiths.
In 2007 her necklace "Big Links" was a finalist in the Saul Bell Design Awards. "Mandala" won first place for Precious Metal Clay in the same competition in 2011.
In 2009, Lark Books published her book Metal Clay Beads. Even though it is currently out of print, Metal Clay Beads remains a favorite with MC'ers! (find copies on Amazon and other online vendors.)
In addition to metalwork Barbara has gained a national reputation as an artist and teacher for her Lampworked glass beads and jewelry. The third edition of Contemporary Lampworking by Bandhu Dunham features her hollow core vessels on the cover. Formed of Fire by Bandhu Dunham and Cindy Jenkins' book, Beads of Glass, contain examples of her work and a how-to on hollow core vessels. Please click on Media page to see a list of where Barbara's work can be seen.
She has garnered recognition for both her metalwork and her glass work in such publications as
Lapidary Journal/ Jewelry Artist, Bead & Button and such venues as the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C.
Her glass bead work is in the permanent collection of the Corning Glass Museum, N.Y. and the Kobe Bead Museum, Japan.