Barb Schwarz Karst is best known as a Montana painter who blends traditional media and subject matter with splashes of contemporary freshness. Her various genres include botanical fabrications, mechanical close-ups, and non-objective landscapes. She "pushes the envelope" by manipulating oils and acrylics into captivating and intriguing designs.

Her work has been featured in worldwide and domestic exhibitions, publicized in several books and magazines, featured in many one-person shows, and has been acquired and housed in permanent collections of museums, corporate, private, and traveling collections throughout the country.

She has showed in New York City four times, as an active member, with NSPCA (The National Society of Painters in Casein and Acrylic) at the Salmagundi Club. In June 2008, Barb's Latan Palm was featured on the front cover of The Botanical Artist Magazine. And from September to October 2010 her retrospective botanical solo show, Fruits of Labor: The Cornucopia Collection, was displayed at House Design Studio.

She was selected by the Smithsonian Affiliation museum, The Museum of the Rockies, as one of their up and coming artists at the MOR Art Event in June, 2011. Her work was also exhibited in Spring Fever held at the Ecce Gallery in The Emerson Center for the Arts & Culture in Bozeman, Montana from April to May, 2011.

Schwarz Karst's formal education, training, and experiences include receiving, twice, a fellowship and mentorship with TICA with The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Also, she was selected to be involved in the Creative Capital Campaign in correlation with the Andy Warhol Foundation, the Montana Arts Council, and the Montana World Trade Center. She graduated with a MIS (Master of Interdisciplinary Studies in Arts/Arts Education) graduate art degree from the University of Montana and a B.S. in Art Education from MSU-Billings.

She is represented by the Jest Gallery and SKS Art Company. See Website for further information.