Sarah Elizabeth Barnett (b. 1993) is an artist and educator living and working in eastern Washington state. She received her MFA from Washington State University in 2022 and is a 2023 recipient of the Artist Trust Fellowship Award. Working as a representational figurative oil painter, Sarah’s works explore themes of mortality, life-preservation, the human body and technology. Sarah has exhibited nationally and her work has been featured in publications such as Manifest’s INPA, Friend of the Artist, and Divide Magazine. Presently, she teaches as an art lecturer for Washington State University and Big Bend Community College. In addition to her studio and teaching practice, Sarah has also contributed to several public mural projects in her local community.
She is currently represented by Gallery110, Seattle, WA.
CV
Education
2022
MFA, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
2018
BFA, University of North Texas, Denton, TX
Solo Exhibitions
2025
(Forthcoming) Esvelt Gallery, Columbia Basin College, Pasco, WA
(Forthcoming) Chase Gallery, Spokane, WA
2024
In Vivo, Gallery110, Seattle, WA
2018
Euphoria, Voertman’s Gallery, Denton, TX
Selected Group Exhibitions
2025
Post-Humans: Sarah Barnett, Joe Hedges, and Reza Safavi, Terrain Gallery, Spokane, WA
Your Collection: Faculty Remix, Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
MFA:NW 2025 ‘Subject’, traveling juried exhibition, Umpqua Valley Arts, Roseburg, OR; Chehalem Cultural Center, Newberg, OR; Pendleton Center for the Arts, Pendleton,OR; Newport Visual Arts Center, Newport, OR.
2024
Catalyst, juried exhibition, BOXX Gallery, Teiton, WA
Seattle Art Fair, with Gallery110, Seattle, WA
Kent Summer Juried Art Exhibition, Centennial Center Gallery, Kent, WA
New Members Show, Gallery110, Seattle, WA
Floorr Exh 12, Virtual Juried Exhibition, Floorr Magazine, London, UK
16th National Juried Exhibition, Willard Art Center, Idaho Falls, ID
Spring,Time, juried exhibition, the Vestibule, Seattle, WA
Honest Portrayal, juried exhibition, Third Street Gallery, Moscow, ID
2023
Interstate: Where I-90 Meets I-82, juried by Stefano Catalani, Sarah Spurgeon Gallery, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA
Transmute: Harry Mestyanek and Sarah Barnett, Saranac Art Projects, Spokane, WA
EmergEast: Finalists Juried Exhibit, Gallery110, Seattle, WA
Obsession, juried exhibition, Third Street Gallery, Moscow, ID
EmergEast: Semi-Finalists Juried Exhibit, Virginia S. Hislop Gallery, Heritage University, Toppenish, WA
2022
Terrain 13, juried exhibition, Terain Gallery, Spokane, WA
Over the Line: A Regional Faculty Art Exhibition, Center for Arts & History, Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston, ID
‘Foreign Body’, MFA Thesis, 2022 Master of Fine Arts Graduate Thesis Exhibition, Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, Pullman, WA
2021
AXA Art Prize 2021 Exhibition, juried by Bo Bartlett, Rachel Reinstein, Elizabeth Peyton, Calida Rawles and Peter Saul, New York Academy of Art, Manhattan, NY
Master Pieces: 15th Exhibit of Emerging Artists, juried exhibition, MANIFEST, Cincinnati, OH
2020
Soften, juried exhibition, Chase Galelry, Spokane, WA
Painting a Better Making: PNW Juried Student Show, the Arnold Gallery, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR
2019
Celebration of the Arts: FWADA Selections Exhibition, Fort Worth Community Arts Center, Ft Worth, TX
2018
NYAA Student Summer Residency Show, New York Academy of Art, Manhattan, NY
Realism Redux! Oso Bay Biennial XX 2028 Juried Student Show, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, TX
2017
Chiaroscuro: Amy He and Sarah Barnett, Union Art Gallery, University of North Texas, Denton, TX
Vignette: Texas Women’s Caucus for Art, juried by Chelsea Pierce, Women’s Museum, Fair Park, Dallas, TX
2016
Non-Pixelated: The Persistence of Painting in the Digital Age, juried exhibition, Bath House Cultural Center, Dallas, TX
2012
Fort Worth Texas Stock Show Art Exibition and Competition, Dickie’s Arena, Fort Worth, TX
Awards and Residencies
Prisma Art Prize Finalist and Honorable Mention, 14th edition, Rome, Italy
Artist Trust Fellowship Award, $10,000, presented by Artist Trust, Seattle, WA
3rd Place Grand Jury Award Finalist for Manifest’s 17th exhibition season, Cincinnati, OH
2022 CAS Master’s Student Achievement Award: Fine Arts, presented by the College of Arts and Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
Honorable mention and internal prize, 2021 AXA Art Prize, NYAA, Manhattan, NY
2018 Academy Merit Scholarship, NYAA Summer Undergraduate Residency Program (SURP), New Yourk Academy of Art, Manhattan, NY
‘Best Painter’, 2018 DAM Awards (Denton Arts and Music) presented by the Dentonite, Denton, TX
$3,000 Scholarship and First Place Prize, 2012 Fort Worth Texas Stock Show Art Exibition and Competition, Dickie’s Arena, Fort Worth, TX
Publications
Printed Books
2025
Divide Magazine, Issue 13, London, UK
2024
INPA (International Painting Annual) Vol. 10, Manifest, Cincinnati, OH
2021
FOA (Friend of the Artist) Vol. 14, Dallas, TX
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
2022
Hallie Meredith and Sarah Barnett, “’Contemporary Classicism’ Copy of a Copy: Appropriating Classical Statues as Conceptual Ready-mades,” Classical Art and Archeology (CLARA) Special Issue no. 2, The Classical in Contemporary Art and Visual Culture, ed. Bente Kiilerich, Marina Prusac-Lindhagen and Astri Karine Lundgren (2021): 1-23 http://journals.uio.no/CLARA/issue/view/788.
Professional Activities
Jury and Curatorial Experience
2025
Juror for Manifest Gallery Season 22 projects, Cincinatti, OH
2024
Juror for Manifest Gallery Season 21 projects, Cincinatti, OH
2023
Juror and curator for ‘In Solidarity: A Regional Juried Exhibition’, Gallery II, Department of Art, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
Commissioned Work
2023
Portrait of Dr. Tomkowiak, Founding Dean of the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA. Commissioned by the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine
Public Art Project Leadership
2020 - 2024
Project Manager for Pullman Arts Foundation. Helped lead teams of local and regional artists during installations of mural projects throughout Pullman, WA
Teaching
Lecturer Appointments
Department of Art, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
Beginning Drawing (2 sections for Fall, 2024; 2 sections for Spring, 2025)
Beginning Drawing (2 sections for Fall, 2022; 3 sections for Spring, 2023)
Global Campus Beginning Drawing (1 section for Summer, 2022)
Global Campus Beginning Painting (1 section for Summer, 2022)
Art Department, Big Bend Community College, Moses Lake, WA
Art Appreciation - Online (1 section each: Winter, 2023; Spring, 2024; Fall, 2024; Winter, 2025; Spring, 2025)
Fine Arts Department, Spokane Falls Community College, Spokane, WA
Art Appreciation - Hybrid (1 section for Fall, 2023)
Art Mentorship
Coeur d’Alene Tribe Department of Education, Plummer, ID
K-12 Arts and Animation Track, CDA Intergenerational Place-Making Program (Summer, 2022)
Graduate Teaching Assistantships
Department of Art, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
Beginning Painting (Fall, 2021)
Beginning Drawing (Spring, 2020; Fall, 2020; Spring, 2021; Spring, 2022)
Foundations in 2D Art and Design (Fall, 2019)