Ruth Barber’s theatrical painting career has spanned more than 40 years and has included hundreds of productions. She was the resident Charge Scenic Artist for multiple seasons at Rochester’s Geva Theatre, Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre Company, and Baltimore’s Centerstage. She has collaborated with design teams at the Roundabout Theater Company, The Kennedy Center, Wilma Theater Company, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, The Shakespeare Theatre at the Folger Library, and Ford's Theatre, among others. She has continued to paint with Ithaca-based theatre companies such as The Kitchen Theatre and the Hangar Theatre.
Barber’s restoration efforts can be seen in the Franciscan Monastery in Washington DC, Atlanta’s historic Fox Theatre, and the House and Senate Chambers of the Georgia State Capitol. Barber’s interior decorative painting may be seen in the rotunda of the Newington Cropsey Gallery of Art and Cultural Studies Center in Hastings-On-Hudson, NY. Her film work includes scenic art for Disney's “Remember the Titans”, and DreamWorks’ “Road Trip”. She has painted scenery for the Washington, DC news studios of “C-Span,” “This Week,” “Face the Nation,” and “The CBS Evening News with Bob Shaffer.” Other television credits include sets for cable programs produced by The History Channel, Discovery, and National Geographic.
Barber brings this wealth of professional experience to her current role as Assistant Professor and scenic art mentor in Ithaca College’s Center for Theatre and Dance..