Barbara Segal

Barbara Segal is a sculptor and stone carver based in Yonkers, New York.

Early life and education

Segal studied at Pratt Institute in New York City in the early 1970s and spent two years at the L'Ècole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. She worked in fine marble studios in Italy such as Tommasi Fonderia and SGF Studio Scultura, and with Jacques Lipshitz, Augustin Cárdenas, and Max Bill. She returned to New York in the late 70's and made product models for Avon Cosmetics in the 1980s. In her TedX talk, she speaks on being inspired by cathedrals and the fact that she could see the hand of the artist in these architecture works. She re-recreates pop and fashion icons such as a Louis Vuitton handbag and a Chanel gift bag in stone. Her work explores society's fascination with status symbols and the impact they have on culture.

Segal teaches Sculpture at New York Academy of Art and at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She also teaches workshops at her art studio in New York.

Public art Segal worked alongside a group of artists to create the Yonkers Sculpture Meadow in 2003. thumb Muhheakantuck, the River that Flows Both Ways" 2005, Cast Aluminum, East Side of Yonkers AqueductIn 2005, she created a sculpture 72 feet long and 4 1/2 feet wide made of two cast aluminum reliefs called Muhheakantuck (The River that Flows Two Ways) that were installed on the bridge at Yonkers Station. The title, Muhheakantuck , is the name for the Hudson River used by the indigenous peoples that lived in this region before European settlement. The sculptures are abstract representations of the Hudson River. Segal has spoken on her interests in "unearthing that history and telling us its story through sculpture".

Social practice Segal founded a Yonkers-based non-profit arts organization called Art on Main Street and was the executive director. This organization brought art to downtown Yonkers and was involved in the revitalization of the waterfront in the city. Segal founded Yonkers Arts in 2007 with a mission of community development and promoting the arts in Yonkers.