Barry Biesanz

Barry Charles Biesanz (born September 1, 1948, in New Orleans), also known as Barry Biesanz Hiltunen, is a woodturner who became a Costa Rican citizen in 1998. thumb

Life As a 17 year old Detroit high school student, Barry received national press coverage for protesting the Vietnam war. Newsweek quoted him in a 1966 article on "The Teenagers" as saying "I got my hair cut. But now they are regulating ideas and I can't get my ideas cut." Another publication on the attitudes of 1966 teenagers, The young adult; identity and awareness also quoted him on this.

Barry Biesanz moved to Costa Rica in 1971 and founded Biesanz Woodworks in 1972.

Woodturning Press Coverage 2006 "Biesanz Turns Out Masterpieces in Escazú" The Tico Times 2005 "Barry Biesanz He Found Woodturner's Heaven" Woodturning Design Spring 2005 2004 Beneath The Bark: Twenty-Five Years of Woodturning. Christensen, Kip & Nish, Dale. The catalogue of an exhibition at the Brigham Young Museum of Art, Provo, Utah. 2002 "Artisan's Work Prized By Many" The Leader Post, May 31, pg 53 2002 "Costa Rica for Wood Art" Edmonton Journal May 2002 "Plant Tree, Save Culture" Harbour City Star, June 5 2001 "Wood From Start to Finish Stars in Tour," Tico Times, December 14, 2001 1997 "Crafts with the Scent of Wood," Costa Rica Today, Jan 23, 1997 1995 "Un Encuentro Feliz," American Woodturner, September 1995 pg 28 by Connie Mississippi 1995 "Bowled Over by Costa Rica," Excerpt from The Dallas Morning News, August 13, 1995 pg 7G by Terry Hong 1994 "Arbolitos a su alcance," La Nacion Rincón Verde, Viva pg 2 by Vanessa Bravo, October 19, 1994 1993 "Biesanz, A Master Craftsman in Wood" Costa Rica Today April 29 1993 "Taipei International Exhibition of Traditional Arts and Crafts: Selected Overseas Exhibits" January 16 - 29th pp 96 1993 "Barry Biesanz Master Woodworker," American Airlines Guide Magazine 1992 "Magia de Madera" La Nacion, shopping section, September 15–22, page 8 1992 "Noted Woodworker Backs Need to Conserve Forests” Tico Times Special Supplement January 1992 1991 "Queen Sofia of Spain buys Biesanz Art, Tico Scene, Tico Times, April 26, 1991 1991 “The Noble Woods of Costa Rica – God Creates Them, Biesanz Works Them” Join Us – Costa Rica Awaits You Magazine, page 54 1989/1990 "Featuring the Work of Barry Biesanz" International Woodworking, Cover article, Winter edition Vol. VI, No. 1 1989 "Northwest Highlights" WestArt, April 14, 1989 Exhibition with Moulthrop and Ellsworth 1987 "Shopper's World, Costa Rican Wood" New York Times, August 23, page 10012 1987 "Shopping for Costa Rican Handicrafts" International Herald Tribune, August 28, 1987 1984 “Barry Biesanz” Tico Times, June 1, 1984 by M.E.Esquivel