Barbara Kile is currently an Artist in Residence at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC). The HCCC is a non-profit arts organization dedicated to presenting the dynamic world of contemporary craft to the Houston community. The Artist in Residence program is designed to offer time and space for craft artists to focus on their creative work and interact with the public.

To say that Barbara’s designs are multifaceted is an understatement. Her distinctive body of work includes media ranging from fabric, fibers and felt to metal, wire and wood. She finds inspiration in the world around her, drawing upon the style, color and textures of places she has lived in or traveled through since childhood. Many elements in her work come from the shapes and colors of Mother Nature herself.

Lately, Barbara has focused her attention on felting and the marrying of metal and fiber in fun, innovative designs. “I love the feel of soft wool and the look of polished metal. The challenge in my work is finding ways to combine these senses into a design where the juxtapositions of hard and soft, bright and dull, rough and smooth work to create a unified piece.”