Benjy Barnhart

Munich, Germany

Growing up in suburban Roanoke County, with roots in rural Franklin County, Benjy Barnhart’s many hours spent outdoors, often just watching the world go by, instilled in him a love for nature, the landscape and the ever-changing appearance of Light. Barnhart completed his BA in Studio Art at the University of Virginia followed by an additional year as an Aunspaugh Post-Baccalaureate Fellow under Philip Geiger before going on to study with Graham Nickson at the New York Studio School. During this time, he attended the summer art program at the Chautauqua Institute and Yale University Summer Art School.

Barnhart moved to Munich, Germany in 1999, where he lives and works with his wife and daughter. In addition to studio practice, he is an educator teaching painting and drawing and has recently taken on directing a nonprofit art school, Akthof Studio School of Art. His work has been exhibited in Germany, the UK and the United States and is included in the Bavarian State Painting Collection. He was honored with a Mercedes Matter Award in the 2021 New York Studio School Alumni Exhibition.