Today we’d like to introduce you to Barbara Felix.
Hi Barbara, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
am a visual artist, independent curator, and co-owner of The Beacon at Midtown Gallery & Studios. I hold a BFA in Graphic Communication from Texas State University and a Certificate in Drawing, Painting, and Printmaking from the Southwest School of Art.
For 20 years, I worked as an in-house graphic designer for Citibank before retiring in 2022 to pursue art full-time. Becoming a working artist felt like an unachievable dream for many years, but I steadily worked toward that goal by taking classes, building relationships within the arts community, and joining the Gentileschi Aegis Gallery Association in 2010, which encouraged me to create and exhibit my work.
While my graphic design career was largely computer-based, it also fueled a desire to make work with my hands and explore more tactile forms of creative expression. At the same time, my design background provided skills that later opened opportunities in animation and film. Years of persistence, learning, and artistic exploration ultimately led to the opportunity to become a full-time artist—a dream realized that continues to bring me both purpose and joy.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My path has not always been smooth, but the challenges have often become opportunities for growth. For many years, I balanced a demanding career at Citibank with my artistic practice, creating artwork during evenings and weekends. Pursuing both paths required sacrifices and a strong commitment to my creative goals.
One example was my first major animation collaboration, The Proximity of Being. To complete the project, I spent two and a half months creating 360 drawings for stop-motion animation while maintaining my full-time job. The experience taught me the value of perseverance and the importance of seeing a project through, even when the demands feel overwhelming.
I have also learned that experimentation is essential to my practice. Exploring new materials and processes has led to both exciting discoveries and unexpected setbacks. While creating paintings on sheer fabric for The Glorious Way She Moves, I accidentally lost nearly half of a finished painting during the washing process. Rather than seeing it as a failure, I viewed it as a problem to solve. I set the work aside, focused on other deadlines, and later returned to repaint the missing areas. The piece was ultimately completed successfully, and the experience reinforced the importance of adaptability and persistence.
Today, one of my greatest challenges is balancing my passion for creating, my commitment to community engagement, and quality time with my husband, who is both my rock and my biggest supporter. Recognizing that I cannot do everything myself has led me to invest more in mentoring emerging artists, curating opportunities for others, and encouraging new leaders within the San Antonio Ethnic Art Society, where I served as President from 2023–2025 and continue to serve as Community Art Liaison Co-Chair.
Looking back, I’ve learned that creativity isn’t just about making art—it’s about solving problems. Every challenge, whether in the studio or in life, presents an opportunity to adapt, learn, and grow. Some of my most meaningful breakthroughs have come from moments that didn’t go according to plan.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Today, I am best known for my figurative work rooted in movement and dance, which serves as the foundation for my two primary bodies of work.
The first, Bailando con Mi Misma (Dancing with Myself), is an ongoing self-portrait series in which I appropriate the bodies of dancing couples and place my face on both figures. The work explores identity, sensuality, sexuality, and the pursuit of love. The series began quite practically—I wanted to paint dancers but needed a model for the faces, and I was always available. What started as a solution evolved into a deeply personal, psychological, and often playful body of work. Originally created as expressive watercolor monotypes, the series has expanded into highly stylized cut-paper collages incorporating hand stitching and embossed drawing. The movement within these works is often what viewers connect with most.
My second series, The Glorious Way She Moves, celebrates the women in my community and the many ways they move through the world. For each portrait, I film a woman dancing and use multiple frames from the footage to create layered, multi-image compositions. The inspiration for this work came from observing women dancing at debutante balls and from my own experiences in Nia dance classes. I invite women who embody confidence in its many forms, hoping their stories will inspire others while fostering a sense of connection between the subject and the viewer.
The series has evolved significantly over time. What began as large-scale paintings on Yupo paper expanded into immersive fabric installations for my solo exhibition at the Women & Their Work Gallery in Austin. The layered fabrics responded to air currents and viewer movement, allowing the work to embody movement physically as well as visually. The project also expanded into performance, bringing together dancers, choreographers, poetry, and recorded interviews into a collaborative meditation on women’s experiences, empowerment, resilience, and joy.
Beyond my studio practice, I am deeply committed to supporting the arts community. I serve in leadership roles with the San Antonio Ethnic Art Society and Contemporary Art Month and have participated as a panelist and juror for artist grants, exhibitions, student films, and film festivals. These opportunities allow me to help create pathways for other artists, something I increasingly view as an important part of my role as an artist.
Two of the most meaningful developments in my career—curating exhibitions and co-owning a gallery—were never part of my original plan. Both arrived as unexpected opportunities that I felt compelled to embrace. Today, my husband and I co-own The Beacon at Midtown Gallery & Studios, a community-centered creative space in San Antonio’s historic Beacon Hill neighborhood.
When we first acquired the gallery, my husband asked whether we should remove the stage. My response was immediate: “No. Art is multidisciplinary.” Since then, the space has hosted visual art exhibitions alongside poetry readings, musical performances, artist talks, film screenings, choir concerts, improv events, and dance performances. We see the gallery as a gathering place where creative disciplines intersect and where people can experience the richness of San Antonio’s artistic community.
Looking back, I realize that movement has been the thread connecting everything I do—not only movement within my artwork, but movement within community. Whether through painting, performance, curating, mentoring, or creating space for others, my goal is to bring people together through shared creative experiences.
And with all that said, I can honestly say I am living a wonderfully fulfilling artistic life—and I am probably overdue for a vacation.
Any big plans?
Looking ahead, I hope to continue expanding and evolving The Glorious Way She Moves, bringing the work to audiences across Texas and beyond. As the series grows, I’m interested in exploring ways to make it more accessible through smaller works and new formats while maintaining the spirit of connection and movement that defines the project.
One of the future projects closest to my heart is the creation of a Día de los Muertos multimedia altar honoring my father, Dr. Robert L.M. Hilliard. As an OB-GYN who helped bring an estimated 14,000 to 20,000 babies into the world, his life was devoted to caring for families and supporting new beginnings. Through this project, I hope to celebrate his legacy and the countless lives he touched throughout the San Antonio community.
I would also like to pursue artist residencies, both in the United States and abroad, to create space for exploration, learning, and new perspectives. Collaboration remains an important part of my practice, and I look forward to developing projects that bring artists and communities together in meaningful ways. Just as importantly, I want to carve out time for experimentation—creating without deadlines, expectations, or predetermined outcomes, and allowing curiosity to guide the process.
As my husband and I continue to grow The Beacon at Midtown Gallery & Studios, I hope to further strengthen its role as a gathering place for artists and audiences alike. Supporting other artists and helping build a vibrant creative community will always remain central to my work.
Most importantly, I want to make time for the people who matter most. I hope to travel more with my husband, spend meaningful time with family and friends, and reflect with gratitude on the many blessings that have shaped my life and career. After years of pursuing a dream that once felt out of reach, I am excited to see where the next chapter leads.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.barbarafelix.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/proximityartmedia/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574192342713
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-felix-a3994381/
