Bell, Barbara
Barbara Bell (fl. c. 1911 - 1946) was an artist active in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The details of her life are difficult to establish due to the presence of multiple Barbara Bells in Minneapolis at the same time. It is clear that she attended the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (now the Minneapolis College of Art and Design), where she won several awards, between roughly 1911 and 1915. She appears in Minneapolis city directories as an artist until 1946, while a 1928 newspaper article discussing a gallery display of her portraits of children describes her as a 'portrait painter and art school administrator,' likely at her alma mater. She was also an accomplished musician and singer who was known to collect and perform old folk songs as well as her own compositions. She also appeared in musical stage performances. Bell was active in several women's organizations, including the Minneapolis College Women's Club, Minneapolis College Women's Glee Club, and the National League of American Pen Women. Her somewhat frequent mentions in the pages of the The Minneapolis Star dealing with 'women's interest,' including coverage a steamship tour around the world, would suggest that she came from a high society family.
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