1928 – 1987
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1928 as the oldest of four children, Barbara graduated from Kent State University in 1950 with a Bachelor of Arts. It was at Kent State that she met her husband Joseph Stadtlander, also an art Major.
In 1974 she moved to Loudonville, Ohio, which became the heart of her studio and professional life. Barbara found inspiration in the open countryside around her as well as the local Amish that worked on her home and land from time to time. There was many a day that someone could walk down the steps from her kitchen to the cool basement with the aroma of turpentine and fresh oils in the air. A softly playing cassette player could be heard in the distance playing Beethoven or Bach which helped in maintaining the concentration that was required to produce such masterpieces as ‘Deer Cap’ and ‘Packard’s Rose’.
In 1983 her artistic efforts were recognized when she received the American Artists Professional League Directors Award; followed by the Salmagundi National Exhibit New York City Directors Award in 1984 and the American Artists Professional League Grumbacher Award in 1985.
Her works were exhibited in shows and galleries in New York City; Hartford and New Britain, Conn.; Springfield, Mass.; Ridgewood, N.J; Nyack, N.Y., and Youngstown, OH.
In late 1986 Barbara was commissioned to paint her last painting, ‘Deer Cap III’ which unfortunately she never had the opportunity to finish but is currently in private ownership in NY. In August of 1987 she lost a 4 year battle with breast cancer, but left a legacy of over sixty paintings to touch the eye and the soul of all who view them. Her talent still lives on in her daughter Laura Koller and her granddaughters Heidi Keith and Julia Koller.