B. 1989 Minneapolis, MN
Currently lives and works in Minneapolis, MN
Education
2016 Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minneapolis, MN. MFA
2011 University of Wisconsin- Stout, Menomonie, WI. BFA
Solo Exhibitions
2026 Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN. “A Practice of Being With”
2024 Alice R. Rogers Gallery, CSB+SJU, Collegeville, MN. “Record of Home/Hearts”
2022 Bockley Gallery, Minneapolis, MN. “vision of a soft sun”
2021 Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN. “Within, Between, and Beyond”
2019 Bing Davis Memorial Gallery, Upper Iowa University, Fayette, IA. “A Familiar Portrait of Labor and Love”
2019 The Gallery Minneapolis, Minneapolis, MN. “A Familiar Portrait of Labor and Love”
2019 Lillian Davis Hogan Gallery, St. Mary's University, Winona, MN. “Quiet Enigmas and Familiar Love”
2017 The Catherine G. Murphy Gallery, Saint Paul, MN. "Space Between Us"
2017 Public Functionary, Minneapolis, MN. "Loving"
2016 Cowles Student Gallery at Whitworth University, Spokane, WA.
2016 Flow Art Space, Saint Paul, MN. "A Third Space: New Works by Leslie Barlow"
Two-Person Exhibitions
2019 (with Ta-Coumba Aiken) Artistry, Bloomington, MN. “Two/Too”
Selected Group Exhibitions
2026 Rochester Art Center, Rochester, MN. “Forms of Care”
2025 Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minneapolis, MN. “Peter Williams: Homegoing–A Call and Response”
2025 Minnesota Museum of American Art, Saint Paul, MN. “When you’re in the mirror…”
2024 Regis Center for the Arts, Minneapolis, MN. “Layers of Joy”
2024 Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo, MI. “Legendary Voices: Art for the Next Century”
2024 Gamut Gallery, Minneapolis, MN. “Visage: A Contemporary Portrait Show”
2023 Soo Visual Arts Center, Minneapolis, MN. “Untitled 17”
2021 Dreamsong Art, Minneapolis, MN. “In search of lost time”
2021 Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN. “Rituals of Resilience”
2020 St. Catherine’s University, Saint Paul, MN. “Pandemic Art Lessons”
2020 White Bear Center for the Arts, White Bear Lake, MN. “Disquietude”
2020 Rochester Center for the Arts, Rochester, MN. “Creative Confinement”
2020 Regis Center for the Arts, Minneapolis, MN. “The Beginning of Everything: An exhibition of drawings”
2020 Anderson Center for the Arts, Redwing, MN. “Portray”
2019 FilmNorth, Minneapolis, MN. “Anxiety about the precise significance of the present...”
2019 Visual Arts Center at Boise State University, Boise, ID. “In the Mix”
2019 Kolman & Pryor Gallery, Minneapolis, MN. “The Portrait Show”
2019 Public Functionary, Minneapolis, MN. “Wintertide – Bi-Annual Juried Exhibition”
2018 Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN. "Art and Healing: In the Moment"
2017 Minnesota Museum of American Art, Saint Paul, MN. "We the People"
2017International Center for Photography, New York City, NY. "Perpetual Revolution"
2017 Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia, PA. "Ocotillo"
2016All My Relations Gallery, Minneapolis, MN. "Reframe Minnesota"
2016 Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minneapolis, MN. "Self/Concept"
2016 Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hopkins, MN. "Hypervisible (Invisible)"
2015 Minneapolis walkable urban art gallery, Minneapolis, MN. "Made Here: Reflections"
2014 The Soap Factory, Minneapolis, MN. "HERE WE ARE NICE"
2014 Visual Arts Center Washington Pavilion, Sioux Falls, SD. "Visual Arts Center Juried Exhibition"
2014 Harry Krug Gallery, Pittsburg, KS. "Transforming Viewpoints"
Collections
Aeon, Minneapolis, MN
Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Coon Rapids Campus, MN
Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Cambridge Campus, MN
Clockwork, Minneapolis, MN
General Mills Inc., Minneapolis, MN
Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis MN
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN
The Minneapolis Foundation, Minneapolis, MN
Minnesota Historical Society, Saint Paul, MN
Minnesota Museum of American Art, Saint Paul, MN
Minnesota State Fair, Saint Paul, MN
Minnesota Vikings Fine Art Collection, Minneapolis, MN
Saint John’s University, Collegeville, MN
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis, MN
Whitworth University, Spokane, WA
Web/Television
2025 MPR “Twin Cities writers, illustrator share story of James and Grace Lee Boggs with young readers”
2025 Sahan Journal “Futures in Color’: ConFluence carves out space for BIPOC geeks in Minneapolis”
2025 Mill City Times “A Minneapolis artist you need to know”
2025 MinnPost “Cosplay gets fine art treatment with Leslie Barlow’s new body of work”
2025 Sahan Journal “From slavery to Afrofuturism: Black Minnesota artists celebrate the legacy of Peter Williams”
2025 MPR “The murals spoke out: Reflecting on protest art in the wake of George Floyd's murder”
2025 Hyperallergic “Amid Market Uncertainty, Expo Chicago Brings Spirit of Hope”
2025 Star Tribune “Like ‘Giants’ exhibit at Mia, work of local Black artists is a gift”
2023 Minnesota Spokesman Recorder “Twin Cities ‘multiverse’ convention attracts Black and Brown comic book fans”
2023 MPR “Nerds of color assemble for Confluence this weekend”
2023 Minnesota Monthly “Artist Leslie Barlow’s next subject: other artists”
2023 Artful Living “Artists to Watch in 2023”
2023 MPR “Meet four local arts leaders giving a voice to underrepresented communities”
2022 MnArtists “Portraits, Practice, Pleasure, and Process”
2022 MnArtists “Public Functionary: Sustainable Support, Collective Power”
2022 Sahan Journal “Artist Leslie Barlow mixes nostalgia, joy in creating the 2022 Minnesota State Fair commemorative artwork. She’s the first Black woman commissioned for the task.”
2022 MPLSART “2019 McKnight Artist Fellowship Profile: Leslie Barlow”
2021 MinnPost “Leslie Barlow solo show to open at Mia in July”
2021 MSP Mag “Mia announces new Leslie Barlow exhibition”
2020 tpt PBS Citizen
2017 MPR News"Exhibition asks, who's the 'we' in the 'We the People'?"
2017 The Huffington Post "Artist Paints Interracial Couples Just Being, Together"
2017 Vice "The Artist Painting Intimate Portraits of Interracial Love"
2017 Kare 11 "'Loving' case inspires new interracial art exhibition"
2016 Rewire - tpt PBS "Watch an Artist Paint Along with Bob Ross"
2016 City Pages "Leslie Barlow's mixed-race identity inspires her to paint underrepresented people"
2016 Hyperallergic "Imagining Alternatives to the Racist Paintings in Minnesota's State Capitol"
2016 City Pages "Reframing Minnesota explores what inclusive art at the State Capitol might look like"
Print Publications
2025 Lerner Publishing Revolutions are Made of Love
2022 Dispatch “Leslie Barlow’s Beautiful Reflections”
2021 New American Paintings Issue #149
2021 Mpls/St.Paul Magazine “Home and Design 100”
2020 Minnesota Monthly Magazine “Fall Arts 2020…”
2020 Star Tribune “Minnesota artists rise to meet daunting challenge”
2020 Star Tribune “George Floyd murals, graffiti on boarded-up Twin Cities businesses…”
2020 Front cover of “A Garden of Black Joy: Global Poetry from the Edges of Liberation and Living”, edited by Keno Evol
2019 Star Tribune "Young artists get a boost from..."
2019 Southwest Journal "Leslie Barlow's family tapestry"
2019 Insight News “Leslie Barlow examines ethnicity in the family dynamic..."
2018 Star Tribune “Minnesota Museum of American Art acquires..."
2018 Star Tribune “The vibrant art of Vikings’ new camp”
2017 Shades of Noir "Reimagining the Mixed Race Experience"
2017 Pioneer Press "Beauty Out of Tragedy"
2017 Star Tribune "Rethinking Color"
2016 City Pages "Artist of the Year"
2016 Growler Magazine "Trailblazers 2016"
2016 Star Tribune
2016 Into Quarterly
2016 StarTribune
2016 Women's Press Cover Artist
2016 Minnesota Monthly Magazine "Best New Art 2016"
Residencies
2027 Mass MoCA, North Adams, MA.
2026 Jerome @ Camargo, Cassis, France.
2023 Stadt Salzburg Artist-in-Residence, Salzburg, Austria.
2021 James Weldon Johnson Fellowship in the Arts, Great Barrington, MA.
2018 Marcy Arts Partnership Residency, Marcy Open School, Minneapolis, MN.
2016 Whitworth University, Spokane, WA. Artist-in-Residence.
2016 3 x 5 July Emerging Artist Residency, The Soap Factory, Minneapolis, MN.
2015 Studio: HERE Residency, Minnesota State Fair, Fine Arts Building, St. Paul, MN.
Awards and Honors
2026 Minnesota State Arts Board Arts Experiences Grant
2025 McKnight Visual Artist Fellowship
2025 University of Wisconsin-Stout Trailblazer Alumni Award
2024 Featured speaker, National Art Education Association conference, Minneapolis, MN
2024 Minnesota Museum of American Art Purchase Award - Minnesota State Fair Juried Art Exhibition
2023 Minnesota State Arts Board Creative Support Grant
2022 Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
2022 Minnesota State Fair Commemorative Artist
2021 “Best Historical Documentary” for Citizen, Upper Midwest Regional Emmy Award
2021 Minnesota State Arts Board Creative Support Grant
2021 Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship
2020 Minnesota State Arts Board Cultural Community Partnership Grant
2020 Minneapolis Institute of Arts Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program
2019 McKnight Visual Artist Fellowship
2019 20/20 Springboard Artist Fellowship
2019 Metropolitan Regional Arts Council Community Arts Grant
2018 Metropolitan Regional Arts Council Award- Minnesota State Fair Juried Art Exhibition
2018 Minnesota Museum of American Art Purchase Award - Minnesota State Fair Juried Art Exhibition
2018 White Bear Center for the Arts Award - Minnesota State Fair Juried Art Exhibition
2018 Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant
2017 Minnesota State Fair Foundation Award
2017 Third Place in 2D - "25th Annual Juried Exhibition," MacRostie Art Center
2016 Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant
2015 Third Place in Oil/Acrylic/Mixed Media - Minnesota State Fair Juried Art Exhibition
Professional Experience
2024–present Assistant Professor Painting and Drawing, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
2024 Co-curator, Resource MPLS, “Semblance of a Whole” Minneapolis, MN.
2023–present Founder and Producer, ConFluence convention, Minneapolis, MN
2023–present Board Member, MidWest Mosaic, Minneapolis, MN
2023 Co-curator, Hennepin Theater Trust gallery, “Mirror Passage” Minneapolis, MN.
2022–2024 Presidential Postdoctoral Associate, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
2022 Co-curator, Form + Content gallery, “Weaving Fragments” Minneapolis, MN
2020–2025 Creatives After Curfew, mural collective, Minneapolis, MN
2020–2025 Artist Mentor, Creating Change Gallery, Graves Foundation, Minneapolis, MN
2020–2021 MN Artists Coalition, organizing team
2020 Visiting Assistant Professor of Art, Carleton College, Northfield, MN
2020 Curator, White Bear Center for the Arts, “Disquietude” White Bear Lake, MN
2019–present Founder/Director, PF Studios - Public Functionary, Minneapolis, MN
2019–2020 Artist Workshop series “Life Drawing with Leslie Barlow”, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN
2019 Community Faculty, Drawing and Painting, Metro State University, Saint Paul, MN
2019 Curator, Waiting Room at Gallery 71, “How to become lost” Edina, MN
2017–2021 Lecturer, Drawing and Painting, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
2017 Instructor, Youth & Teen Studio Programs–Painting, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, MN
2016–2023 Leadership Volunteer, MidWest Mosaic, Minneapolis, MN
2016–2019 Instructor, Juxtaposition Arts, Minneapolis, MN
2016–2019 Arts Advisory Panel member, Made Here, Minneapolis, MN
2016–2018 Administrative Assistant/Social Media, Northern Lights.mn, Minneapolis, MN
2015–2018 Board Member, Minneapolis Art Lending Library, Minneapolis, MN
2014–2016 Gallery Manager, Waiting Room, Minneapolis, MN
2010 Co-Owner and Member Coordinator of Gallery 111, Menomonie, WI