August Muse Bids Farewell to Artist Barbara Parkinson
She has been here since the beginning. When August Muse opened its doors in June 2022, Barbara Parkinson was one of the first artists to bring her work to our walls. Four years later, as we prepare to move into our new home just one block away in historic downtown Elizabethton, Barb is preparing for a move of her own — and we want to send her off right.
Join us for a drop-in farewell celebration in honor of Barbara Parkinson on June 5 from 5-7 pm or June 6 from 1-3 pm at August Muse 518 E Elk Ave, Elizabethton, TN. Her art will be on display and available for purchase. No RSVP needed. Just come.
About Barbara Parkinson
Barbara Parkinson’s artistic journey began with a camera and a deep sensitivity to the natural world. For Barb, a single falling leaf could carry an entire emotion — or signal the quiet arrival of a new season. That attentiveness to the small and the simple has defined everything she has created since.
In 2002, everything shifted. While working on a motorcycle part, she noticed how metal responded differently to different tools — and something clicked. She began exploring how to translate the visual and emotional experience of photography into aluminum, and a new art form was born. She calls it Art in Aluminum.
Each piece begins not with a plan, but with the metal itself. The unique shape of each piece of 6061 Aluminum guides the creative process, with Barb blending natural, industrial, and aesthetic forms into works that balance simplicity with complexity. Every piece is handcrafted using restored or self-made tools, honoring what she describes as an old-school methodology. Nothing is mass-produced. Nothing is rushed.
Her work has earned awards from Western Pennsylvania’s Nature Art Showcase and from galleries across Wisconsin, where she also served as a curator for a non-profit gallery. Since 2021, she has continued creating from her home near the Appalachian Trail here in Tennessee — and her work found a home in our community. She has served in various roles in the area including on the board of ElizArts.
Barbara’s art is currently exhibited at:
- August Muse — Elizabethton, TN
- Victorian City Art and Frames — Franklin, PA
- Fishman’s Gallery — Johnson City, TN
A Note from August Muse
Barb is the kind of artist who makes a place feel like itself. Her work, her presence, and her commitment to this community have meant more to us than we can easily put into words. We are proud to have been part of her journey, and we are excited to watch her carry her art to new horizons.
As she heads toward her next chapter, August Muse is beginning one of our own — moving into a restored historic building one block away this summer, our first true dedicated storefront. It feels right that both milestones are happening at the same time.
Come celebrate with us. Come say goodbye. Come see her work one more time on our walls before everything changes.
“Embrace the simplicities of life, for it is in their gentle whispers that your soul finds peace and joy.” — Barbara Parkinson