Barbara B. Chira '03
The artwork of an Ursuline Sister influenced Barbara A. Chira '03 even before she became a
student. After years spent in social work in inner-city Cleveland, Chira was trying to find a
school within driving distance where she could pursue an art degree. Unaware that Ursuline
College even had an art program, she was drawn to a magazine article about Sr. Diane Therese
Pinchot '68,who had created pieces that reflected her time spent in El Salvador.
"I learned you could make art around social justice issues and people are interested. I was amazed that this nun was so active both politically and professionally," she said.
Shortly after the magazine article, Barbara then happened to hear Ursuline Professor of Art, Pat Fallon, in an interview on public radio, speaking about her work, along with her artist-daughter. Chira said, "When I heard the knowledge, passion, and commitment in Pat's voice and words, and her artist-relationship with her own daughter, I knew I wanted to pursue my degree at Ursuline."
Another Sister influenced Barbara while she was attending classes. Because of the proximity of the art department to the Ursuline Motherhouse, she was able to visit frequently with Sr. Kilian Hufgard, who was in charge of the College's art program for many years.
"She affected me profoundly. I was drawn to her spirit. She was in her 90s and in a wheelchair and she was still developing new missions for herself. She broke out of the stereo-typical image," Chira said.
In May 2002, Barb created an installation for the senior exhibition at Wasmer Gallery that depicted, through drawings and ceramics, the issue of land mines in Southeast Asia. "Professionally that was where it all began," she said. "It all came together at Ursuline, in the women-centered and spiritually-centered environment."
Since graduating, Chira, now 50, has been teaching drawing, painting, and/or design at the Cleveland Institute of Art, Cuyahoga Community College/Western Campus, and Lorain County Community College. She is also the Co-Director of Gallery West at Tri-C/West, and maintains a private working studio space downtown. She likes to remember that it was Pat Fallon who strongly encouraged her to find and rent a studio space upon graduation, a suggestion that has bore much fruit over the years. For example, Barbara continues to receive commissions from the Cleveland Museum of Art to participate as a feature artist in the Museum's annual chalk festivals and winter lights lantern festival. In her first lantern sculpture commission for the Museum, she asked 27 women from a homeless shelter to "write what they would want the viewing public to know," then incorporated those written prayers, wishes, dreams, or feelings into the lantern installation, its light illuminating their words. Chira also maintains a consistent gallery exhibition record.
With the support of husband, Corneliu, as well as her grown son and his family, and her senior mother for whom she is the primary family caregiver, Chira looks forward to a new direction in her work, transitioning from a focus on social commentary to work that perhaps evokes renewed thinking in the spirit. When family responsibilites ease, Chira would also like to pursue graduate work, perhaps beginning with Ursuline's MLS program "The Ursuline studies commitment to core values, and the Ursuline Sisters' commitment to compassion and justice gave me the vision I needed," she said.
