2013 Interviews

Ceciliy Barth Firestein - ART CART Oral History

Firestein, Cecily Barth; Faye, Alison; Ice, Kathi; Research Center for Arts and Culture

Cecily Barth Firestein has painted her entire life, beginning in Woodstock, NY. She discusses her education and artists with whom she studied in schools and through museums. When she went to NYU for graduate school, her teachers there taught her to see and paint the world around her rather than just drawing the model in front of the class, which moved her from figure into abstract art. She taught at schools and showed in predominantly male galleries in New York. She talks about using different materials and types of art and techniques, such as the “gestural stroke,” as well as the difficulty of titling her works. Known as the “Rubbings Baroness,” Firestein tells the story of learning about rubbings and creating a renowned course for parents and children focused on doing rubbings around NYC.