Barbara Becker Simon

Barbara Becker Simon has been a jeweler for over forty years and a lampwork/bead artist since 1996. She received a Master of Fine Arts Degree in metalwork and jewelry from the University of Wisconsin.

Her teaching duties have included: the University of Wisconsin, Menomonie, and Iowa State University. She held the position of professor of Fine Arts at Edison State College, Ft Myers, Florida, is currently on the staff of the Cape Coral Art Studio.

Barbara has traveled the country since 2000 as a Senior Instructor for the Rio Rewards Precious Metal Clay Certification Classes. She has also had the privilege to teach at Penland School of Crafts, Haystack School of Crafts and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Barbara's teaching has taken her to Japan, Australia, The United Kingdom, Austria and Switzerland.

Barbara has made presentations at conferences such as the PMC Guild Conferences, the International Society of Glass Beadmakers, and the Society of North American Goldsmiths.

In 2007 her necklace "Big Links" was a finalist in the Saul Bell Design Awards. "Mandala" won first place in the same competition in 2011. Please click on "publications" to see a list of where Barbara's work can be seen.

In 2009, Lark Books published her book Metal Clay Beads. Barbara is currently working on her second metal clay book.

In addition to metalwork Barbara has gained a national reputation as an artist and teacher for her Lampworked glass beads and jewelry. The third edition of Contemporary Lampworking by Bandhu Dunham features her hollow core vessels on the cover. Formed of Fire by Bandhu Dunham and Cindy Jenkins' book, Beads of Glass, contain examples of her work and a how-to on hollow core vessels.

She has garnered recognition for both her metalwork and her glass work in such publications as Lapidary Journal /Jewelry Artist and such venues as the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C. Her work can be seen in Alexandria, VA at the Arts Afire Gallery