RICHMOND, Va., September 9, 2026: Quirk Gallery and Michael Henry will present Barbara Sullivan: A Retrospective, a look back at the work of Richmond portrait artist Barbara Sullivan Henry. The opening reception will take place Thursday, September 24, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Quirk Gallery, 207 West Broad Street in Richmond.

Known professionally as Barbara Sullivan, she spent most of her life painting people. Her portraits were recognizable, but they were never simply records of a face. She looked for the expression, posture or small detail that made a person feel familiar. That balance of realism and impressionism became a defining quality of her work.

“I always strive to create a portrait that is not only a likeness but is also one that suggests through color, line and form the individuality of the person,” Sullivan wrote in her artist statement.

Barbara was born in Syracuse, New York, in 1941 and spent her teenage years in Cleveland, Ohio. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Cleveland Institute of Art and moved to Richmond with her family in 1968. She began painting oil portraits of friends and her young son, Michael, along with floral watercolors. One commission led to another, and her reputation grew through the Richmond families she painted over the next four decades. She worked from her living room throughout her career, which allowed her to remain present while raising her two sons, Michael and Patrick.

Her process was careful and personal. Barbara began by photographing her subjects in their homes, where she could consider the setting, clothing and eventual placement of the portrait. After reviewing the images with the client, she created a small watercolor study to establish the color and composition. She then stretched the canvas herself and began the oil portrait, using the watercolor study and photographs as her guides. As the work neared completion, the subject would sit for her in person so she could capture not only an accurate likeness, but also the individuality she believed every portrait should reveal. From the first photographs to final delivery, a portrait could take anywhere from two to six months.

Over the years, Barbara painted hundreds of portraits and became one of Richmond’s most sought-after portrait artists. She also painted dozens of floral still lifes and landscapes inspired by the Virginia countryside. The retrospective brings her work back into public view following her death in October 2025. It is presented by Quirk Gallery and her son, Michael Henry.
For those who knew Barbara, sat for her or grew up with one of her portraits in their home, the exhibition is a chance to see familiar work gathered together and celebrate her legacy. For visitors discovering her for the first time, it introduces an artist who spent decades looking carefully at people, flowers and the Virginia countryside, and painting what she saw.