Barbara Bryan of Easton (center), pictured with her husband, David Bryan, and daughter, Meredith Damschroder, was named Adkins Arboretum Volunteer of the Year for 2012. Photo by Ann Rohlfing.
It’s Barbara Bryan’s subtle, stunning artwork that makes Native Seed, Adkins Arboretum’s signature newsletter, an award-winning publication. For the past decade, Bryan’s drawings have helped make the newsletter a treasure that members look forward to receiving in their mailboxes. For her incomparable contributions to the Arboretum and its mission, Bryan was named Adkins Arboretum Volunteer of the Year for 2012.
Always fascinated by the natural world, Bryan began creating artwork in first grade. With no formal training, she has pursued her love of art ever since, from painting portraits to drawing plants and animals. “I have always loved the outdoors,” she relates. “And I love to draw from nature. It gives me great pleasure to draw what I see.”
Originally from Canada, Bryan moved to the United States as a teenager and became a naturalized citizen. After receiving a degree in education from the University of Virginia, she met her husband, David, in Washington, D.C., and they ended up on the Eastern Shore, living first in Centreville and eventually settling in Easton, where she taught first grade at The Country School.
In addition to Bryan’s service on the Board of Trustees and the Art Committee, the Arboretum is indebted to her for the vision and talent she brings to her artwork. Her stunning sketches of a fox or a mouse curled up in a cozy mitten bring to life a series of preschool programs, while a drawing of a tulip poplar flower conveys a magnitude of beauty that words cannot capture.
“When Barbara says her volunteer job painting nature for the Arboretum is her dream job, I am awed that the Arboretum is so blessed by her talents,” says Arboretum Executive Director Ellie Altman. “Her work has helped to transform Native Seed into an award-winning publication.”
Bryan was honored Feb. 9 at the Arboretum’s annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon.
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