MassArt alumna Tracy Silva Barbosa on her journey from New Bedford to becoming a glass artist.
Tracy Silva Barbosa, in front of Equinox, Equinox, a glass mural that now graces the new pedestrian bridge linking the MBTA Commuter Rail station in New Bedford to the city.
Written by Brett S. Poza MA, MFA ’19
For Tracy Silva Barbosa BFA ’99 Glass, art has become her way of navigating the world. Born into a working-class, traditional, Portuguese family from New Bedford, Mass., she faced doubts from her family about her wish to go to college for art. Her story now, is one of resilience, determination, and a refusal to let circumstance define her, all of which led her to the success and recognition she has today.
When Tracy started at MassArt, she realized this was the place for her, even though she wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted to study, she knew she wanted to challenge herself. With this in mind she decided on the Glass Department, where she became inspired by both the technical precision and varied skills demanded by the medium.
Learning everything she could about glass blowing, casting, etching, and painting glass by hand, she became fascinated with how light affects color and texture. She also realized glass could be more than an impressive museum installation: it could become part of the spaces people inhabit.
Over time Tracy began experimenting with photography, prints, and found materials—especially windows and pages from old books. She saw the window as a powerful metaphor: a passageway, a reflection, and a frame for multiple perspectives.
Tracy Silva Barbosa ’99, BUCOLIA I and BUCOLIA II
Even with this kind of insight and dedication, Tracy’s path has been far from easy. After MassArt, she faced serious health challenges. She also began navigating professional spaces—architecture, fabrication, construction—that were not accustomed to collaborating with artists, especially a woman artist who was well informed about the intersecting processes.
Calling MassArt “the deal of the century,” Tracy describes her experience as profoundly formative—not only for the education itself, but for access to Boston’s vibrant academic and cultural landscape and the connections she was able to pursue both while a student and after graduating.
She credits her MassArt mentors—Dan Dailey, Alan Klein, and Susan Holland—with playing significant roles in helping her refine her craft and then navigate the professional art world after graduating. In fact, it was Dan Dailey who connected her with John Lewis, a renowned glass artist in California, with whom Tracy worked for several years, before returning to New England.
House of Glass,, a colorful installation done at Haskell Public Gardens, by Tracy Silva Barbosa of Duende Glass.
Today, Tracy is the founder and creative director of Duende Studio, where she designs and develops large-scale installation projects while also continuing her art practice as a painter. Alongside these commitments, she serves as the Executive Director of Fall River Arts and Culture Coalition.
Her most recent and celebrated public artwork, “Equinox,” transformed the glass elevator tower at New Bedford’s MBTA station, connecting a pedestrian bridge to the Whale’s Tooth parking lot. The piece, created in partnership with Fennick McCredie Architects, the MBTA and MassDOT contractors, Oldcastle Glass manufacturers, and many dedicated installers, exemplifies the scale of teamwork required for successful public art. Supported by the New Bedford Economic Development Council, Arts & Culture of New Bedford, and the South Coast Commuter Rail MBTA, “Equinox” stands as a testament to community, craft, and creative vision.
Barbosa’s a glass mural, Equinox, now graces the new pedestrian bridge linking the MBTA Commuter Rail station in New Bedford to the city.
Reflecting on the project, Tracy notes, “Nothing great is ever completed alone.” This sentiment captures both her humility and deep respect for the teamwork that is foundational to her practice.
With each new endeavor, Tracy continues to demonstrate the value of public art, and she has received many accolades for her work. She is proud of her ability to navigate the sometimes exclusive world of the arts, while collaborating with architects, builders and engineers. From the studios of MassArt to the streets of New Bedford, she continues to prove that creativity—when pursued with purpose—can truly transform our communities.
Brett S. Poza MA, ATR, MFA ‘19 is an artist, writer and registered art therapist who has lived most of her life in Massachusetts. Her artwork is comprised of large burned drawings and the stories she writes point to ethical conflicts through the use of surreal narratives.
Tracy Silva Barbosa received the MassArt Common Good Award for demonstrating the transformative power of art and design in civic life across the Commonwealth and beyond.
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