Barry O’Keefe

Adjunct Instructor

Barry O'Keefe

Department of Communication Arts

Barry O’Keefe is an artist from Richmond, Virginia working in printmaking, painting, and public art. Thematically, his work engages with cultural amnesia, neglected public spaces, and the design of the contemporary landscape.

In 2016 he transformed a derelict boxcar into a mobile mural and performance stage for a national music festival. In 2017, Open Inbox, his series of functional public sculptures was installed in Richmond’s parks in partnership with Richmond’s Public Arts Commission. In 2019 he created a giant, rolling shadow puppet theater for a collaborative project that won the InLight festival People’s Choice Award.

His work has been exhibited in five countries and seven states and can be found in many private and public collections, including the Valentine Museum, the Black History Museum of Virginia, and the Library of Virginia.