Paula Barlowe (’80) lived her life as a true artist, curious and creative . She learned to sew as a child and discovered photography in high school. As an adult, she acquired new skills in jewelry making, stained glass, basket weaving, watercolor painting and furniture repair. Her passion for the arts also inspired her granddaughters, Gemma and Ari, who now show promise and interest in the arts.
“She was always creative and artistic,” says her husband, Robin Barlowe (’80). “But that talent didn’t get tapped until later in life.”
The Barlowes met as business majors at Virginia Commonwealth University and married soon after graduating. Paula launched her career in business, working in restaurants, administration and sales. But something kept pulling her toward a different kind of work.
About a decade in, she and a colleague took a leap and decided to leave their jobs and open a shop selling antiques and collectibles in Richmond’s beloved Carytown shopping district.
At Second Time Around and later Sheppard Street Antiques, Paula found her place. With a natural eye for finding unique objects, she developed a particular interest in Victorian silver. She learned to restore and repair timeless pieces of furniture, jewelry and decorative arts, giving forgotten things a second life.
Paula’s thirst for new knowledge and learning persisted. She enrolled at George Washington University where she became a certified fine arts appraiser. Then she returned to VCU in 2013 to complete a graduate certificate in historic preservation—a nod to her love of Richmond’s historic architecture.
“She was just a Renaissance woman,” Robin says. “We have things all throughout the house that she either repaired or figured out a way to salvage.”
Paula passed away in 2024. To honor her lifelong passion for the arts, Robin established the Paula L. Barlowe Memorial Scholarship for undergraduate and graduate students in the Craft/Material Studies program at VCUarts, with special contributions by their son Christopher and his wife Johnna.
Robin says the scholarship fund appealed to him as a way to honor her legacy in perpetuity.
“I thought it would be meaningful for the scholarship to go to someone in the arts community, and Craft/Material Studies seemed like the most relatable department,” he says. “I wanted there to be ongoing support for someone with creative talent who needed that help.”
Through this scholarship, Paula’s spirit of discovery will inspire generations of artists still finding their way.
