Barbara Goodmiller

This is a three quarter profile view, line drawing of an electric wheelchair. The chair is oulined in black with curved lines suggesting a padded headrest, back, seat cushion and armrests. Three wheels, a medium back wheel, a large wheel below the main body of the seat, and a small front wheel by the footrest, are visible on the right side. The top of the left front wheel protrudes over the left side of the footrest. Hanging from the back of the chair by the headrest is a rendered white plastic bag adorned with a repeating pattern of red “Target” logos. It contains three rectangular packages. There are two more logo branded white bags containing more items hanging from the right chair arm, and from the left chair arm, hangs another “Target” bag, a green bag, and a blue bag with a yellow circular smiley face.

“I am on an adventurous journey in life. Having exhibited throughout New Mexico and nationally, as well as being an Artist-in-Residence with the State of New Mexico's Arts Division and working with VSA New Mexico for its first 20 years, I have been able to share this journey.

“I did not choose this path, it was chosen for me. I only went where the road took me. Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1976, I started my journey into the unknown and traversed over various medical, physical and emotional terrains. The art began to express this journey.”

“My heart attack came in the early nineties changing the course of the path and for a while I worked through the MS as well as the attack and my art expressed the changes in the journey. Cancer decided to travel with me when I was given 18 months to experience a new trail. I struggled on that trail and the bridge to the new millennium found me cancer free, and my art expressed the journey. My latest path has been a brain tumor and I found myself traveling into gamma knife surgery in 2003. Various lymphomas have been removed over the past three years. The journey continues.

“Through my art the paths of my mind have opened, life is defined, the hearts emotion expressed, and my soul is set free for the journey. FREEDOM NOW”

— Barbara Goodmiller

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The North Fourth Art Center is operated by VSA arts of New Mexico, a not-for-profit organization, affiliated with The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the national VSA arts network.