Bio

Barbara “Basia” Krol was born and raised in Warsaw, Poland. She studied painting and printmaking at Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts and traveled extensively in Europe to study old masters in all major collections. In 2000 she earned her Masters Degree in Studio Art from Warsaw Academy of Fine Art and had her first solo show in Warsaw, Poland.

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In 2002 Krol was awarded 3 Artist-in-Residency programs across USA (Hambidge GA, Centre for Creative Arts WA, Studios Midwest IL). Her work was very well received and sold to private collectors through fundraisers benefiting art organizations. She then returned to Warsaw to teach art in international schools.

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Krol moved to Chicago in 2004 and became involved in the Chicago art scene through Cornelia Arts Building and Chicago Artist Coalition, and taught classes at Hyde Park Art Center.

 In 2008 she had a solo show at the Vanderpoel Museum in Chicago and a 3 person show at the Coalition Gallery in Chicago in  2010.

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Krol moved to Galesburg in 2011 to raise a family. Since then she has been involved in local art community as well as Studios Midwest, the same program that brought her to Galesburg in 2002. In 2016 Krol had a solo show at CSC and in 2019 at GCAC. In 2017-2019 she taught Art History at Carl Sandburg College.

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In 2022 Krol was awarded Illinois Arts Council Individual Artist Grant for her show “Wildering” at Eat Paint Gallery in Chicago.

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Krol's artwork is in private collections in Poland, Germany, France, UK and the US.

She continues to paint and sculpt, and helps judge juried art shows, and works at Galesburg High School Special Education Department. In recent years Krol developed a passion for ceramics and now dreams of buying a kiln and sharing the good news of clay joy with local community in her garden studio, while cats wander about and kids play in the tree house.