November – December 2025:
This November and December, Stillwater Public Library is proud to showcase Now and Then… 70 Years of a Creative Life, featuring the work of local artist Marianne Barratt. A self-described expressive and impressionist painter, Marianne works from her home studio in Stillwater, moving fluidly between oils, acrylics, and mixed media to create pieces that explore reflection, color, and light.
Growing up across the country—and spending seven formative years on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast where she was fortunate to study with painter Dalton Shourds King—Marianne’s artistic foundation was built through mentorship rather than formal art school. “My love for creating began the moment I first wrapped my fingers around a crayon,” she says. “Seventy years later, I’m still making art that brings me peace, joy, and sometimes healing in a complicated world.”
Over the decades, Marianne’s style has evolved from Impressionism toward Expressionism and abstraction, but her work remains united by what she calls a “thread of familiarity”—a sense of spirit that connects past and present. Her paintings have been exhibited widely, including at the Phipps Center for the Arts, the Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Show, ArtReach St. Croix, and the Northwest Watercolor Society International Exhibition.
As Marianne reflects, “History shows us that artists don’t really retire—and with any luck, I’ll still be learning, experimenting, and painting in my 90s.”
Meet Marianne and learn about her works at an artist reception on Thursday, November 20 from 6:30 – 7:30 PM.
Read more about Marianne in her artist’s brochure.