Villa Barr is the most recent addition to the parks and recreation division of the City of Novi, Michigan. The four-acre property, previously owned by internationally recognized artist David Barr and dancer Beth Dwaihy Barr, includes a home, studio and multiple sculpture installations in a park setting. The home was designed by Chicago architect Lawrence Booth to reflect David Barr’s personal aesthetic, one that was “…germinated by constructivist principles of art, fascination with nature’s innermost structural processes, and a belief in the promises of the American democratic experiment.”
Novi, Michigan (population 66,000) was founded as a township in 1832. Novi is equidistant (25 miles) from the centers of Detroit and Ann Arbor. The City’s public art program is designed to enrich the visual environment of the City of Novi by placing works of art that inspire the community and engage the mind and senses.
Three residency periods per year (6 to 15 weeks) *Shorter residencies are available on a case-by-case basis.
- Residencies are available April 15-December 15
Villa Barr provides to the artist:
- Full use of the house and studio at no cost
- All tools existing in the studio
- An honorarium of up to $1,000
- Opportunity for immediate family to reside at Villa Barr during the residency
The Artist will provide or be responsible for:
- Day-to-day living expenses including meals
- All supplies and materials used to create artworks
- Maintaining the house in a clean and orderly