Barry K. Snyder was born in a small suburb of Atlanta, Georgia and started drawing detailed art before he could write. Later moving as a child , and growing up in the Midwest, Barry used to get sent out to the hall by his teachers for drawing instead of paying attention, while in public school. As a teenage child he loved doing artwork with his best friend together for hours on end, and spent much time reading medical journals, and entomology books of his neighbor who was studying to be a doctor; studying every detail until he had to return them. He was fascinated with the images he saw in a very high powered medical microscope while exploring micro mineralogy. Snyder understood William Blake’s words “seeing the world in a grain of sand, and infinity in the palm of your hand”.
He was inspired mostly by the people in his life who were his art educators in grade school, his parents who encouraged him, and saw “something very worthy and valuable in his passion”. He was sitting on an antique oak table at the age of 3, getting his portrait sketched, and the lady (Mrs. Robert Pershing) who was drawing, gave him his first set of watercolors. That same oak table sits in his office now, (he purchased it when he was 18, from the wonderful lady who passed shortly thereafter.) Years of projects were done on it by his own children, and Barry refers to it as “my inspiring old friend”, and is planning on passing it on for generations to come!
After graduating high school in East Point, Georgia, Barry went to Art and Engineering school at John Herron, Indiana University and Ohio State respectfully, and later studied at MIT, and Valencia College going on to pursue a career as an Artist and Imagineer at the Disney Corp. Barry has designed and built theme parks, resorts, museums, wax museums, attractions, retail renovation, high end real estate, historic restoration, airports, as well as hospitals around the world. He was mentored by international wax sculptor / designer Derek Deroy Copperthwaite of London, England, and Toronto, Canada. Barry’s favorite architects are Robert A.M. Stern, R. Buckmaster Fuller, Frank Lloyd Wright, Sady S. Hayashida, and Barry also worked under Hubert Bebb building geothermal buildings that were conclusively ahead of their time. He is an accomplished sculptor and creative theme artist, traveling the globe, while residing in the Orlando area for over 22 years, having being brought there by Disney, after years of contracting / consulting while working beside George Ressler, Claude Coates, Perry Russ, Chris Caradine, Ralph Kent, and many others of the great co-workers of Walter E. Disney!
Barry has roots in Tennessee and Central Florida going back to 1900, and is related to William Clark, Sacajawea, and Henry Ford. Barry believes artistic talent is natural divine providence from God, and that He has worked miracles for him to be not only spiritually creative, but to be eternally happy. Barry’s father was an inventor, and both of his maternal Grand-mothers were accomplished artists as well.
Barry sometimes spends 18 hrs, or days at a time, with miniscule sleep, working on his inspirational creations. Sculpture and model-making are his favorite areas, and his bronze sculpture: “East to West” made its opening debut celebration at the “Main x 24” event in Chattanooga on December 4th, 2010.
“Bluesbearry” as he is known to his friends, is currently a Master Artist and Designer for commercial themed art venues, fine arts, often displaying at two gallery locations in Florida, and several projects in the Gatlinburg, Nashville, and Chattanooga, TN areas.
Barry is an accomplished percussionist, enjoys creating “anything you can dream of”, sushi, cooking, whitewater rafting, mountain climbing, spelunking, canoeing, hiking, photography, painting, illustrating, writing journals and poetry, traveling, celebrating the “Now” of life with a sense of appreciation for the gifts his Maker blesses this world with. Everyday is a celebration of life, love and gratitude! Barry has co-published two books, and is currently working on a life story called “Stronghold”, relating to the struggle of mankind.