BARBARA M. BERK

Barbara M. Berk’s wall-mounted sculpture “Curvy Swervy” and her ceiling-suspended sculpture “Open Spirals – Variations on a Theme – Small 4-5:17” have been selected for Bridging the Bay:  Expanding Connections, a curated exhibition of sculpture and jewelry at ACCI Gallery in Berkeley, CA. 

The exhibition is a biennial collaboration of the Metal Arts Guild and ACCI Gallery, showcasing members’ unique expressions in jewelry, sculpture and conceptual pieces.  This year’s exhibition explores bridges and connections:  between imagination and skill, between concept and finished piece, between artist and viewer.  Metal artists convert creative ideas into visible form.  In both inner and outer spheres, they must bridge between the wild abandon of inspiration and the careful conscious work within the constraints of the materials, time, and craft. Often the result of this creative tension is a bridge to an unexpected, unique piece of art.

Barbara M. Berk’s sculpture bridges industrial metals and traditional fiber technologies.  The physical properties and working characteristics of stainless steel and phosphor bronze balance and reinforce the structural integrity inherent in the fiber techniques she uses.  Her work is fluid and open, voluminous and light-weight, yet strong and structurally sound. 

The Metal Arts Guild San Francisco (MAG) is an independent, non-profit, educational organization of people who are skilled, interested, or share in the production and exhibition of metals.   It provides support and resources to its members through social events, workshops, classes, exhibition opportunities, scholarships, grants, and lectures. 

ACCI Gallery – Arts & Crafts Cooperative, Inc. – is the oldest arts and crafts coop west of the Mississippi.  Founded in 1959, it continues to be a hub for emerging and established artists to display and sell their arts and crafts.  Kirk McCarthy, president of the Gallery’s board of directors at the time of its 50th anniversary in 2007, said “The ACCI community provides a way for creatives to share ideas and energy, and learn how to survive and with a few breaks, succeed as a working artist.” 

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Bridging the Bay runs from October 11 through November 9, 2025, with an Opening Reception on Saturday, October 11, 2025 from 4 – 6pm.  ACCI Gallery is located at 1652 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA.  The gallery is open Monday – Saturday 11am – 6pm, and Sunday 12pm – 5pm.

​Information about the exhibition, the collaborating organizations, 

and the quote from Kirk McCarthy 

is courtesy of the MAG and ACCI Gallery websites.

About the work in the exhibition: