Barbara Ann Coleman

1939 - 2024

Barbara Ann Hackler Coleman, Artist, Designer, Collector

Barbara Coleman, a Washington, D.C. artist and designer since the late 1960s who exhibited her acrylic paintings, collages and lithographs in Houston, Taos, Washington, and a number of South American cities, died at her home in Washington, DC. on January 13, 2024.

Ms. Coleman also worked at American Management Systems as an administrative assistant, and as a legal secretary at King & Spalding. Due to her love of the arts, in 1994, she assembled a large collection of Indo-Chinese and African artifacts, home furnishings, art, and Persian rugs into The Coleman Collection, a business she ran from home by appointment. For years she offered to fellow collectors treasures from around the world. In 2002, she introduced designer and tribal jewelry into the Collection.

Because of her flair for design and experiences during the 1970s as a Foreign Service wife living in Bogota, Colombia, and La Paz, Bolivia, she bought, furnished, and leased several condos in Washington, to provide art-filled temporary homes to executives and diplomats.

She was born in Wellington, TX, and spent her early years living on a farm before her family moved to Plainview. Her parents were the late Bailey and Katy Hackler. Ms. Coleman graduated from Plainview High School in 1957, and was delighted when her classmates nominated her the "Queen" during her Senior year. She then attended Texas Tech University, in Lubbock. She lived in the late 1960s in Houston, where she studied acrylic technique with Lamar Briggs, and in 1970, moved to McLean, VA. She studied at the Corcoran School of Art and was a frequent guest on local TV, promoting the joys of collecting art and painting with acrylics.

In 1975 and 1976, the Museo Nacional de Arte, in La Paz, Bolivia, honored her with solo exhibits, as did the Universidad de Costa Rica, San Jose, CR, in 1972. In all, she had 16 solo exhibits, numerous group shows, and her work can be found in the U.S. Embassy residences in La Paz and Bogota, the Washington International Center, and numerous Bank of America branches and other corporations in South America, and private collections world wide.

For a number of years, Ms. Coleman created textile designs, including a collection based on Pre-Columbian motifs. While living in Bolivia, she occasionally maintained a design studio in Houston, and concluded this aspect of her career in 1977, after S.M. Hexter Co. of Cleveland purchased her textile designs and Schumacher of NYC offered her an in-house design position if she would move to NYC. Instead, she returned to Bolivia, then moved to Washington in 1978.

In 1960, she married a fellow Texan and CPA, Dale Coleman of Vernon, Texas, now deceased, and accompanied him during the 1970s as he represented the Agency for International Development in several countries in South America.

Survivors include a daughter Mimi; a sister, Nancy Hackler Penka of Plainview; three grandchildren, three nieces, two nephews, and more.

Funeral Service Announcement Pending at https://www.exoartwork.com/barbaracoleman/