Posts by Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met and Manager of My Modern Met Store. She is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art where she earned her BFA in Illustration and MFA in Illustration Practice. Sara is also an embroidery illustrator and writer living in Seattle, Washington. She runs Bear&Bean, a studio where she stitches pet portraits and other beloved creatures. She chronicles the creativity of others through her website Brown Paper Bag and newsletter, Orts. Her latest book is Threads of Treasure: How to Make, Mend, and Find Meaning Through Thread, published in 2014. Sara’s work has been recognized in Be Creative With Workbox, Embroidery Magazine, American Illustration, on Iron and Wine’s album Beast Epic, among others. When she’s not stitching or writing, Sara enjoys planning things that bring together the craft community. She is the co-founder of Camp Craftaway, a day camp for crafty adults with hands-on workshops in the Seattle area.
Cats
March 2, 2022

Devoted Ukrainian Cat Cafe Is Staying Open to Care For 20 Kitties During the War

Cat cafes are a purrfect way to enjoy the company of felines while you sip a tasty drink. The beloved Cat Cafe Lviv is no exception. It’s been open for six years and the small team in Lviv, Ukraine, is devoted to its 20 furry residents. So devoted, in fact, that owner Serhii Oliinyk is choosing to stay at the cafe despite the Russian invasion in his country.

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Academy
March 1, 2022

Learn How to Sketch Structures in This Comprehensive Class on Architectural Illustration

Do you admire architecture? One way to celebrate the things you love is to create art about them. But drawing a building can be really tricky. There are often many fine details that feel nearly impossible to get right. Well, not anymore. Artist Demi Lang has a comprehensive course on architectural illustration on My Modern Met Academy. Her online class is called Architectural Illustration for Everyone: Draw Buildings in Ink and Colored Pencil.

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Comics
February 28, 2022

Funny Comics Capture the Absurd Humor of Working in a Retail Store

If you’ve ever worked in a retail job, you know how thankless it can be. The customers, the promotions you have to push—it can be draining. So, it’s nice to be able to commiserate with other folks who know the in-store retail struggle. Illustrator Stephen Beals does just this by chronicling the adventures of retail workers in his daily comic called Adult Children. In the four-panel comic, a retail worker (or workers)

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Art
February 24, 2022

Art Museum Security Guards Are Moonlighting as Curators To Arrange a Special Exhibition

The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) has invited a group of unlikely curators to organize an exhibition. The institution tapped guards from its security department to collaborate with leadership and staff, and they selected works that will soon be on view in a show aptly titled Guarding the Art. Working with art historian and curator Dr. Lowery Stokes Sims, the 17 officers picked to participate present unique curatorial perspectives.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.