LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Muralist and popular New Mexico State University art professor Kenneth R. Barrick taught thousands of students and is responsible for many familiar landmarks on campus.
Barrick died Dec. 18 at his home here. He was 94.
“Ken Barrick was a long-serving and greatly valued member of the NMSU family,” said university president Michael Martin. “His work both as a teacher and as an artist has made this a better university. The wonderful murals he painted will inspire students, faculty and visitors for many years to come.”
Barrick created a large mural that topped the Prepared Foods building in nearby Santa Teresa and a mural at Dona Ana Community College.
His paintings hang in private collections and museums in 22 states and Canada.
He was also known for developing a formula for potassium silicate paint for outdoor murals that can withstand the harsh Southwestern elements.
Barrick earned a master’s degree from the University of Iowa, where he studied under famed American artist Grant Wood. He moved to Las Cruces in 1949 and became a faculty member.
Las Cruces gallery owner Linda Lundeen said Barrick nurtured Las Cruces’ burgeoning art community by teaching both amateur artists during night and weekend classes and thousands of university art students.
“Ken was like a gentle uncle who always had words of wisdom. His art was not just beautiful; it was stunning, fascinating and dramatic,” Lundeen said.
