GEOVANNI BARRIOS
Geovanni Barrios, Espirítu De Améric, oil pastel on paper. 11¾ × 16½ in. 2025. Courtesy of the artist.
ABOUT THE Artist
Geovanni Barrios (b. 1999, Miami, FL, based in New Haven, CT) is an artist and art historian originally trained as an orchestral tubist. Through painting, drawing, sculpture, and performance, Barrios asserts his place in the great outdoors and the American project. Informed by his archival research, Barrios outlines the history of the militarization of boys and the evolution of masculinity in the United States. He holds a BA in Art History from Yale University and has worked in arts conservation labs at both the Yale University Art Gallery and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Geoanni Barrios is the inaugural artist in the college-wide FRICTION Series.
Geovanni Barrios. Courtesy of the artist.
RMCAD + PUBLIC EVENTS
Artist TALK:
Three Scouts, Three Artists:
Nakashima, Still, Barrios
Tuesday, SEPTEMBER 8, 2026
About the Talk
In this artist talk, Barrios explored the tensions of claiming space and belonging within American institutions and the great outdoors. Drawing from his formative years navigating the Everglades with Scouting America (formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America), he examined how institutional rituals and sanitized cultural narratives shaped his early understanding of "Americanness." He discussed how those rigid ideals collided with his reality as the child of immigrants and as a gay man.
Despite these deep contradictions, Barrios shared how his work pulls from his experiences as a Scout and the well of Scouting's visual history. On the 250th anniversary of the United States' independence, Barrios highlighted the legacy of the country's most influential youth program and how his work confronts a cultural inheritance that once excluded him. Spanning sculpture, painting, performance, and historical research, his practice grapples with these histories to reimagine belonging and expand definitions of national identity, masculinity, and our relationships to nature.
Geovanni Barrios, Everglades (Dusk), oil pastel on paper, 12 × 8½ in, 2025. Courtesy of the artist.
RMCAD Only Events
STUDENT EVENT - Visit Geo’s studio!
Wednesday, September 9, 2026
9:30 am - 11:00 am
In-Person, Off-Campus
Flora Artist Residency
RMCAD students had the exclusive opportunity to visit Geovanni Barrios’s studio at the Flora RiNo Artist Residency in Denver’s RiNo Art District. Through an informal conversation, students learned what an artist residency entails and saw his work in progress as he experiments with materials and ideas. This visit provided an intimate, behind-the-scenes look into a working artist's practice.
Geovanni Barrios, Cruisin' (for a Bruisin'), white stoneware. 15 × 12 × 8in. 2025. Courtesy of the artist.
STUDENT-LED Q+A SESSION
Wednesday, September 9, 2026
11:45 am - 12:45 pm
Campus Location and Zoom link coming soon.
Lunch is provided in person.
Student-Led Q&A Sessions are casual, in-person conversations open to RMCAD students, faculty, and staff. Guided by student voices, these discussions generate valuable professional advice for all students.
Students! Apply by Friday, September 4, 2026 to moderate the conversation.
Recommendation List
VASD Program visiting artists and designers provide a recommendation list that gives insight into their work, practice, and research. Geovanni Barrios’s recommendations are coming soon!