MARIANNE BARCELLONA was born in Buffalo, New York and grew up in Dallas, Texas. She majored in art at Oberlin College and then moved to New York City where she enjoyed a successful career as a freelance editorial photographer, traveling the globe on assignments for major magazines, non-profit organizations and Fortune 500 corporations. But the desire to paint haunted her, so in 1996 she put her photography career on hold and turned her full attention to her art education. In 1999 she received a Certificate in Painting from The New York Studio School. Since 1999, she has pursued dual careers, with painting as her primary focus. As a painter, Barcellona has been awarded fellowships at ten internationally-renowned Artist Residencies, and her work has been featured in three- and four-person exhibitions and numerous group shows. She is a long-standing member of The New York Artists’ Circle. Barcellona currently maintains a studio in Long Island City and resides in Manhattan.