BARBARA KESTENBAUM grew up in Brooklyn, attended the High School of Fashion Industries, and continued her education at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

She studied in classes taught by Eli Siegel and continues her professional education in classes for Aesthetic Realism consultants and associates taught by Ellen Reiss, Chair of Education.

Ms. Kestenbaum worked for many years in the New York City Department of Education, including serving as a placement officer for hard-of-hearing and visually impaired students in Manhattan.

She feels strongly that no person should worry about a decent place to live, medical care, or whether they will have enough to eat. She has been active in her community as vice president of her tenant association, a volunteer in a community garden, and an organizer of outings for neighborhood children.

As a consultant on the faculty at the Aesthetic Realism Foundation, with her colleagues, she has given public seminars on topics such as:

• “What Kind of Importance Do We Want?”
• “Women: Energetic and Weary”
• “How Should a Woman See Her Past?”

She has had a great interest in art and has been painting. She studied with the noted American artists, printmaker Chaim Koppelman and painter Dorothy Koppelman. Her pastels have been exhibited at the Salmagundi Art Club, the Terrain Gallery, and the Atlantic Gallery.