Barbara J. Claussen

Barbara Claussen, née Barbara Jean Kraus, Minnesota artist and professor, died at age 71 of acute leukemia on Saturday, September 18 in St. Paul. She was a painter of acrylic and mixed media, as well as installation art focusing on the intersection of public and private space, and was a professor of art at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul. She studied art education at Mankato State University, MN, and received her MFA at the University of Minnesota. Her work was shown in solo and group exhibitions in the Twin Cities, and she devised interactive art experiences in Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, Canada, and Germany. A life-long writer who prized well-written books, she wrote her own articles and essays with a subtle sense of humor, and incorporated humor into her artwork and teaching. She is predeceased by her parents, Charles J. Kraus and Jean Kraus, and survived by her husband Rand, daughters Annette and Stephanie, sister Diane Hanke, and brother Bruce Kraus. A visitation will be held Thursday, September 23 at the Arden Hills Chapel (Entrance B) of North Heights Lutheran Church, 1700 Hwy 96 W, Arden Hills, MN 55112, from 4-7 PM. A funeral service will be held Friday, September 24 at the Roseville Sanctuary of North Heights Lutheran Church, 2701 Rice St, Roseville, MN 55113,  at 11 AM. A visitation will take place before hand from 10-11 AM, and a luncheon will follow. The service will be live streamed at https://northheights.church/watch-live/. Memorial gifts can be sent to New Life Family Services.