Bernadette Straub is a multidisciplinary artist working in sculpture, bronze, ceramics, painting, drawing, and assemblage. Her work is rooted in surrealism, symbolism, and an ongoing exploration of the human psyche, mythology, and lived experience.

Born in upstate New York, Straub spent part of her childhood in Mexico, where her family lived as Catholic missionaries during the 1960s. Immersed in Spanish language and culture at an early age, she developed a lasting curiosity about symbolism, ritual, and visual storytelling—interests that continue to inform her work.

After returning to the United States and settling in Maryland, Straub received early recognition for her artwork, including a Gold Key award for a scratchboard drawing while in junior high. Following high school, she worked in an art supply store and gallery, beginning a decades-long immersion in the fine art world.

A cross-country journey through the American West eventually led her to California, where she worked in fine art galleries in Orange County and learned professional picture framing while being exposed to a wide range of contemporary and emerging artists. Seeking a more rural environment and formal art education, she relocated to Willits in Mendocino County and earned an Associate of Arts degree from Mendocino College, studying ceramics, painting, and drawing under mentors including Gary Medina and Robert Comings. She continued her studies at Sonoma State University.

During this period, Straub co-founded a cooperative gallery in the Willits Country Mall, which operated for approximately five years and featured invitational exhibitions alongside local and regional artists. Later, after moving to Lake County, she joined the Upstairs Gallery in Lakeport, which was eventually incorporated into the Lake County Arts Council. She continues to volunteer with the Arts Council and oversees the installation of South Lake exhibitions.

Alongside her career as a mail carrier, Straub has remained deeply committed to her studio practice. Her work reflects influences ranging from surrealist masters such as Salvador Dalí, Yves Tanguy, Marcel Duchamp, and Joan Miró, to writers and thinkers including Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Ray Bradbury, Joseph Campbell, and John O’Donohue, as well as ceramic artist Peter Voulkos.

Her artwork can be viewed locally in Northern California and through this portfolio.