Her Story
About Maria
Maria Barrientos is a bilingual museum educator, curriculum developer, and interdisciplinary artist dedicated to creating accessible, engaging educational experiences that connect communities with art, history, and culture. She currently serves as Student Experience Associate at the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, where she coordinates student programming, educational logistics, and field trips for learners ranging from middle school through college. By aligning museum resources with Texas educational standards, Maria helps educators deliver meaningful, curriculum-based learning experiences while ensuring every student visit is impactful and inclusive.
Maria earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art, with an emphasis in sculpture and new media, from Texas Christian University before completing her Master of Fine Arts at the University at Buffalo in 2022. Her professional experience includes educational and community engagement roles at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, where she developed bilingual curriculum, public programming, and digital learning resources for diverse audiences. She also serves as an adjunct professor at Tarrant County College, teaching college-level art courses and fostering interdisciplinary learning for multilingual and first-generation students. As both an educator and practicing artist, Maria's work has been recognized internationally, including being featured at the Sika Museum in South Korea in 2024.
Committed to community engagement beyond the classroom, Maria is an active member of Easyside, a nonprofit studio cohort in Fort Worth, where she collaborates on creative initiatives and volunteers with the Fort Worth Public Library, local universities, and community food pantry programs. She credits her success to the passion for education instilled by her family, the relationships she has built through networking, and her dedication to creating safe, welcoming spaces where people of all backgrounds feel empowered to learn, connect, and create. Through every aspect of her work, Maria strives to make museums and cultural institutions places where education, inclusion, and community thrive.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Maria
01What do you attribute your success to?
My passion for education is what drives my success. My parents really instilled education as a high value, which is why I pursued my master's even during COVID. I was able to create friendships and networking opportunities that led to my current position. It's about making friends and building those connections in the field.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've received is to do what you love and find your own space for your interests or career. I've been very lucky with the people I was introduced to, but a lot of hard work goes into it as well.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say network, network, network, because knowing the correct people can really open a lot of doors for you. It's great to have an education, but it's also about the connections you make. Creating relationships with your community is key, as I've created lifelong friends who are also museum educators.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is that as educators, we really want to be there for the community, but resources are often limited. Having better resources for public education and museum programs has been pretty challenging lately.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Community is a big value for me. Really having a sense of community, making sure that there's spaces for people to feel safe, and having the resources or finding the correct resources for people. A lot of my work has been in community building and creating safe spaces for schools, especially through field trips and third spaces like museums or studio spaces where communities can come in and thrive.
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