Alumni Spotlight: Biba Duffy-Boscagli ’19

By Naomi Avalos '27

Art can bring people together to uplift each other. It can be studied to reveal things that we may have never noticed before. An appreciation for art can lead to numerous career paths and interesting stories to tell. Biba Duffy-Boscagli '19 embodies this sentiment perfectly, being an experienced artist, historian, and museum curator. During her time at Cate, Biba examined art through the lens of both a curator and an artist. She explored the ceramics and visual arts programs, as well as the advanced and independent arts programs. One of Biba’s most impactful projects was a gallery show in the Carpinteria Arts Center, which she curated herself. She invited students from Cate, Carp, and other surrounding communities to display their artwork.

Biba’s project bridged an overlooked gap between the Cate community and the surrounding area. The project was Biba’s perfect entry point to learning about the different avenues in the art world. At  Oberlin College, Biba met Cate’s very own Teacher Post. Additionally, Biba studied art history and interned at the Allen Memorial Art Museum, where she conducted extensive hands-on curatorial work. Her senior thesis focused on the aesthetics of decay within art. In an interview with Biba, she said she’s “approached work in [her] 20s with a ‘do the scariest thing’ mindset.” For example, Biba worked other jobs while interning at the Allen Museum to financially secure herself while doing the museum work she loved. Biba’s mindset carried over into her life after college as well. She moved to Paris, where she is a freelance painter and has completed two artist residencies. In her most recent program, Biba completed a short-term residency at the Open Bach Gallery, where she shared studio space and worked with other artists on paintings. Biba credited the Cate arts faculty, including John Swain, for motivating her as a creative and as a student. Biba said she could always refer to her teachers as “people [she]…loved and admired, fundamentally, but also as teachers and artists in their own minds” whenever she makes art.

Still, after two artist residency programs, hours of museum experience, and one trip to The Armory Show, Biba says that she’s “not sure exactly what it is” that she’s moving toward with her career right now. She’s comfortable exploring and researching as much art as she can for now. In her opinion, “blind confidence is key” to everything within the art world. Her belief shone through in her independent art project, where she explored museum curation for the first time, and will continue to guide the next steps in her career planning process. After all, adaptability is a crucial part of making art. Challenges will inevitably arise when creating. Biba says that trying “the things you love… as much as possible in different iterations” is the only way to see it through to the end.