Barbara Huntoon’s Biography
Born and raised in the Blue Hills area on the banks of St. Moritz pond in Quincy, Mass, Barbara began singing at a very young age. When she was in her early teens, her vocal training began when her older sister brought her along to rehearsals and vocal lessons by the legendary vocal instructor from Boston Conservatory, Lillian Lee.
Lillian was a gifted vocalist and beloved teacher. It was a blessing being her student, she instilled in Barbara her vocal training from the early age of 12, into her early twenties. Lillian’s vocal training is the foundation of everything Barbara sings. She moved to Denmark and lived to be 89, continuing her work as a teacher in Denmark with her Husband Ralph. Lillian left a beautiful legacy behind, for Barbara, it has been an honor to be one of her students.
After moving to Florida, Barbara began studying with Jackie DiFillipo in Clearwater, FL. Her training continued with Emily Yearbury in Hingham, Ma. following her move back to Boston in 1986, after her father’s death. In 1989 Barbara was accepted to Berklee College of Music.
Barbara’s love for music and passion for singing continued, inspiring her to attend Berklee College of Music, where she studied for 3 1/2 years before making a sudden move back to Florida, and pursued her second love which was natural health and herbology. She began a career in natural health and nutrition by apprenticing with an herbalist before opening her own store. In 1995 She opened “The Herb Garden” in New Port Richey, FL.
It was a unique lifestyle, as traveling artists in a very rich cultural experience within the traditional Native world. Barbara had met (the late) Rex A Begaye at Plainsmen Gallery in Dunedin (at the time) Oct 12 1998. As they traveled, Barbara collected years of film and photography which you will find in the galleries.
In February 2002, (the late) Rex had a heart attack at the Hollywood powwow. After a quad bypass and his battle to regain his strength, they worked together to restore his health, and he went on to live 12 more years. During those years, every day was a gift, forging and strengthening their bond of love together. Many more paintings were birthed during these years.
After his passing in 2013, Barbara continued her work with the festival (the late) Rex had founded in 2008. The Sarasota Native American Indian Festival continued until 2021 when C19 hit. The festival withstood 15 years as well, and is now on pause as Barbara focuses on her fulltime work, music and film production.
First Feather Gallery & Studio
After finding a warehouse studio in the art district of downtown Sarasota in 2017, Barbara focused on renovating a dog kennel into an art gallery. It took 4 years to complete before the owners had to sell after C19. The space served as a phenomenal stage setting for this film, and creative space for art, music and gardening.
The progression of the art gallery is shared through a documentary called “Path of Beauty…in the beginning”. This was a really special space in the heart of Sarasota downtown. This short film shares the journey of (the late) Rex and Barbara’s lives together until his death in 2013. The film also shares the progression of the art gallery and studio, which became the focus through C19.
The Logo
The Huntoon’s logo is one of the only sketches (the late) Rex created of Barbara in 1999. 25 years later it is the logo for her music, and a way to continue honoring Rex’s artwork and legacy.
Launching The Huntoon’s
Felix Duenas and Rex had a lot in common. They were both Indigenous artists, musician’s and hair stylists, and were friends for years. After Rex’s passing, Barbara asked Felix to take care of her hair. In 2019 Barbara and Felix started working together with art and music. The following year, the world shut down with the C19 genocide, but they kept rehearsing and slowly building their repertoire of songs.
During that time, Barbara was the hostess at the Blue Rooster Blues club in downtown Sarasota, from Sept. 2019 , working through the C19 until the owners decided to retire in April 22. Barbara filmed and produced a video about the last 30 days of concert at the Blue Rooster. You can find the Blue Rooster Legacy page here.
For health reasons and full awareness of the science, Barbara could not wear a mask, and had to play the game to keep a job by using her scarf collection to comply with C19 mask tyranny, it became a fashion statement.
Being awake through this dark time was difficult. It forged a strength in many people and for that she considers this time a great teaching in her life. Bringing back music into the center of her world gave her the confidence to bring her voice out again. In 2023 they launched their duet “The Huntoon’s” with a performance at “Salute” restaurant in downtown Sarasota January 2023. Her fulltime job being a priority, Barbara took her time and they spent 2023 building their repertoire and began recording their first cover CD, which will be released in January 2024.
Photography & Film Galleries
Barbara was always behind the camera throughout her years on the road, producing a collection of legacy film and photography. The many years of touring to Native American art and powwow events created a beautiful collection of film and photos from all over the country. The wealth of footage from the many years of traveling will be displayed in these galleries and will continue to grow as they are prepared and shared.
Legacy of the late Rex A. Begaye
Barbara is in the process of building the new artwork website and it will launch in early 2024. In the meantime please visit the photography and film galleries for more information about the artist, (the late) Rex A. Begaye.
