Barbara Strasen
Early life and education
Early life and education
------------------------

Barbara Ehrlich was born in [Brooklyn, New York](/wiki/Brooklyn%2C_New_York "Brooklyn, New York"). She attended [Great Neck North High School](/wiki/John_L._Miller_Great_Neck_North_High_School "John L. Miller Great Neck North High School").*[Arista](http://www.gnhs1959.org/ewExternalFiles/Arista%201959%20small.pdf)*, Great Neck North High School Yearbook, 1959, retrieved July 19, 2021 In 1960, she left New York to major in art at [Carnegie\-Mellon University](/wiki/Carnegie-Mellon_University "Carnegie-Mellon University") in Pittsburgh, PA. There, she studied with [Robert Lepper](/wiki/Robert_Lepper "Robert Lepper"), whose teaching on semiotics had a profound effect on the artist. She received a fellowship to attend the [Yale](/wiki/Yale "Yale") Summer School of Art (1962\). She was awarded a [BFA](/wiki/Bachelor_of_Fine_Arts "Bachelor of Fine Arts") in 1963\. The following year, she married Stephen Strasen, a mathematician, who later became a computer software developer.[Department of Mathematics, University of California, Berkeley](https://math.berkeley.edu/people/past-phds?year%5Bmin%5D%5Byear%5D=1964&year%5Bmax%5D%5Byear%5D=1968&lastname=strasen&research=All) She went on to graduate study in painting with [Hassel Smith](/wiki/Hassel_Smith "Hassel Smith") and [Elmer Bischoff](/wiki/Elmer_Bischoff "Elmer Bischoff") at the [University of California, Berkeley](/wiki/University_of_California%2C_Berkeley "University of California, Berkeley"), earning an [MFA](/wiki/Master_of_Fine_Arts "Master of Fine Arts") in 1965\.


Can you compare the art programs at Carnegie-Mellon University and Yale Summer School of Art?