He repaired a figure of St Antonio and he later recounted that he knew that someone was going to make 20 dollars from his work and he was promised five.

[5] Two other exhibitions of his work in 1939 further established Barela nationally, the San Francisco Golden Gate Exposition and the American Art Today show at the New York World's Fair.

[6] He was discovered and was regarded almost immediately as a leading artist with his fluid sculptures carved from juniper wood.

[2] The largest collection of his work is at the Harwood Museum of Art in Taos, part of the University of New Mexico.

Another collection is on permanent exhibition at the Millicent Rogers Museum in Taos and consists of both three-dimensional carvings and a large relief-carved door.

His other legacy is the family of artists including children and grandchildren, Luis and Daniel Barela, who carry on the tradition.