After completing her MA, Barton joined the Auckland Art Gallery as a research assistant.
[1] During this time she continued to curate exhibitions, including Guests and Foreigners, Rules and Meanings (Te Kore), a major installation by Joseph Kosuth at the then-recently opened Adam Art Gallery at Victoria University.
The Critic's Part: Wystan Curnow Art Writings 1971–2013 was published by Victoria University Press and described by critic Jill Trevelyan as 'more than a collection of essays: it serves as an insight into the development of New Zealand art, illuminating a period of rapid change'.
[21][22] Barton has worked consistently with Apple; previous exhibitions include The Expatriates: Frances Hodgkins and Barrie Bates in 2004 and Billy Apply: New York 1969–1973 in 2009, both at the Adam Art Gallery.
[23][24] In the 2021 New Year Honours, Barton was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to art history and curation.