Rick Bartow was born in Newport, Oregon. His father was of Yurok Indian descent and the family developed close ties with the local Siletz Indian community. Throughout his youth, Bartow displayed an interest in art. He pursued his interest at Western Oregon State College, earning a degree in secondary art education in 1969. Almost immediately after graduating he was drafted into the army and sent to Vietnam. He fought in Vietnam from 1969 to 1971. Like many Vietnam veterans, Bartow came home suffering from a sense of disillusionment and what is now known as Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. His trauma led to a struggle with alcoholism and a divorce during the 1970s. His art has played a therapeutic role during his recovery.

In the 1980s Bartow met William Jamison, a highly respected Portland art dealer. Jamison gave Bartow his first solo show at the Jamison/Thomas gallery in Portland in 1985. By the 1990s, Bartow was accepting commissions, starting with Portland’s Saks Fifth Avenue. Today his work is held in numerous collections including the Microsoft Corporation, Portland Art Museum, Hallie Ford Museum of Art, the University of Oregon Museum of Art, and the National Museum of the American Indian.

Bartow combines an intense use of color, with graphic marks, and expressive, fantastical images. His work reflects a vast knowledge of art history and world mythology. Artists such as Hieronymus Bosch, Marc Chagall, Horst Janssen and Harry Fonseca have influenced him.