In 1969 Bleiberg enrolled in a continuing education art class, taught by Jay DeFeo, who recognized her innate talent and insisted that Bleiberg pursue professional art training. She went on to get a BFA (1975) and MFA (1977) degrees from the San Francisco Art Institute, where she was the oldest student among the young bohemian crowd. Her teachers were Manuel Neri, Elizabeth Murray, and Robert Colescott.
