Brenda Bettinson facts for kids

Brenda Bettinson (born 1929) was a talented artist from both Britain and America. She was known for her paintings, large wall murals, and for teaching art at a university. She also worked as an art editor for a radio station.

About Brenda Bettinson

Brenda Bettinson was born in 1929 in a town called King's Lynn in England. Her father, Randall C. Bettinson, was a soldier in the Royal Engineers Regiment.

Brenda loved art and studied it in many famous cities. She went to art schools in London, Paris, and Rome. In London, she studied at Saint Martin's School of Art. She passed her 'Arts and Crafts' exam in 1948. From 1948 to 1950, she also attended the Central School of Arts + Crafts.

Studying Art in Europe

In Paris, Brenda studied at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere. There, she learned from a famous figure painter named Edouard Goerg. She also studied at the Sorbonne. At the Sorbonne, she worked with Raymond Bloch, who was an expert in ancient Etruscan culture.

Brenda's Art Career

Brenda Bettinson had her very first solo art show in London in 1948. It was at the Twenty Brook Street Gallery. The next year, in 1949, she had another solo show in Paris. A French art critic, R. Vrinat, was very impressed. He wrote that Brenda, even at a young age, showed great strength and a creative mind. He said her drawings were powerful and full of vision.

Painting Murals and Teaching

Brenda painted many large murals and panels for different places. She created art for the Vatican Pavilion at the 1964 New York World's Fair. She also painted works for Calvary Hospital in New York.

From 1961 to 1965, Brenda was the art editor for Riverside Radio WRVR-FM in New York. Later, she became an art professor at Pace University in New York. She taught there for 27 years. When she retired in 1990, she was honored as Professor Emeritus.

Brenda also gave talks at the Katonah Gallery in New York. She helped with their teaching program for guides. In 1966, she won a gold medal from the National Arts Club in New York.

Art After Retirement

After leaving the university, Brenda Bettinson moved to Barter's Island, Maine. She continued to create many artworks there.

Her art was shown in several galleries and colleges. These included Mathias Fine Art gallery, Unity College, Bates College, and the Center for Maine Contemporary Art. Her work was also displayed at the Ogunquit Museum of American Art.

Art About Important Events

In her later years, Brenda Bettinson focused on creating art about war. She wanted to express her feelings about conflicts happening around the world. She started with art about the Trojan War. In 2015, she began two series of paintings related to World War I.

Her very last series of paintings was called Ravensbrück: You Are Not Forgotten. This series explored the difficult conditions in the Ravensbrück women's camp during World War II. Her art helped people remember and reflect on these important historical events.