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| Examples of how Edward Betts signed his paintings dating back to 1947, and possibly earlier. |
He was a member of the National Academy of Design (as an Associate in 1958, and as a full Academician in 1961) and the American Watercolor Society (1957, where he was a Dolphin Fellow which was established to encourage artists to create more award-winning paintings and for the advancement of the art of watercolor), and was a professor emeritus of art at the University of Illinois. He held a BA degree in History of Art from Yale University and an MFA in painting from the University of Illinois.
Born in 1920 and brought up in Yonkers, starting at the age of 15 he attended summer sessions at the Art Students League from 1935 to 1942, and as a full-time student after the war there from 1946 to 1948, where he studied life drawing with Reginald Marsh, anatomy with George Bridgman, still life painting with Robert Brackman, portraiture with Wayman Adams, and figure painting with Robert Philipp, Jerry Farnsworth, and John Carroll. Betts makes special note of the influence of Harry Sternberg in making him understand the possibilities of abstract art which caused Betts to radically change his paintings to abstraction and an improvisational process. In 1949 Betts joined the faculty of University of Illinois School of Art and Design at Urbana-Champaign, noted for their prominent faculty post-war art faculty that included Frank Gallo, Art Sinsabaugh, Lee Chesney, Glenn Bradshaw, William Carlson, Dennis Rowan, and Shozo Sato. Betts taught 1950-1984 watercolor and advanced painting at the graduate and undergraduate level. [Master Class in Water Media (1993)]
Betts has long been labeled as a "Maine Artist" because of his work is inspired by Maine landscapes, harbors, and weather. After the war Betts began spending summers in art colony Ogunquit, Maine in 1947. He rented Cottage #4, at the Victorian-era Riverside Hotel (now long demolished), overlooking Perkins Cove for over 40 years, before retiring from teaching and moving fulltime to Kennebunk, Maine in 1986. He was President of the Ogunquit Art Association in 1951, and his paintings were included in Maine invitational exhibitions including Maine -- 100 Artists of the 20th Century in 1964, Expressions from Maine in 1975, Maine '75 in 1975, and 76 Maine Artists in 1976 at the Maine State Museum, Mainescapes in 1993 at the Ogunquit Museum of American Art.
Following WWII Betts resumed his painting career and his reputation in the world of modern art grew rapidly, joining prestigious galleries in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. He was included in group shows at these galleries beginning in 1947.
His paintings were included in the Corcoran Biennials of American Painting in 1947, 1951, 1955, and 1957 [Who's Who in American Art, 1953; and Who Was Who in American Art 1564-1975, Volume 1; and NY Times January 13, 1957].
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| Clipping of NY Times that showed an image of Betts' painting entitled Road Into The Mountains at the 1957 Corcoran Biennials of American Painting. |
In 1950 the Metropolitan Museum of Art included a Betts painting entitled Coastal the landmark exhibition American Painting Today. [https://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15324coll10/id/175072]
And the Whitney Museum of American Art included Betts painting Northern Spaces (below) in their 1958 Annual Exhibition: Sculpture, Paintings, Watercolors, Drawings (informally known as the Whitney Annual - it predated the current Whitney Biennial). View a PDF of the exhibition catalog here: Catalog of Annual Exhibition of Sculpture, Paintings, Watercolors, Drawings November 19, 1958 to January 4, 1959.
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Northern Spaces - lacquer - 181x121cm. - exhibited in the Whitney Museum of American Art 1958 Annual Exhibition: Sculpture, Paintings, Watercolors, Drawings |
In 1953 Betts had his first one-man show at Contemporary Arts, Inc. gallery at 12 East 10th Street, New York, NY. Emily Francis, the founder of the gallery, was noted for showing new artists, "She provided space for the first one-man shows of Mark Tobey, Mark Rothko, Earl Kerkam, Lawrence Lebduska, Milton Avery, Louis Bosa, Edward Betts, John Corbino, Sasha Kolinand , John Kane." according to the NY Times on February 15,1966 in an obituary about Francis.
Betts continued to have one-man shows almost every other year in New York City. In addition to his first in 1953 at Contemporary Arts, he had another there in 1955; then he moved to the John Heller Gallery where he had one-man shows in 1956 and 1959.
In 1960 Betts joined the prestigious Midtown Galleries, founded in 1932 (at the height of the Great Depression!) by Alan D. Gruskin (1904-1970) to promote only American artists. At the time there was a bias towards European artists, especially following the 1913 Armory Show that was noteworthy for exhibiting European modern artists including Marcel Duchamp, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Van Gogh. Midtown Galleries also included noted artists Isabel Bishop, William Palmer, Paul Cadmus, William Thon, Stephen Etnier, Hans Moller, and several others.
At Midtown Galleries, Betts had one-man shows in 1961, 1965, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1982, and 1989. And he participated in many group shows, including the Paintings of Maine by Midtown's Maine Artists in 1964, 1966.[https://www.si.edu/object/archives/components/sova-aaa-midtgall-ref4370]
Midtown Galleries was acquired by John Whitney Payson in 1985 and renamed Midtown-Payson Galleries in 1990. Betts stayed with Midtown Galleries until they closed in 1995.
Betts' paintings received awards from many associations, exhibitions, and museums, including the National Academy of Design, American Watercolor Society, and Audubon Artists Inc.in New York City. The latter organization was a group of artists founded in 1942 that had annual exhibitions in beginning at the 8th Street Gallery, April 19-May 2, 1942. Later the Audubon Artists had their annual exhibitions at the National Academy of Design at 108 Fifth Avenue in New York City. An example of Betts awards was his painting Morning Mist received the Honorable Mention in the Audubon Artists 17th Annual Exhibition, January 15 to February 1, 1959 (below).
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Morning Mist, honorable mention in Audubon Exhibition 1959 - lacquer - 101x68cm |
This issue of the magazine featured a five page article on Betts working
in the lacquer medium in an article entitled
EDWARD
BETTS DISCUSSES HIS LACQUER PAINTINGS
Interesting Note: Most of the issue was printed in black-and-white. One of
two full-color pages was devoted to Betts painting.
Click on images below for large image.
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After the death in 1973 of the founder Barse Miller, Betts took over as the instructor of the prestigious Master Class for Advanced Watercolorist at Rangemark, Miller's summer studio at Birch Harbor, Maine. Betts was the instructor in 1973 and 1974. Classes were restricted to a limited number of students, all mostly professional painters. Later Betts authored Master Class in Watercolor to further share his teaching to a wider audience.
Edward Betts (standing at right) during discussions at the Master Class
for Advanced Watercolorist at Rangemark.
Betts never settled into a single style or media. In fact he had low opinions of other artists that never evolved and got stuck in a single style. In general Betts' work falls into three categories:
He would frequently would work on several abstract acrylics simultaneously over a period of eight months. But his realistic watercolors only too a half day to complete and were not as aesthetically challenging to collectors. Betts' collages varied from series that he completed as a group, often for an upcoming show. (Interesting aside: He gave his grandchildren a collage on every birthday until they reached 16 years of age.)
Abstract Acrylic/Lacquer, frequently in large sizes up to 6 feet (2 meters) |
Abstract Collage |
Realistic Transparent Watercolor |
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In 1972-1973 Betts was the subject of two 20 minute color films about his painting techniques in water-based media. The films are now accessible on the Internet at the links below.
Watercolor Painting: Creative Color Collage With Edward Betts (Perspective Films, 1973) shows Betts on location, then working in his Maine studio creating abstract collage.
Watercolor Painting: Abstract Designs from Nature With Edward Betts (Perspective Films, 1973) shows Betts on location, then working in his Maine studio creating abstract collage.
Though he was best known for his abstractions, in Feb. 1983 issue American Artist Magazine he was selected for their article THE LIVING LEGENDS OF AMERICAN WATERCOLOR by Diane Casella Hines. This article takes a look at 14 artists who in their long and distinguished careers have made significant contributions to the development of American watercolor painting: Andrew Wyeth, Dong Kingman, Mario Cooper, Chen Chi, Edgar A. Whitney, Phil Dike, Millard Sheets, Ogden M. Pleissner, John C. Pellew, Donald Teague, Joseph Henninger, Edward Betts, Edmond J. FitzGerald, and Rex Brandt.
Click on images below for large image.
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These documents were Betts' personally written biography and ciriccula vitae that are now in the archive of Betts documents bequeathed the Ogunquit Museum of American Art:
Edward Betts biographical data.pdf
Edward Betts biographical data with dates and exhibitions, including two addenda.pdf
Edward Betts handwritten biographical notes.pdf
Betts is listed in Who's Who in American Art since 1953 and later in Who's Who in America.
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| The information on Edward Betts from Who's Who in American Art 1991-1992 |
Master Class in Watercolor (1974) was published in an era when printing books in color. As a result most of the illustrations are in black-and-white, with two sections of 16 pages in color. One section illustrated are artist's paintings. and the second section illustrated paintings by Betts.
Creative Landscape Painting (1978)
Creative Seascape Painting (1981)
Master Class in Water Media (1993) is a revision of the earlier Master Class, with addition examples of paintings and featuring color illustrations throughout.
Summertime 40" x 17.5"
Ice Fall 21"
x 29"
In the Summertime
(triptych) three 36" x 36"
Coastal Horizons
31" x 44"
Betts in Public and Corporate Collections
Paintings by Edward Betts can be found in museum, education, and corporate
collections worldwide
Museum Collections Containing Edward Betts Paintings
Fogg Museum of Art, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Virginia
Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio
New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, Connecticut
Indianapolis Art Museum, Indianapolis, Indiana
La Jolla Art Center, now called Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD), La Jolla, California
Ogunquit Museum of American Art, Ogunquit, Maine
Portland Museum of Art, Portland, Maine
Farnsworth Museum, Rockland, Maine
Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, Missouri
Figge Art Museum, Davenport, Iowa
Contemporary Arts Center,Cincinnati, OH
University Collections Containing Edward Betts Paintings
Bates College Museum of Art, Lewiston, Maine
Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana
Davis Art Gallery, Stephens College, Missouri
University of Rochester Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, New York
Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia
Kistler Beach Museum of Art, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
Corporate Collections Containing Edward Betts Paintings
Irving Trust Company, New York City
Upjohn Pharmaceutical Company, Kalamazoo, Michigan
Sandoz Pharmaceutical Company, New Jersey
Continental Grain Company, New York City
United Virginia State Planters Bank, Richmond, Virginia
Prudential Life Insurance Company, Newark, New Jersey
Tupperware International, Orlando, Florida
The Southland Corporation, Dallas, Texas
McDonald's Headquarters, Oakbrook, Illinois
First National Bank, Boston, Massachusetts
Transco Energy, Houston, Texas
Central Trust Bank, Jefferson City, Missouri
Casco Bank and Trust Company, Portland, Maine
United States Information Agency, Art in the Embassies Program
Hollister Corporation, Libertyville, Illinois
Angus Chemical Company, Northbrook, Illinois
North American Rockwell, El Segundo, California
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, Cleveland, Ohio
Lincoln National Life Insurance, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Art Institution Collections Containing Edward Betts Paintings
National Academy of Design, New York City
National Watercolor Society, San Pedro, California
© John H. Betts - All Rights Reserved.
