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Bette Ridgeway
(American)
Born in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, Ridgeway’s
education preceding her four-decade art career began with graphic design
at Russell Sage College in Troy, New York. Professional designer with
Reuben H. Donnelley Advertising Corporation was her first position. Next
came the School of Interior Design Art and the Art Students League, both
in New York City. Studies continued abroad: painting, exhibiting,
teaching, immersed in the cultures of Madagascar, Australia and Chile.
Returning to the United States, her fine art
and professional careers continued. Visual arts specialist for the
Maryland National Capital Park & Planning Commission and Executive
Director and CEO of Very Special Arts an educational affiliate of The
John F. Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts, were amongst her positions.
1970s- Acclaimed Abstract Expressionist
painter Paul Jenkins, saw a light in Ridgeway and closely mentored her
over several decades. Forty years hence, her signature technique of
"Layering Light" on large-scale, luminous poured canvases and metal
sculptures has been perfected.
Mid-1990s-current Ridgeway has been creating
and residing in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Global exhibitions include 80+
museums, universities and galleries, including: Palais Royale, Paris,
Embassy of Madagascar and London Art Biennale.
Awards include Top 60 Contemporary Masters,
Leonardo DaVinci Prize, Rome and Sandro Botticelli Prize, Museum of
Florence, Italy. Mayo Clinic and Federal Reserve Bank are amongst
Ridgeway’s many permanent public placements.
Numerous books and publications have
featured her work, among them: International Contemporary Masters and
100 Famous Contemporary Artists. Ridgeway has also penned several books
about art and process.
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