Betsey Gravatt

Betsey Gravatt is an artist based in North Texas. She received her BFA in Studio Art, with a concentration in Drawing and Painting, from the University of North Texas. She is currently in her second year at Texas Woman’s University, pursuing an MFA in Painting and a minor in Intermedia. Gravatt's work has received several awards, including the Annual Voertman's Award, the Cindi and Mike Holt Award, and the John Weinkein Distinction in the Visual Arts Award.

Betsey currently teaches Watercolor at Texas Woman's University, and gives Professional Practices lectures at universities and high schools in the North Texas area. In recent years, she has been an artist in residence in New York, North Carolina, and California, and her upcoming projects include exhibitions in Denton and Dallas, Texas.

Artist Statement

In my paintings, I use vibrant colors and an alphabet of geometric and organic shapes to depict happy memories of my childhood. My process begins in CAD software, such as SketchUp and Adobe Illustrator, where I am able to continuously create and build upon interacting rectilinear and organic objects that become part of a large and intricate structure. Working primarily with gouache, watercolor, and spray paint on laser cut birch panel, MDF, and paper, I create ambiguous shapes that reference toys, architecture, and optical illusion.
Using SketchUp and Illustrator, I create imaginary, nonfunctional spaces and objects in an array of blending and filtering colors that together form these larger structures and arrangements. In these programs, I can control aspects such as scale, transparency, and color until I have created a piece that is reminiscent of the places and objects that filled my childhood with color and appeal.

My work is exploratory rather than didactic, and one of my goals is to create an alternate reality for myself and my viewers to navigate. To me this environment is inviting and friendly, and reminds me of the places I lived in or visited, as well as objects I enjoyed while growing up. I am inspired by children’s toys that were popular in the 90’s, such as Lisa Frank and Polly Pocket dolls, and by TV shows I watched as a young girl, and I use my process as an outlet for childhood wonder and creativity. From start to finish, I feel as though I am a child playing pretend.

CV

Education
2019        

• MFA in Studio Art: Painting, Texas Woman's University, Department of Visual Arts

Minor in Intermedia, Texas Woman's University, Department of Visual Arts
2015        

• BFA in Studio Art: Drawing and Painting, University of North Texas, College of Visual Arts and Design

 
Solo and Two Person Exhibitions
2018

• Sprinkle Sparkle, Fine Arts Building Project Space, Texas Woman’s University, Denton TX (with Fallon Brazell)
• Let’s Pretend, Fine Arts Building Project Space, Texas Woman’s University, Denton TX
• Playthings, Voertman’s Gallery, Denton TX

2017   

• Hide and Seek, Arts Letters and Numbers, Averill Park NY (with Augustine Cordero)    
• Reverie, 010 Gallery, Texas Woman’s University, Denton TX
• Geometry Farm, Focus Gallery 1, Fort Worth Community Arts Center, Fort Worth TX

2016        

• 1999, Thomases Family Endowment Art Gallery, Youngstown OH
• Kaliedescapism, Focus Gallery 3, Fort Worth Community Arts Center, Fort Worth TX (with Adam Palmer)

2015        

• Fluorescent Void, Oak Street Hall, University of North Texas, Denton TX
• Daydreams, North Gallery, University of North Texas, Denton TX

 
Group Exhibitions
2018

• CHROMA-Chameleon, Ro2 Art, Dallas TX
• (non)standard, Humanizing the Digital Symposium, Project Space, Texas Woman's University, Denton TX
• Annual Student Exposition, 500X Gallery, Dallas TX
• First Come First Served, Fort Works Art, Fort Worth TX

2017

• John Weinkein Juried Exhibition, Texas Woman’s University, Denton TX
• Annual Student Exposition, 500X Gallery, Dallas TX
• Celebration, Octavia Art Gallery, New Orleans LA
• Girl Gaze, Neighborhood Cult Productions, Fort Worth TX
• Buy What You Love: Annual Art Auction, Rema Hort Mann Foundation, New York NY
• Mailglo, Phone Gallery, Waterloo Arts, Cleveland OH
• 8th Annual Postcard Show, Artlink Contemporary Art Gallery, Fort Wayne IN

2016        

• Contemporary Issues Pop Up Exhibition, Fine Arts Building, Texas Woman’s University, Denton TX
• SIX, OB Macaroni, Fort Worth TX
• Graduate Painters Collective Exhibition, 010 Gallery, Texas Woman's University, Denton TX
• Psychedelicious, Tarrant County College, Lakeview Gallery, Fort Worth TX
• One Process: Infinite Solutions, Voertman's Gallery, Denton TX
• A Night on Buddy's Bench, Arts Letters and Numbers, Averill Park NY
• ONE, Art Room Gallery, Fort Worth TX
• Weird Destiny, Voertman's Gallery, Denton TX

2015        

• Staff Exhibition, Voertman's Gallery, Denton TX
• Drawing and Painting Senior Exhibition, Cora Stafford Gallery, University of North Texas, Denton TX
• Raw Pressure, Voertman’s Gallery, Denton TX
• ASTU 4230, Cora Stafford Gallery, University of North Texas, Denton TX
• Threepeat, 613 Pierce Street, Denton TX
• Bad Impressions, Cora Stafford Gallery, University of North Texas, Denton TX
• Paperworks 2015, Upstream Gallery, New York NY
• Hot and Sweaty IV, 500x Gallery, Dallas TX
• TOP SECRET, Oak Street Hall room 203, University of North Texas, Denton TX
• The 11th Hour, North Gallery, University of North Texas, Denton TX
• Annual Voertman’s Competition, Main Gallery, University of North Texas, Denton TX
• Back to Basics, Art7 Gallery, Fort Worth TX
• Annual Student Exposition, 500x Gallery, Dallas TX
• Drawing and Painting Senior Invitational, Lightwell Gallery, University of North Texas, Denton TX
• Junior Drawing and Painting Show, Cora Stafford Gallery, University of North Texas, Denton TX

2014        

• Art in the Metroplex, Fort Worth Community Arts Center, Fort Worth TX
• Watercolor Exhibition, Lightwell Gallery, University of North Texas, Denton TX

 
Collections

• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, offices, New York NY
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, data center, Monmouth NJ​

 
Awards and Honors
2018

• Texas Public Education Grant, Texas Woman’s University, Denton TX
• Grady’s Barger Gardner Endowment, Texas Woman’s University, Denton TX
• Graduate Creative Arts and Research Symposium, Program cover art stipend, Texas Woman’s University, Denton TX

2017

• John Weinkein Distinction in the Visual Arts Award, Texas Woman’s University, Denton TX
• Weller-Washmon Graduate Painting Scholarship, Texas Woman’s University, Denton TX
• Helen Thomas Perry Scholarship, Texas Woman’s University, Denton TX

2016        

• Catherine Cloud Edwards Scholarship, Texas Woman's University, Department of Visual Arts, Denton TX

2015

• 55th Annual Voertman’s Award, Annual Voertman’s Competition, Main Gallery, University of North Texas, Denton TX

2014        

• Ranked 6th in the Drawing and Painting program review, University of North Texas, Denton TX
• Cindi and Mike Holt Award, Art in the Metroplex, Fort Worth Community Arts Center, Fort Worth TX

 
Professional Experience
2018

• Digital Craft and Research Studio Lab Monitor, Texas Woman’s University, Denton TX
• Watercolor Instructor, Texas Woman’s University, Denton TX

2017

• Basic Drawing Instructor, Texas Woman’s University, Denton TX
• Gallery Assistant, Texas Woman’s University, Denton TX

2016      

• Gallery Assistant, Texas Woman's University, Denton TX

2015​        

• Assistant Gallery Coordinator, Voertman's Gallery, Voertman's Art Department, Denton TX
• Sales Associate, Voertman’s Art Department, Denton TX

2014        

• Private Art Instructor, Little Elm TX

 
Residencies
2018

• Arts Letters and Numbers, Averill Park NY

2017        

• Azule Artist Residency, Hot Springs NC
• Dorland Mountain Arts Colony, Temecula CA
• Arts Letters and Numbers, Averill Park NY

2016        

• Azule Artist Residency, Hot Springs NC
• Arts Letters and Numbers, Averill Park NY

 
Academic Lectures
2018

• Professional Practices Lecture, Texas Woman’s University, Denton TX (Spring 2018 Undergraduate Classes)
• “Technology and the Art-Making Process”, Graduate Creative Arts and Research Symposium, Texas Woman’s University, Denton TX
• Professional Practices Lecture, Thomas Jefferson High School, Dallas TX

2017

• Professional Practices Lecture, Texas Woman’s University, Denton TX (Fall 2017 Undergraduate Classes)
• “Hide and Seek” Artist Talk, Arts Letters and Numbers, Averill Park NY
• Professional Practices Lecture, Texas Woman’s University, Denton TX (Spring 2017 Intro to Painting class)

2016        

• “Psychedelicious” Artist Talk, Tarrant County College NW, Fort Worth TX
• Professional Practices Lecture, Saginaw High School, Saginaw TX
• Professional Practices Lecture, Denton High School, Denton TX
• Professional Practices Lecture, Heritage High School, Frisco TX
• Professional Practices Lecture, Plano Senior High School, Plano TX

 
Workshops
2018

• Toy Workshop, Blanton Elementary School (K-5), Argyle TX

 
 
Curatorial and Art Handling Experience
2017

• MFA Exhibition, Texas Woman’s University, Denton TX
• BFA Exhibition, Texas Woman's University, Denton TX
• KNICK KNACK, Voertman’s Gallery, Denton TX (curated by Betsey Gravatt)
• Place Like Home: Dana Haugaard Solo Exhibition, Texas Woman’s University, Denton TX (curated by Danielle Avram)
• 16th Annual Joyce Elaine Grant Photography Exhibition, Texas Woman's University, Denton TX (curated by Dr. Rebecca Senf)

2016        

• BFA Exhibition, Texas Woman's University, Denton TX
• Make Time, Texas Woman's University, Denton TX (curated by Danielle Avram)
• Circuit Breaker, Texas Woman's University, Denton TX (curated by Danielle Avram)
• Weird Destiny, Voertman's Gallery, Denton TX (curated by Olivia Brown and Betsey Gravatt)

2015        

• Displacement, Voertman's Gallery, Denton TX (curated by Olivia Brown and Betsey Gravatt)
• Staff Exhibition, Voertman's Gallery, Denton TX
• Household, Voertman's Gallery, Denton TX (curated by Olivia Brown)
• Raw Pressure, Voertman's Gallery, Denton TX (curated by Olivia Brown and PANTS)
• TOP SECRET, Oak Street Hall room 203, University of North Texas, Denton TX (curated by Betsey Gravatt and Colton Rob)

 
Print Publications
2017

• Friend of the Artist Winter Exposition
• Average Art Magazine, January 2017 Issue

2016        

• Let’s Create Something Magical Coloring Book, Volume 3, Weird Destiny Productions

 
Online Features and Interviews
2017

• North Texas Daily, March 2017 interview
• The Dentonite, March 2017 interview

2016

• Friend of The Artist Online Art Gallery

2015

• Light Space Time Online Art Gallery
• The Boiler Journal, Fall 2015 interview
• Chrom-Art.org, June 2015 interview
• Artinzene Magazine, May 2015 interview
• Cultation.com, February 2015 interview

 
Commissions
2015        

• Promotional Poster, "Just This Once" (short film)
• Album art and other promotional material, Dome Dwellers, Denton TX

 
Organizations
2018

• Graduate Student Council, Texas Woman’s University, Denton TX (Senator for the College of Arts and Sciences: Visual Arts)

2017

• Graduate Student Council, Texas Woman’s University, Denton TX (Senator for the College of Arts and Sciences: Visual Arts)

2015        

• Printmaking Association of North Texas Students (PANTS), University of North Texas, Denton TX

 
Service
2018

• Pioneering Student Awards Banquet Technical Committee, Graduate Student Council, Texas Woman’s University, Denton TX