ABOUT THE ARTIST
Based in Indianapolis, Betty Scarpino, is a prominent member of the lathe art community. Her work is considered a “must have” among the many serious collectors of studio wood. In addition to her work as an artist, Betty is a respected writer and editor within the field. She is also in great demand as an instructor.
Scarpino discovered her affinity for wood many years ago: “I have been working with wood for over thirty years, arriving at woodturning from a background in industrial arts and wood sculpture.“ Desiring to be more expressive in her work, Betty has taken numerous courses in drawing and clay sculpture.
ARTIST STATEMENT
“My work is fluid, full of life and movement. Much of it is figurative and has to do with relationships. I love the richness of wood—it allows for infinite expression of ideas. It is a warm and responsive material. The process of working with wood is a vehicle for my journey through life. As I cut, carve, sand and texture, I am living life. It is my way of uncovering what lies beneath the surface, as influenced by me.”
PERMANENT COLLECTIONS
Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY
Los Angeles County Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA
Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN
Mint Museum of Craft and Design, Charlotte, NC
Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, AL
Smithsonian Institution, Renwick Gallery, Washington,DC
Wood Turning Center, Philadelphia, PA
Yale University Art Museum, New Haven, CT
JURIED AND/OR INVITATIONAL EXHIBITIONS
2006 “Hoosier Salon 82nd Annual Exhibition,” Indiana State Museum, purchase award
2006 “Contemporary American Woodturning,” Rochester Art Center, Rochester, MN
2005 “Our Turn Now: Artists Speak Out in Wood,” The Ohio Craft Museum, Columbus, OH
2004 “Betty Scarpino: Expressions in Wood,” Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, IN
2004 “Celebrating Nature: Craft Traditions/Contemporary Expressions,” Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA
2004 “Hands, Head and Heart: The Bohlen Collection of Wood Art, University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, MI
