Betty Blayton

Born; 1937, Williamsburg Virginia
Education: 1964 - 70 Brooklyn Museum School with Sculptor Minora Nizuma
1960 – 62, The Art Student League with Arnold Prince; 1961, City Collage of NY, summer, Educational Psychology and other Ed. Courses; 1959, Graduated from Syracuse University, Bachelor of Fine Arts.

“Blayton’s artwork is coded in the metaphysical. The sphere included in many of her works refers to wholeness, the relationship between man and nature in the most ultimate sense. Thus her works serves as a gateway to higher spiritual levels” Crystal A. Britton African-American Art: The Long Struggle (New York Todtri Book Publishers, 1966.

Major Collections
Blayton has established a distinguished career as an exhibiting artist nationally and internationally. Her works are represented in such collections as: The Metropolitan Museum, of Art, Prints. The Studio Museum in Harlem, The Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop, Uniworld Advertising Corporation, Phillip Morris Corporation, Fisk University, Spellman College, Virginia State College, Tugaloo College, The David Rockefeller, The Blanchette Rockefeller, The Reginald Lewis, The Byron Lewis, The Bettina Hunter and The Evelyn Cunningham. (Partial listing)

Sample Exhibitions 2004 –1989:
2004 “Something to Look Forward To” PhillipsMuseum@Franklin&Marshall College, Lancaster
2004 Smithsonian - The Bob Blackburn Printmaking Workshop Traveling Show
2004 " Creating their Own Image" /Parsons Aronson Galleries -- African-American Women Artists
2001 - 2003 - UFA Gallery, NY.
2001 NCA ‘s International Conference Exhibition at the National Museum, Accra Ghana
2001 NCA, Masters Exhibition, Schomburg Library, Gallery, N.Y
2000 ’98 &’ 97 Cinque Gallery, NY.
1994 Pace College, NY. / One Woman
1993 Syracuse University’s Luben House Gallery, NYC
1990 Isabel Neal Gallery, Chicago Illinois, One Woman
1989 Bedford Stuyvesant Gallery, Brooklyn, One Woman

Sample Publications and Media Representation:
2004 Something to Look Forward To” Exhibit Catalog, Franklin & Marshall College,
1998 Artist and Influence vols. XVII, Hatch Billops Collection
1998 Collecting African American Art, Halima Taha
1996 African American Art, The Long Struggle, Crystal Britton
1981 Forever Free, University of Illinois Press
1980 Go Tell It, Nationally syndicated television program
1979 You Gotta Have Art, National Broadcasting Company
1978 Making Thoughts Become, Betty Blayton-Taylor
1973 The Children’s Art Carnival, 15-minute videotape (Free Europe, Germany TV,
WLIB, WNYC, WWRL, among others.
1973 Betty Blayton, Artist”, Contact Magazine article
1973 Kids are Her Medium, Syracuse Alumna News
1972 People Who Make, Art Gallery Guide
1972 Five Black Artists, Daily-Close Up, The New York Post
1972 Atlanta University Book on Art
1970 Like It is, Ruth Bowman on The Arts, WNYC Radio
Five Black Artists, Film – Romare Bearden, Betty Blayton, Barbara Chase, Richard Hunt, Charles White

Blayton has also played major roles as a Founding Member of: The Children’s Art Carnival, The Studio Museum in Harlem and Harlem Textile works.