Betty Roper Grisham was a force to be reckoned with. She had many passions but the arts were definitely at the top. She was a prolific artist having many mediums. Betty was also a big advocate for local arts. Almost everything she did was somehow related to art, from spending hours in her beautiful flower garden and surrounding herself with nature to upholstering the walls in her home with fabric from her hand painted fabric company Betty Grisham Inc, to spending time with me painting in her studio, to being a founding member of the Huntsville arts league. No matter who she was with or what she was doing the subject of art and beauty was always prevalent.
When did she begin painting?
I’m not exactly sure when she started but she had a passion for art at a young age. Betty went to Montevallo to study art education in 1942 and then continued her studies at Columbia University earning a Masters degree in Fine Art in 1945. We have paintings in our home dating back as early as the 1940s.
Where did she find inspiration?
She was inspired by nature and her surroundings. She would spend time in her garden painting, they had a home on the mountain and we have several paintings of the view of Huntsville from the top of Monte Sano. She loved her family, so there are several paintings of me and my mom as well. Where ever she went she immersed herself in the surroundings and found the beauty in it.
Why did Huntsville become her community to create art in?
My grandfather, Charles Grisham, relocated from Birmingham to Huntsville to pursue his career in broadcast media to operate his new acquisition of the Channel 19 television station. Huntsville was also close to Betty’s family as she was from Athens, AL.
Who are some artists that studied under her?
No specific name comes to mind, I can only remember a few people’s first names. She had lots of people study her work from Montevallo. She would return to the campus and teach seminars, where many students there would attend. Some would even send their work to her home to critique.
Through her philanthropy she helped establish the Huntsville Art League, leading to the creation of the Huntsville Museum of Art. She also helped create the museum of Art at Auburn University. Betty's portfolio is an extensive and distinguished one. She was an accomplished painter, print maker, and designer with a long list of exhibitions and honors to her credit. She truly made an enormous and enduring contribution to the culture and quality of life in Alabama. A creative life lived with a generous heart embodies the legacy of Betty Grisham.
What would you say to others to encourage them to create, whether it by art, writing, photography, etc?
Start creating, keep creating. Try everything and do it often. If it’s something you are passionate about then the only way to further that passion is to continue to create.
How does creating enhance your life?
I have been creating art in different forms for my entire life. I started out painting and drawing with my grandmother when I was a child then later earned an art degree from the University of Mississippi. I think my creative background has helped me in all aspects of my life. In my personal life it helps me recognize the beauty in the little things. In my professional life, I think my artistic background helps me curate the art and all the other beautiful things at The Little Green Store and Gallery.
What are some of Betty's most memorable accomplishments? All of her fabric was hand painted, and she created a fashion line out of it as well as home decor. Her fashion line was featured in Vogue magazine and a New York fashion week.
She had recognition and accreditation from the governor of Alabama as well as a letter from the President of the United States at the time Barack Obama acknowledging her contribution to the art in the United States.