Return of Saint Stephen's Art Exhibitions - Betsy Brackin
Saint Stephen’s is excited to welcome the return of our art exhibitions with a show launching on Sunday, September 18. Beginning with an opening reception and running for five weeks, the halls of Saint Stephen’s from the Nave to the Parish Hall will be lined with the work of Betsy Brackin.
Brackin’s work has been showcased throughout the Southeast and she will make her Alabama debut at Saint Stephen’s. She is known for her rich Delta landscapes that help the creative imagination come alive, seeing color and beauty in the ordinariness of life.
Recently, she has begun developing her birds, thanks to a commission from the West Cancer Clinic in Memphis. Her commission was chosen as a source of comfort for their patients. Betsy shares that “starlings mainly (but some other birds as well) fly in masses as a form of protection. By doing so it keeps them warm and protected as a community.”
We will begin with an art opening on Sunday, September 18 at 12:30 p.m. following the 11:15 a.m. service. On Sunday, October 9, Conley Knott, will lead a theological reflection with one or two of her pieces of art at 10:15 a.m. during the formation hour. All are welcome to join in both gatherings. Betsy’s biography follows.
Betsy Brackin is a Delta-born artist whose work is deeply tied to the places she’s lived. From the banks of the Mississippi to the farms, fish frys, and juke joints that run along it, Betsy’s landscapes are imbued with the rich culture of the region. Trained from the age of 7, she received her BFA from the Memphis College of Art. Brackin also spent two years studying at the Savannah College of Art and Design. She is currently a muralist for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Betsy Brackin’s body of work can be described as an ode to the natural world and its endless beauty. Her distinctive paintings are deeply tied to the places she’s lived. Her work aims to explore her relationship to her subject matter both as an individual and as an artist. Rich textures, vivid colors and bold compositions are cornerstones of Betsy’s paintings. Her style, and unique perspective, add a sense of mystery to each painting inviting viewers to imagine the world beyond the canvas.
In previous years, Betsy could be found working in far-flung locations such as Greece and New Zealand, exploring landscapes vastly different from her native-born Arkansas. Today, however, Brackin works as a full-time artist and mother out of her Memphis, Tennessee studio at the Medicine Factory. Her studio space is a stone’s throw from the Mississippi River and the Arkansas delta. This location allows easy access for inspiration with the ever-changing agricultural landscapes that are a constant in her subject matter.