Today we’d like to introduce you to Beth Shapiro.
Hi Beth, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My journey to becoming an artist took a long time. It began when I was a young mother. I had been working in marketing and communications for over 15 years when I became pregnant with my second child. I decided to leave full time work during this pregnancy to stay home with my children for at least a few years, after which I’d go back to the office. When I was working, my favorite part of my job was working with the very talented people at marketing agencies, so when my second child was two, I took a design class at San Antonio College, thinking that when I went back to work perhaps, I could get a job at one of these agencies. Well, I fell in love with making art and one design class turned into seven years of part-time study to earn a BFA from Texas State University-San Marcos.
During my time at university, I became focused on the challenge of creating paintings that would match the vibrancy of color found on computer screens. (I guess my previous life in the corporate world was still a major influence!). I began working with painting on Plexiglas, using layers of translucent glazes to create abstract paintings that explore the interplay between light, color, texture and scale. I’ve had my work shown in both solo and group shows in San Antonio, Austin, and Atlanta (where we lived for eight years).
I’ve also begun to use my graphic design expertise to build upon my abstract paintings to create works of Jewish art, including creating custom Ketubahs (Jewish marriage contract). As an observant Jew, it’s a very meaningful way for me to express my creativity by combining the spiritual side of my life with my artwork.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. Moving from San Antonio in 2009 (after a solo show at The Radius Gallery in San Antonio) to Atlanta, and then back to Texas again in 2017 to Austin has made it a bit more difficult to establish myself. It takes time for people to find you, and then once you’re found, you’re on to the next city! Covid didn’t help. The pandemic hit just as my paintings were being shown at the Old Bakery & Emporium gallery in downtown Austin. The show was open for one week when everything closed down, which was very disheartening, to say the least.
Finding studio space in Austin has been challenging as well. When I first moved here, I became part of the artists at Pump Project and worked out of their downtown studio. Redevelopment claimed this studio space, and I moved my studio over to Mosaic Sound Collective, where I was able to work until last month, as the building Mosaic Sound Collective used is also going to be redeveloped. I’m now looking for studio space again. But I’m sure something will turn up, and in the meantime, I am working more on building up my Judaica portfolio, which is more a process of design and requires a desktop rather than a studio!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
There are two sides to my work – my purely abstract paintings on Plexiglas, and my Judaica. The work on Plexiglas is highly luminescent – light travels through the translucent glazes and then back again, such that the paintings look as if the light is coming from within the work. Photos fail to capture this effect. I’m really proud of having developed a signature process that harkens back to the work of the abstract expressionists and color field painters of the mid-twentieth century, and yet is definitely of this era.
As for the Judaica work that I create, I am honored that brides and grooms want to have my work for their Ketubahs. This is often the first work of art that a newly married couple will have, and to be chosen for that is a great honor, and responsibility (the wedding can’t take place without the finished Ketubah!). It’s a great pleasure to work with each couple to create a custom Ketubah that reflects their tastes, their relationship and their love.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love Austin’s vibrancy and eclectic personality. We’ve been here more than five years now and I feel very established in my community. I only wish Austin had more kosher restaurants, though!
Pricing:
- Custom Ketubah – between $700-$800
- Original Paintings – between $900-$8,000
- Archival Art Prints are available on Paper, Metal, Acrylic, Canvas start at around $50
Contact Info:
- Website: bethshapiro.com
- Instagram: @bethshapiro.art
- Facebook: @BethShapiroArt
Image Credits
Wakeena Real
