Betty Branch catalog (6-21-23)) - Flipbook - Page 7
Director’s Introduction
I treasure my friendship with Betty, relish every opportunity
to hear her stories, and passionately look forward to our
conversations and walks through her lush bamboo garden.
Through her art, she shares her voice, her presence, and her
spirit with all of us.
n the spirit of wonder and awe, the exhibition Betty Branch,
A Retrospective engages and enthralls the visitor the moment
they summit the Museum’s cascading stairs as more than 50
sculptures of bronze, Carrara marble, red Verona marble, black
Belgian marble, rosa Portuguese marble, and Spanish Bardiglio
marble fill the hallway and three companion galleries. Moving
along into the replica of her studio space provides a rare glimpse
into how the artist interprets the world around her, what inspires
her, and how she channels her inner spirit to transform raw
mineral into breathtaking reflections of her soul.
I
My sincere thanks to Betty, her family, the lenders to this
exhibition, the entire Museum staff, and the Museum’s Board
of Trustees. Although this exhibition was postponed multiple
times due to the pandemic, these delays have serendipitously
enabled us to add various elements to the exhibition and
showcase even more works, including the chance to highlight
her many public sculptures in our area. Two of my favorites
among these public sculptures are Once Upon a Time and
A Friend for Life located at our local libraries — which is of no
surprise since I have been a lifelong lover of books. And just as
we fall in love with a good book, we unquestionably fall in love
with Betty Branch’s beautiful, moving, and inspiring sculptures.
My first encounter with Betty Branch was from afar when,
as a new resident of Roanoke, I read a feature article about
this celebrated contemporary artist living in our community.
Remembering that impactful first impression, I admit to
purposefully seeking her out when I joined the Taubman team
to solicit her thoughts on how we could best use the works in
our permanent collection to more fully engage the community.
A particularly fond memory I have of that interview was her
animated recollections on creation of her sculpture Dancer in
our permanent collection. Standing over five feet tall, Dancer
captivates and commands our attention not only through its
fluidity of movement and graceful confidence, but also through
the story behind its creation.
It has been a true joy to work with Betty and the Taubman
team on this comprehensive exhibition, looking back on the
four decades of this magnificent artist’s prolific career. There
have been numerous meetups to contemplate the details and
visualize the layout.
Kri Kri, 1979, bronze relief, 3” w, Collection of Ed Hall
Opposite:
Dancer, 1989
Rosa Portuguese marble
59” x 51” x 20” (with base)
Collection of the Taubman Museum of Art
Purchased with funds provided by the
Collectors Circle 2008.104
Cindy M. Petersen, Ed.M.
Executive Director
Taubman Museum of Art
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