Southern Oregon U. campus in Ashland offers quite a few courses in fine art. As part of this academic effort, the campus is home to a fine museum that offers wonderful exhibitions throughout the year. Often, students and teachers exhibit their work to expose the collective skills of the artists in their medium of choice.
Currently, the museum is hosting a collection of the work of local artist/teacher Betty Laduke. Her work is in mixed media: painting on various surfaces with different materials. Betty lives in Ashland and just celebrated her 80th birthday. She is still at it. Many of the works on display were completed this year; but many were from her early career during the 1950's. Her drawings of the period demonstrated her unique talent(s). Betty's focus became the cultures found in foreign lands far away or, more often, in Mexico, our next door neighbor just south. She spent much time in San Miguel de Allende, a small city known for its artist community. Her subject matter includes family life and the spirit world figures that are common to most cultures. She's spent time in Africa in Cameroon and Ghana, painting and studying the cultural icons of the tribes.
Her work is on a grand scale: large 5'x5' canvases; 3'x6' paintings on wood; and panels that can be several feet long overall. Her colors are vibrant and attractive, drawing the eye to a myriad of imagery. Betty was an art instructor at SOU for many years, teaching all levels of painting and mixed media.
Her works are found in many homes, both locally and internationally. She is definitely a local treasure. Check out the museum at SOU, it's worth the effort.
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