Betty Gilman was born in Asbury Park, New Jersey and began her formal artistic training at age sixteen under the direction of Victor d’Amico and Edward Glannon. Her early career focused exclusively on painting and Gilman produced works in the spirit of Impressionism, Cubism, and Abstract Expressionism. Additional study with Josef Presser and Esphyr Slobdokina allowed her to further develop her abstract painting.
It was not until 1968 that Gilman began experimenting with three dimensional works of art. At that time she worked closely with sculptor Sebastiano Mineo at Art Life Craft Studios. She also rented studio space at Jim Youngman’s Artist Studio Center in New York. Gilman created ambitious works in bronze, stone and wood that explore ideas of texture, materiality, and naturalism.
Over the course of her career, Gilman received many awards for her artwork including recognition from the National Association of Women Artists. Her one woman shows include the Bodley Gallery in New York, the Artworks Gallery in New Haven, CT and the New York Public Library.
