Bethann Parker

American artist Bethann Parker investigates pastoral narratives of social, domestic and spiritual longing. The artist, who lives and works out of the rural Mountains of North East Appalachia, stands out for her expressionistic oil paintings and landscapes.

Bethann Parker's Education & Scholarships

Bethann attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Pennsylvania and participated in the Certificate Program at The Barnes Foundation. Bethann was also the recipient of The Fred and Naomi Hazel Art Scholarship, The Richard Von Hess Travel Scholarship, and twice awarded a Venture Fund Grant for her project proposals. Her work has been featured in the New York Times and, more recently, the Voice of America.

Style and Practice

Inspired by the grassy landscapes, trees and wildlife of Pennsylvania, her rural depictions such as Sequential Season suffuse self-awareness and purpose. Bethann's paintings are expressive and multi-textural and demonstrate a certain contemporary edginess. Simultaneously, these works are somewhat evocative of post-impressionists Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gaughin as well as the fauvist Andre Derain. The result is a charming blend of nostalgia, both for the natural world and classical artistic gestures.

International Projects & Exhibitions

Struck by the intensity and isolating reality of COVID-19, Bethann decided to process her feelings about news events using alternative art therapy methods. Instead of tossing her daily newspapers after reading them, Bethann turned them into 365 different artworks. With a year's worth of Times newspapers, the artist created an installation structured to resemble a 12-foot-tall, 26-foot-long printing press.