Betty Asher

Betty Asher (May 6, 1914 – 1994) was an American art collector and dealer. An ardent supporter of Pop art and Contemporary art, her large collection of cups and saucers by artists was world-famous.[1][2][3][4]

Biography

Asher was born in Chicago on May 4, 1914.[5] The family lived behind the drugstore.[6] Asher attended a normal school (teacher training college) in Chicago for one year before beginning training to become a nurse at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago.[6] She graduated as an RN and spent about four years in private nursing.[6]

In 1939, she married Dr. Leonard Asher.[5] They moved to Los Angeles in 1941.[5][7] The couple had two children, Reina Asher (Allen) and Michael Asher (who would become a well known conceptual artist[8]), and three granddaughters, Pamela, Debra, and Tara.

Aside from being a collector, she was curatorial assistant at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art for 13 years (1966–79), and co-founded and co-owned Asher-Faure Gallery with Patricia Faure from 1979-90.

Asher died at her home in Beverly Hills on May 11, 1994.[9][10] Her papers were donated to the Getty Research Institute in 2010.[11]

Notes

  1. ^ Muchnic, Suzanne (May 14, 1994). "Los Angeles Times". Betty Asher; Collector of Contemporary Art.
  2. ^ "Online Archive of California". Retrieved June 21, 2014.
  3. ^ "Two Bettys". Los Angeles Modern Auctions Blog.
  4. ^ "Property from the Collections of Michael Asher and Betty Asher | Sold to Benefit The Michael Asher Foundation". Sotheby's. 31 October 2018.
  5. ^ a b c "Finding aid for the Betty Asher papers, 1860-1999". www.oac.cdlib.org. Retrieved 2016-12-11.
  6. ^ a b c Art, Archives of American. "Oral history interview with Betty M. Asher, 1980 June 30 and 1980 July 7 - Oral Histories | Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution". www.aaa.si.edu. Retrieved 2016-12-11.
  7. ^ MUCHNIC, SUZANNE (1995-04-04). "Selling Cream of Art Collector's Crop : Art: Some of Betty Asher's collection, including her artist-designed cups, will be previewed in Beverly Hills before going on the auction block in New York". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2016-12-11.
  8. ^ Kennedy, Randy (2012-10-17). "Michael Asher, Conceptual Artist, Dies at 69 (Published 2012)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  9. ^ Muchnic, Suzanne (1994-05-14). "Betty Asher; Collector of Contemporary Art". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  10. ^ "Appreciation : Betty Asher: An Artful Evolution : The art collector, curator and dealer helped shape culture in postwar Los Angeles. She will be remembered tonight in a memorial tribute". Los Angeles Times. 1994-06-02. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  11. ^ Poundstone, William. "Betty Asher Archives to Getty Research Institute". Artinfo. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2014.


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