Works of Betty Finley Foreman to be sold at silent auction

When Betty Finley Foreman passed away in 2013, she had no idea that her legacy would help keep Crowley’s only art gallery alive, but that’s exactly what’s happening.
Foreman, who was born and raised in Crowley, held a bachelor’s degree in art education from Tulane, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in metalsmithing and jewlery from the University of Southwestern Louisiana and a master’s degree in metalsmithing from the University of Texas El Paso.
Foreman was a talented artist, and at the time of her death, she was well known throughout the United States for her jewelry design, for which she had won numerous awards. She had taught art at the University of Texas El Paso and El Paso Community College and was assistant curator at the Whitney Gallery of Western Art, Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyoming.
Just before her death, Foreman, who still owned her family home in Crowley, contacted Crowley resident Lee Lawrence, a longtime friend, and asked him to handle her estate.
Having no children, she also told Lawrence that she would like to leave the house to him.
After inheriting the home, Lawrence sold it and donated the proceeds to the building fund of the First United Methodist Church, where Foreman’s mother had been the secretary/librarian.
But there was more to Foreman’s home than just a house. There was a studio that stood untouched by time and held a treasure trove of paintings done by Foreman.
Lawrence contacted the Crowley Art Association and asked whether the organization would be interested in receiving the paintings, which could be sold to raise funds for The Gallery. Robert Baxter, president of the CAA, readily agreed, and Lawrence and his wife, Patti, generously donated the artwork.
The paintings will soon be put up for sale at a silent auction to be held at The Gallery throughout the month of August.
According to Baxter, who raves about the collection, the use of color and wildness of Foreman’s works show that “she was reaching deep, deep down, she was experimenting with her soul.”
With ongoing cuts to art funding, the CAA is working hard to keep The Gallery’s doors open, and Baxter hopes that the sale of Foreman’s paintings will help fill the gaps.
There are approximately 34 paintings in the collection that will be put up for sale. They will be hung in The Gallery and bidding will be opened at 10 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 3. It will close with a reception set on Saturday, Aug. 29.
Area residents are invited to support The Gallery by stopping by to view Foreman’s work and bid on any pieces that might catch their eyes.
The Gallery is located at 222 N. Parkerson Ave. and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
For more information call 783-3747.