Betsy Bower is a sculptress-welder by day and an aerialist by night. She builds functional and nonfunctional ornamental ironworks, and teaches these skills to others. She co-founded Casper Pride Weekend, and also helped organize events with Out in Wyoming. Betsy is an enthusiastic citizen of Black Rock City and a proponent of the Burning Man principles, such as Immediacy, Radical Self-reliance and Radical Self-expression. Her dream is to take her own sculptures to Burning Man events. She recently moved to Denver to continue her artistic journey and be around a much larger creative and inclusive community.
Background:
Betsy grew up in Casper, Wyoming. Her mother, Cynthia Bower, is a harpist, writer, dental hygienist who has always been enthusiastically supportive of art and creativity. Her father, Tom Bower, runs Bower Welding & Ornamental Iron, and is a proud member of NOMMA (National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association) and ABANA (Artist Blacksmith's Association of North America). He helped Betsy create her first sculpture of a bee pollinating a flower at age 12. The tools in his shop intrigued her. Throughout her teens and early 20's Tom took her to Forge In's in Utah where the blacksmithing community gathered together to share age-old techniques and modern modalities. She studied a year abroad in Japan in high school, and when she returned she studied art and music in college. Betsy worked on and off for her dad, gaining insight and experience in building and installing decorative metalwork. After experiencing Burning Man, in 2009, she ventured out on her own to continue the journey of creating beautiful works out of steel and explore creativity in the realm of her greatest passion: sculpture.
Background:
Betsy grew up in Casper, Wyoming. Her mother, Cynthia Bower, is a harpist, writer, dental hygienist who has always been enthusiastically supportive of art and creativity. Her father, Tom Bower, runs Bower Welding & Ornamental Iron, and is a proud member of NOMMA (National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association) and ABANA (Artist Blacksmith's Association of North America). He helped Betsy create her first sculpture of a bee pollinating a flower at age 12. The tools in his shop intrigued her. Throughout her teens and early 20's Tom took her to Forge In's in Utah where the blacksmithing community gathered together to share age-old techniques and modern modalities. She studied a year abroad in Japan in high school, and when she returned she studied art and music in college. Betsy worked on and off for her dad, gaining insight and experience in building and installing decorative metalwork. After experiencing Burning Man, in 2009, she ventured out on her own to continue the journey of creating beautiful works out of steel and explore creativity in the realm of her greatest passion: sculpture.
Her first project in her first studio was for Wyoming based designer Shawn Rivett. This vining tree branch spans 36' across his gallery loft and is made from steel pipe. The owls are by sculptor Jason Brown. http://www.shawnrivettdesigns.com