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.
  5. 1 2 3 "Finding aid for the Betty Asher papers, 1860-1999". www.oac.cdlib.org. Retrieved 2016-12-11.
  6. 1 2 3 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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