CSJ: What is your favorite piece of art that you have created?
BBR: It is a relief wall hanging titled Between Heaven and Hell. The piece was about 5 ft. tall, and it was quite a conversation piece when I hung it outside my studio at the Artists Collective. I would be in my studio here, and I would hear people talking and discussing it outside the door. Sometimes I left them alone, but sometimes I went out and talked to them about the piece and the meaning behind it. We had really good conversations; people even brought their family here to see this particular piece. I felt like I did what I needed to do as an artist—engage others with the work. This was definitely a reaction to the piece.
CSJ: What inspired this piece?
BBR: I was doing a workshop at Dorman High School, and I was teaching the students how to make masks and faces. After the workshop, I was left with three faces, so I took them to my studio. At that time, I was doing a lot of thinking about war: the meaning of war; who and what causes war; and why people are fighting all the time. I named this piece Between Heaven and Hell. It is about the good and bad we do to each other in the name of religion. In the back is Martin Luther King, Jr., in the Middle is Mother Teresa and Hitler is in there too. Some people see Jesus toward the top. There is a Christian church and other icons of many religions. There is barbed wire, soldiers fighting, a classic image of an atomic bomb, and what was left of the Twin Towers after 9-11.
CSJ: Where is this piece now?
BBR: It was hanging outside my studio at the Collective for a long time. Then it went to the Upstairs Gallery in Tryon, NC. While on exhibit there, it was sold, and I learned later that it burned up in a fire. Because it was such a popular piece, people would reach out to ask what happened to it. When I explained that it burned in a fire, they would express how sad they were that it was gone. All I have are these pictures and the memories of how it touched the community.
CSJ: May I ask you a little bit about your role at the Artists Collective | Spartanburg?
BBR: I’ve been here for about 13 years now. I came here because my friend Theresa Prater asked me to share a studio with her. About a year later, they needed someone to be the chair of the Collective. So my husband Dennis and I talked it over, and I agreed to do it. Since then, I have been the Management Board Chair and Dennis has helped by volunteering to be the Treasurer. Dennis has a strong business background and I have an art educator background but have also worked as a project manager in a business in Atlanta, GA. I found that the Collective was in need of organization and direction. It had good people but needed a stronger Management Board and a plan for writing grants and fundraising. We have worked tirelessly to make this a very strong arts organization today.
CSJ: What is your favorite event that we host at the Collective and why?
BBR: I would think I would have to say that it is our art walk on the third Thursday of every month because I get to see artists who have never had a show before come into their element, and to me, that is very important. I try to encourage them to have their show because working with an audience and hearing their questions helps artists look at their work in new ways. So that is why I love Art Walk. It is like a peer review or critique that fosters new ideas. It is an important step if they are serious about their work. Our artists come here for a reason—to learn from each other and grow their experience. We give them that opportunity to grow. So, when I see the results of their growth, it is what makes me happy.
CSJ: Would you mind telling us a bit about the medium/media that you create?
BBR: I am mostly known in Spartanburg for my large polymer clay works, but I add other elements to keep it interesting. I use things like string and epoxy clay to make it more interesting. I have taken polymer clay from a craft material to a fine art.
CSJ: Where do you find the inspiration for your art?
BBR: Oh, I sketch all the time even if I am sitting after dinner at night and the TV is on. There is always a sketchbook in my lap; the ideas just come to me. I cannot tell you exactly how, but I have always drawn crazy little drawings. My hands are never still; they are always drawing.
CSJ: Would you mind telling us a little bit more about your creative process?
BBR: Sure. Like I was saying, I draw all the time, even if I am sitting in a meeting. I just use notebook paper. Because these are just quick sketches. If I like what I see, I put a check beside it, and then I go through my notebooks, and I pull out the pages with a check. They go into a big basket in my studio, and when I am working on a body of work, I go to that basket, pull out the images, and then I start developing a body of work based on those quick sketches. Sometimes they become big sculptures, sometimes they become free standing, but most of the time they become relief sculptures. At this moment I’m working on a show that will be in the Solomon Gallery in 2026. I have 60 pieces to create. I have 19 of them in process now, and they all started with a simple sketch.
CSJ: A flow state is characterized as when one becomes so immersed in something that nothing else around exists and time passes without awareness. Do you have experience with this state? If so, how do you achieve it?
BBR: I believe an artist needs a dedicated space whether it is a bedroom, garage, or wherever. I am lucky that I have a whole upstairs in my house in which to make a creative mess. When I walk into my studio, everything is available. It may be a total mess to most people, but I know where things are. A lot of times I have to wait for work to dry before I get to the next one, so I work constantly in a series. I do not complete one piece until I start the next piece.
CSJ: What is one piece of advice that you would give to someone who wants to create art but is hesitant to get started or does not know where to begin?
BBR: As the head of the collective, I say, come hang out with us. Come experience an art walk and start a conversation. Our artists are usually open to just talking, and they like to talk about their work. They like to talk about themselves through their work. At our shows, you will meet artists who might be having their first show. Ask them how they got started, but the main thing is just do it. Just do it, engage. Engage yourself in art. Go to galleries and look at it. When I was in high school, we did not have an art program. They finally had one later, after I graduated, but I always knew I was an artist. I educated myself in the high school library. This is where I spent my lunch periods in the library reading art books. In many ways, I was self-taught before I ever had more formal training in college.
CSJ: Do you have a favorite artist?
BBR: Picasso because he just sees the world so differently. I can relate to him.
CSJ: What do you think are the benefits of creating for both you and your audience?
BBR: Every time I make a piece of art I learn. I hope that when people view my work they are learning that they do not have to do things like everybody else. They can develop their own style, their own way of doing things, and if I leave this world with just one message out there, then it would be: it is true, you learn by doing. Challenge yourself each time. CSJ: Do you have any additional words of wisdom or insights that you would like to share?
BBR: There’s a video of me that was done four years ago, and it is called From the Soul (below); it really gives you more of an in-depth view of me as an artist. It is filmed in my studio and in the gardens around my house. We talk about a lot of what you just asked me, and they did a fantastic job with the film. Also, visit my website to see earlier works and current work.
Visit Beth’s website to see more of her artwork and learn more about her journey as an artist.
Local Takes is a documentary film series from Spartanburg, SC spotlighting southern artists.
Directed by Aaron Pate & Trey Morrow
IMDB “From the Soul” https://www.imdb.com/title/tt20191752