COLUMBUS, Ohio — She started by pushing to get African American art into public art spaces. Now, this Ohio curator who worked to create change from within is being honored.
Bettye Stull is one of six women honored as the 2023 YWCA Columbus Women of Achievement for their advocacy.
What You Need To Know
- Bettye Stull is an artist, collector, and curator who dedicated her life to Black culture and mentoring youth
- In 2004, she officially became an independent curator
- The 91-year-old reflects upon her life while offering words of inspiration for the younger generations
“I have a passion to serve,” said Bettye Stull, independent artist and curator.
While spending years curating art for exhibits and galleries in Greater Columbus, Stull made it a priority to emphasize Black culture. Everything from mentoring youth on Black culture to developing nationally significant exhibitions for 25 years, she’s done a lot.
“I’ve been on my journey,” said Stull. “And that journey started with Recreation and Parks and working with young people that lived in housing developments where they didn’t stop to think about culture or heritage or anything like that, and so, I wanted to give them some hope.”
Stull’s love for Black culture only grew.
In 2004, she went on to become an independent curator, specializing in African American collections.
Now, while reflecting upon her legacy in the arts, Stull remembers her late-husband Robert exposing her to the broader world of art.
“He was the first chair of the art department at Ohio State University,” said Stull. “He was a person who taught me a lot about the Black artists because he had worked with many of them in New York and brought them to the university as visiting artists.”
After all these years, she’s leaving nothing behind but a life full of experiences and these words of encouragement.
“Oh, it’s an incredible experience,” said Stull. “You know you don’t go through life expecting to always receive, but when it comes, it’s an incredible experience and you enjoy it, and you move on and as long as you have breath, you can continue to make these changes and give some hope and some inspiration.”
