Betty Isaacs

Isaacs worked as a librarian in New York, where she met her husband, Julius Isaacs, in 1921. He encouraged her to pursue her artistic ambitions.^[2] She studied at the Elverhøj Art Colony in New York, Kunstgewerbeschule (School of Arts and Crafts) in Vienna, and later studied and taught at the Cooper Union School of Art in Manhattan, New York.^[3][4]

Her design work included textiles and wallpapers characterized by bright colours and intricate patterns, often inspired by nursery rhymes and natural scenes.^[2]

After years in commercial design, Isaacs shifted her focus to ceramics and discovered her passion for sculpture. She became a self-taught sculptor, creating expressive works in clay, stone, and wood, often depicting animals and human figures.^[5] She was a prolific creator and designed numerous textile and rug designs, drawings, sculptures and ceramics over her lifetime.

Isaacs held her first solo exhibition in 1953 at the Hacker Gallery in New York and her work is held in many private collections worldwide.^[2][6]

Isaacs died on 4 January 1971 in New York City.^[7]

Betty and Julius Isaacs were patrons of the arts and developed a significant personal art collection. Upon their deaths, their collection was bequeathed to the National Art Gallery of New Zealand, consisting of over 200 items, primarily featuring Betty's sculptures and designs, as well as paintings by Julius and notable New Zealand artists.^[2][1]