BETSY DAMON (American, b. 1940), is a feminist and activist artist whose practice encompasses performance, ecoart, and social action. She received her BA from Skidmore College (1963) and MFA from the Columbia University (1966). Damon currently lives and works in New York City.
Damon’s projects have also been featured in group exhibitions at Thomas Erben Gallery, NYC (ecofeminism(s), 2020), Museum of Modern Art Warsaw (2020), Taipei Biennial (2019), Asia Art Archive in America, NYC (2018), Mattress Factory, Pittsburgh (2012), Aspen Biennial Invitational (1990), Artemisia Gallery, Chicago (1989), P.S.1, NYC (1987, 1982), University of Wisconsin–Madison (1987), SOHO20, NYC (1986, 1984), and The Women’s Building, LA (1975), among others. In 2021, she will participate in EVA International, Ireland’s Biennial in Limerick and the exhibition Art & Ecology at SUNY Stony Brook.
In 1991, Damon founded Keepers of the Waters – an artist-directed nonprofit that actively promotes living water systems. It currently works with governments, students, and citizens on projects in 5 countries.
Some of Damon’s ecoart projects include: Living Waters of Larimer, Larimer, PA (2012-16) – a community-based project that repurposes rainwater to assist African American neighborhood with economic and sustainable development); design (with Tsing Hua Design Company) of the Olympic Forest Park, Beijing, China (2002-06) – a plant-based water purification park; collaboration with the Beijing Bureau of Hydraulic Research & Engineering, China (2001-03), Living Water Garden in Chengdu, China (1998) – a 6-acre park which uses bio-remediation and constructed wetlands to clean river water, and an environmental education center; and Keepers: Citizens' Rights & Responsibilities, Minnesota (1991-92) – a collaboration with the Humphrey Institute for Public Affairs and the Water Resource Research Center, to mobilize art, science, and citizens around a community’s water. She has been distinguished speaker at numerous universities, museums and water preservation conferences.
