Image: Stephen L. Clark Gallery, Austin
Austin artist, organizer, teacher, and friend Betelhem “Bete” Makonnen is being remembered by Leslie Moody Castro in an account published by Glasstire on August 18. Makonnen died earlier in 2026, according to the remembrance, which identifies her as a figure whose work moved across the visual arts and performance.
The account presents Makonnen as a creator, curator, and educator who participated in multiple communities rather than working within a single artistic role. Castro describes her life and practice as crossing boundaries that few people “could or would be willing to cross,” emphasizing the breadth of her engagement with Austin’s art and performance networks.
Makonnen’s listed roles—artist, organizer, teacher, curator, and educator—place her at the intersection of making, presenting, and transmitting art. The remembrance frames those activities as interconnected parts of her contribution, rather than as separate professional identities.
The published material does not provide additional details about Makonnen’s individual artworks, exhibitions, organizations, teaching posts, or the circumstances of her death. It does, however, make clear that Castro knew her personally, referring to Makonnen as an artist, colleague, and friend while documenting her importance within Austin’s visual-art and performance communities.
The remembrance appeared in a Glasstire newsletter alongside other Texas art coverage, including reports and reviews concerning institutions and artists in Austin, Dallas, East Texas, and the Rio Grande Valley. Glasstire is identified in the source material as a nonprofit publication focused on Texas visual art. The notice records Makonnen’s lifespan as 1972–2026.
