Image: Wolverhampton Art Gallery
Wolverhampton Art Gallery is presenting ‘Betsy Smith: Memory in Colour’, an exhibition of bold, colourful semi-abstract landscapes and seascapes by the local painter. The exhibition, which opened on 6 June 2026, continues through 31 August, with free admission.
Smith’s paintings are made from memory rather than direct observation. According to the gallery, this approach allows her to use colour intuitively, evoking feeling instead of attempting to replicate the appearance of a particular place. Her subjects include land and seascapes, rendered primarily in acrylic and watercolour.
The exhibition centres on Smith’s sustained interest in the relationship between painting and lived experience. Her recurring themes include memory, mortality, the passage of time and the broader human experience. The gallery describes Smith as a painter whose work reflects her experience of life through paint, while the exhibition title points to the role of recollection in shaping both her imagery and colour.
Betsy Smith was born in 1930 and is identified by the gallery as a local artist. Her semi-abstract compositions move away from direct representation, using heightened colour and simplified forms to convey atmosphere and emotional response. A work titled ‘Wetlands’, dated 2019, is among the paintings associated with the exhibition.
The show is part of Wolverhampton Art Gallery’s wider programme of exhibitions and collection displays. The gallery is also hosting ‘Andy Warhol: Art Star’, an ARTIST ROOMS exhibition presented in partnership with Tate and National Galleries of Scotland, from 23 May to 4 October 2026. Its programme includes exhibitions by artists connected to Wolverhampton as well as nationally and internationally recognised figures.
The gallery was shortlisted in 2026 for the Kids in Museums Family Friendly Museum Award in the Best Small Museum category. The award is judged by families, following public nominations and assessment by a panel of museum experts, children and young people. ‘Betsy Smith: Memory in Colour’ remains on view at Wolverhampton Art Gallery until 31 August 2026.
