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Betty G. Miller

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Betty G. Miller
Born(1934-07-27)July 27, 1934
Chicago, Illinois
DiedDecember 3, 2012(2012-12-03) (aged 78)
NationalityAmerican
Alma materGallaudet University
Notable workAmeslan Prohibited
AwardsAlice Cogswell Award for service to deaf people
2009

Betty Gloria Miller[1] (July 27, 1934 – December 3, 2012),[2][3] also known as Bettigee (which was her signature on her artworks)[4] was an American artist who became known as the "Mother of De'VIA" (Deaf View/Image Art).[5]

Family and early life

She was born hard of hearing in Chicago to deaf parents Ralph Reese Miller, Sr., and Gladys Hedrick Miller.[2][6] She attended an oral school, but learned ASL at home.[7] In 1957 she became the first deaf woman to graduate from Gallaudet University with a doctoral degree in art.[2][8] She then graduated from Penn State University with an Ed.D. degree; she was also a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, specializing in working with deaf patients.[9] Her art practice included some of her reflections on a deaf person's experiences in an oral school.[7]

Career

Miller taught at Gallaudet, her alma mater. Her 1972 work titled Ameslan Prohibited (Ameslan is an early name for American Sign Language) has become a symbol of the oppression deaf people face when signing.[10][11][12] This black and white drawing depicts a pair of disembodied hands in handcuffs with the fingers severed at several locations. The original is now part of the National Touring Exhibit of Deaf Culture Art collection.[13][14]

In 1975, she co-founded Spectrum, Focus on Deaf Artists, which brought together other painters, dancers, and artists contributing to deaf culture.[15]

In 2009 she was awarded the Alice Cogswell Award for service to deaf people.[4]

Death and legacy

Miller died on December 3, 2012,[3] of sepsis, which led to kidney failure. She was survived by her partner of 25 years, Nancy Creighton.[2]

The Betty G. Miller Fellowship Award was named in her honor; it provides financial assistance to deaf women pursuing doctorate degrees at Gallaudet University.[8]

Published works

  • Miller, Betty G. (1976). Deaf Learners as Artists (PDF). illustrated by Nancy Creighton. Pennsylvania State University.
  • Miller, Betty G.; Paul, Frank Allen; Bahan, Benjamin J. (1984). Sign Language House. Dawn Sign Press. ISBN 0915035030.
  • Miller, Betty G. (1998). Deaf & Sober: Journeys Through Recovery. National Association of the Deaf. ISBN 0913072869.

References

  1. ^ Miller, Betty Gloria (August 1976). Deaf Learners as Artists: A Thesis in Art Education (PDF). Pennsylvania State University Graduate School, Department of Art Education. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d DiGuglielmo, Joey (January 9, 2013). "Betty Miller, 78". Washington Blade. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  3. ^ a b "United States Social Security Death Index". FamilySearch. Alexandria, Virginia: U.S. Social Security Administration. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Betty G. Miller". Gale Biography in Context. July 1, 2010. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  5. ^ Durr, Patti. "De'VIA: Investigating Deaf Visual Art" (PDF). Rochester Institute of Technology. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  6. ^ "United States Census, 1940". FamilySearch. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. 2012. Retrieved March 7, 2015. Ward 50, Chicago, Chicago City, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 103-3225, sheet 11B, family 229, NARA digital publication T627, roll 1022
  7. ^ a b Schiff, Debra (Fall 2010). "Information Behaviors of Deaf Artists". Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America. 29 (2). The University of Chicago Press: 44–47. JSTOR 27949552.
  8. ^ a b "Financial Aid". International Alumnae of Delta Epsilon Sorority (IADES) Betty G. Miller Fellowship Award: Gallaudet University. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  9. ^ "Hearing Impairment Series-Disabled Legend Betty G. Miller". LifeChums. August 11, 2008. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  10. ^ Jankowski, Katherine A. (1997). Deaf Empowerment: Emergence, Struggle & Rhetoric. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. p. 58. ISBN 1-56368-061-0. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  11. ^ Lane, Harlan (2004). A Deaf Artist in Early America: The Worlds of John Brewster, Jr. Boston, MA: Beacon Press. p. 120. ISBN 0-8070-6616-8. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  12. ^ Lapiak, Jolanta. "Signoclasm: slashing hands for signing". HandSpeak.com. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  13. ^ "Disabling Ideologies". Literature, Visual Culture, and Deaf Studies. December 22, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  14. ^ "Selected Touring Works". DeafArt.org. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  15. ^ Robinson, Julia. "Meet the Artist… Betty Miller" (PDF). Exploring the Work of Deaf Artists. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
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