Betty G. Miller

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]

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 work
Ameslan Prohibited
AwardsAlice Cogswell Award for service to deaf people
2009

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 June 1976, she earned a Doctor of Education degree (Ed.D.) in art at Pennsylvania State University, becoming the first undergraduate alumna of then-Gallaudet College to earn a doctoral degree.[2][8][9] She was also a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, specializing in working with deaf patients.[10] 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.[11][12][13] 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.[14][15]

In 1975, she co-founded Spectrum, Focus on Deaf Artists, which brought together other painters, dancers, and artists contributing to deaf culture.[16]

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. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-09-10. Retrieved 2015-03-08. Doctoral thesis.
  • Miller, Betty G.; Paul, Frank Allen; Bahan, Benjamin J. (1984). Sign Language House. DawnSign 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. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 10, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  2. DiGuglielmo, Joey (January 9, 2013). "Betty Miller, 78". Washington Blade. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  3. "United States Social Security Death Index". FamilySearch. Alexandria, Virginia: U.S. Social Security Administration. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  4. "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. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2015. 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. Schiff, Debra (Fall 2010). "Information Behaviors of Deaf Artists". Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America. The University of Chicago Press. 29 (2): 44–47. doi:10.1086/adx.29.2.27949552. JSTOR 27949552. S2CID 148392189.
  8. "Financial Aid". International Alumnae of Delta Epsilon Sorority (IADES) Betty G. Miller Fellowship Award: Gallaudet University. Archived from the original on February 23, 2015. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  9. "Dissertation Abstracts". College of Arts and Architecture, School of Visual Arts. Penn State. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  10. "Hearing Impairment Series-Disabled Legend Betty G. Miller". LifeChums. August 11, 2008. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  11. 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.
  12. 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. Betty G. Miller.
  13. Lapiak, Jolanta. "Signoclasm: slashing hands for signing". HandSpeak.com. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  14. "Disabling Ideologies". Literature, Visual Culture, and Deaf Studies. December 22, 2014. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  15. "Selected Touring Works". DeafArt.org. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  16. Robinson, Julia. "Meet the Artist… Betty Miller" (PDF). Exploring the Work of Deaf Artists. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 7, 2015.

Further reading
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