Beth Ettensohn

Education: B.F.A., Xavier University; M.F.A., University of Kentucky; Ed.D. (ABD), University of Kentucky

Beth Ettensohn began her journey as an artist at a young age. When it was her turn to select the monthly-Saturday morning-family-excursion destination, she inevitably chose (much to her three brothers’ dismay), the Museum of the Art Institute of Chicago! With ongoing affirmations from her family and K-12 teachers, she arrived at Xavier University in Cincinnati where she taught Saturday morning classes at The Cincinnati Art Museum and graduated magnum cum laude with a B.F.A. concentrated in drawing. Later, she completed her M.F.A. at the University of Kentucky in sculpture and completed all coursework leading toward a Doctorate in Education with emphasize on “how students make meaning in art education.”

During her 35-year career as a teacher, Beth has taught in a variety of school and community venues. She has assisted a diverse population in discovering their artistic potential, including kindergarten through college students, severely mentally-challenged children, middle-school-age gifted students, and adult art retreatants. Focusing on adapting lessons to individual learning styles and maximizing on each student’s process of making art, Beth has described her classroom as a “living-kinetic-environmental-happening-work-of-art.”

Beth served as Secretary of the National Association for Gifted Children, Elementary Division Head for Kentucky Art Education Association, Chair of the Diocese of Lexington Arts Consortium, and Arts Consultant for Kentucky Collaborative for Elementary Learning with the Galef Institute. She has exhibited her sculpture locally at Headley-Whitney Museum, Barnhardt Gallery, ArtsPlace, Tuska Center for Contemporary Art, University of Kentucky Art Museum, and in Horse Mania.  She has received Teacher of the Year Award from Sayre School and two EcoArt Grants from the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government.