fine art connoisseur 2018
May / June 2018

Fine Art Connoisseur
"Betsy Ashton: Portraying Immigrants' Stories"

May, 2018

"Portraits of Immigrants"
Thirteen / WNET-TV news video

April 2018

Episcopal Journal
"Faces of Courage: Artist gives immigrants high profile on canvas"

Jun 2016

Ashton's portrait in a very prominent spot at the U.S. Embassy in London.

Nov 2014

Unveiling the portrait of Ambassador Lader, at the U.S. Embassy in London. Click image to see photos.

Sep 2014

Photographer Peter Krogh captured this scene in my studio in September, when a PBS video crew led by director Jon Hornbacher, seen here behind the cameraman, followed me around for two days. They were shooting a 60-second spot that will soon air on PBS stations nationwide. I have supported public television actively for many years. As a TV news reporter-turned-artist, I can speak with authority about the high quality of journalism and excellent coverage of the arts that PBS continually delivers. —Betsy Ashton

Mar 2013

Betsy was prominently featured in the March 2013 issue of Sirulian News, published by Sirulians, Inc., an organization of veteran journalists.

2012

In 2012, Betsy Ashton was commissioned to paint the official portrait of Philip Lader, former U.S. Ambassador to the Court of Saint James's, for the collection of the United States Embassy in Grosvenor Square, London.

Nov 10, 2011

Times Ledger, Queens, New York
"A Portraitist Behind the Lens"

Aug 2011

American Artist Studios
"Create a Space That You Won't Want to Leave"

A Big ‘Thank You’

I want to thank all who helped me create this project.  Without your generosity and guidance
it would have been impossible for me to spend the past two years researching and creating this work. 

   Many thanks to you immigrants and refugees, who allowed me to sketch, photograph, and paint your portraits and share your inspiring stories of sacrifice, struggle and success:

Edilson from Brazil
Beata from Poland
Diego from Colombia
Maria Salomé from Guatemala
“Angel” from Mexico
Porez, refugee from Haiti
John from Hong Kong
Richard from England
Rekha from India
Laura, DACA recipient from Mexico
Abdul, refugee from Afghanistan
Mustefa, refugee from Somalia
Lidia from Ukraine
Ronald from South Korea
Myo from Burma

I must also include you who anonymously shared your concerns and fears that went into the unnamed “final” portrait.

     My thanks also go the fine institutions and wonderful individuals, who gave me time, talent and/or treasure by pointing me in the right direction or spreading the word or helping to pay the way. Special thanks must go to three of the immigrants I painted for jumping in to help: 
Diego for donating all the beautiful frames, 
Richard for arranging a preview of the work in the 2018 L.I.C. Arts Open Festival, and 
John for his recent, most generous pledge.
 

Here, in alphabetical order, are others:

Anonymous (6 very generous contributors — you know who you are!)
Mahyar Afshar
Rayna Aylward
Elizabeth Ballantine
Joseph Berger
Judith H. Blau
Willem Brans
Dave Brown and team,MetroFocus, WNET-TV
Mario Busta
The Rev. John Callanan, Chaplain, Meadow Lakes, East Windsor, New Jersey
Mauricio Castillo, Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue
Christ Church Cathedral, Indianapolis, Indiana
Nora Chang Wang
Julie Denny Clark
​Katherine Connors
Ruth B. Cowan
L. Henry Cox & Michael Kunkel
Jessily Crispyn, theeagleonline.com
​Claudia Cutter-Dabiri
Susan Davis
Jack Deacy
Katherine Desch, Director of Resident Services, Stonebridge at Montgomery 
Lori Ann Doyon, Editor, Greenline
The Right Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Roman Catholic Bishop of Brooklyn & Queens
Emily Drooby, Currents News NET-TV
Steve Dunlop
Allyson Escobar, reporter, The Tablet
Angel Estrada, Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue
Carolyn Farin
Troy Farlow
​Steve Farron
Elvira Florindo
Dan Fowler
T. J. Houlihan
The  Rev. Paul Jeanes, III,  Rector, Trinity Church, Princeton, New Jersey
Stacey Judge, Springpoint Senior Living, New Jersey
Caitlyn Judge
Elisa Jensen
The Kerwin Family
Pamela Lewis, writer, Episcopal Journal, Episcopal New Yorker
Tania Lipkind
Charles Little
Kay Lockridge
Albert Marandola
Kendall Martin, Episcopal Migration Ministries
Cynthia Cannon McWhirter, Conference of Endowed Episcopal Parishes
Mae Wong Miller
Frances Mintz
Ethan Moore
The Rev. Matthew Moretz, Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue
Linda Morfi
Roxie Munro
​Sana’a Nadim
The Rev. William Norgren
​Richard F. Ober, Jr.
David Orcutt
​Dorothy Pacella
Ben Patrusky
The Rev. Canon John Perris, Episcopal Diocese of New York
Lorraine Piekny
Michael Piekny
Michelle Powers, ​Managing Editor, News Gathering, DeSales Media Group
Jeremy Robbins and staff, New American Economy
Christina Robertson
The Rev. Ellen Robison, The Riverside Church of New York
Peter Sax
Liz Schaus-Guzzo, Director of Life Enrichment, Meadow Lakes, East Windsor, New Jersey
Elinore Schnurr
Lisa Schubert, Cathedral of Saint John the Divine
The Rev. Byron Shafer, East Windsor, New Jersey
Eleanor, Lady Shearing
Carrie Sheffield, ​BOLD TV host
Rhoda Sherbell,NA, artist
Laura Solomon
Steven Speliotis, Speliotis Video
The Rev. Adam Spencer, Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue
James Stepleton
The Rev. Canon Mark Stevenson, Episcopal Migration Ministries
Stephanie Sulaiman, Executive Director, Museum of Urban Art
Robert & Rebecca Thomas
Anne Kelly Treantafeles
Peter Trippi, Editor-in-Chief, Fine Art Connoisseur magazine
Tom Tortorici
The Rev. Canon Carl Turner, Rector, Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue
David & Linda Underhill
The Rev. Thomas Vassalotti, Pastor, Divine Mercy Parish, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Georgiana Vines
Elizabeth Vranka, Executive Director, OSilas Gallery at Concordia College, Bronxville, NY
​Gary Tisdale-Woods