Feature Story Essay

Her love for art was an escape from the world that no parent could be upset with. As a young girl Beth Shipley always knew that her love for art would take her far in life. Now at age 52, her love for art has grown even fonder and she has made a pleasurable career out of it. She was born and raised in a small, corporate town in Delaware in an average size family. Sister to a two siblings, daughter to a political father and a supportive political mother; Shipley’s parents weren’t exactly into the arts. As a shy child in such a public life, art was the most satisfying way she could express herself. Talking about her childhood Shipley said, “When you’re shy it’s painful, you’re shut in.” Being shy came with an artsy side, she escaped through art making. Shipley still remembers the first drawing she ever made. As she grew older her love for art stuck with her. An inspiring interest in art started with the Abstract Impressionists, she loved how they challenged the status quo. She attended Skidmore College and Pratt Institute. Graduated with a B.S. in Fine Art from Skidmore College and a M.F.A. majoring in Painting and minoring in Art Criticism from Pratt Institute in 1997. During college her work ethic was unlike your average college student today. “Spring break was for working without interruption,” Shipley said. Ever since her work ethic has increased and she has put her schooling to boundless use!
Coming out of college Shipley defined herself as an artist, which she very much so was. Shipley said, “I travelled the world because of art!” When the travelling began she had gallery showings in France, Spain and solo showing in Brazil. She spent at least a month in each place on a resident grant. Shipley even spent a year in Ireland trying out new disciplines of art. Each new place she stayed in and explored she met interesting new people from all over the world, which she stays in contact with to this day! Graduate school is where Shipley learned that she was good at analyzing and verbalizing her thoughts, critiquing other people’s work. That’s how she decided she would like to be an art professor. “Teaching is the best way to express yourself coming from a shy childhood,” Shipley said. Her first job as a professor was at Bloomfield, in New Jersey. She taught there for seven years, where she learned then taught her favorite medium of art, Color and Design. From there she taught at Pratt Institute, and City University, in New York. Now you can find Professor Shipley teaching at Marymount Manhattan College, right here in Manhattan!
Shipley teaches the 2D world of art (Studio Art Concentration), teaching classes like Drawing and Painting at Marymount. This being only her second year here and she’s already on her way to a ten-year position. Shipley says, “I love my job here, I didn’t know too much about Marymount before. The faculty is incredible and the close student teacher relationship is great.” Shipley considers her job here at Marymount to be one of her many great accomplishments being she was chosen out of three hundred applicants!
Teaching is what pays the bills, but being a big fame success as an artist is still the future goal for Shipley. Her career still hasn’t developed one hundred percent they way she has wanted. Shipley says, “Looking back it’s a long tricky road, as an artist you have to construct meaning. I still have a way to go!” With no intentions of quitting anytime soon

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