Bet Low RSA 1924-2007

Bet Low was born in Gourock in 1924 and studied art at Glasgow School of Art along with lan Hamilton Finlay during the Second World War. She attended Jordanhill Teacher Training College and later worked as an art therapist. She co-founded, along with John Taylor and Cyril Gerber, the influential New Charing Cross Gallery
in Glasgow. At Greenock Academy Low displayed a talent for landscape work and in 1942 went to the Glasgow College of Art
and attended Hospitalfield College of Art, Arbroath.

During her training at Jordanhill she became a friend of the young comedian Stanley Baxter. He got Low involved in the Unity Theatre where the mix of singers, artists and actors appealed to her and Low worked on many of the projects to encourage the young. She also met, and married, Tom McDonald, Unity's resident designer.
Along with members of the Clyde group of writers and artists, Low drew many of the still damaged areas around the Clyde. These etchings captured an era of forgotten war-torn Glasgow and are
now of historic importance. Low started exhibiting and her works were seen at the Scottish Society of Independent Artists and the
Royal Glasgow Institute. Her watercolours were also seen at the New Art Club, founded by the redoubtable JD Fergusson - who supported Low over many years and invited her to show her oils
and watercolours in 1956, when he organised the first open-air exhibitions on the railings at the Glasgow Botanic Gardens.

Bet was elected an Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy in 1988 and became an Academician in 2005.

Obituary from RSA 2008 Annual Exhibition Catalogue