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Betty Sager, the third eldest of six children, was born in 1934 in Engelhart, Ontario as Elizabeth Rice. As a result of her father needing to relocate with the army, she was raised in Glenvale, Ontario until 1940, Montieth, Ontario from 1940 to 1943, Glenvale, Ontario from 1943 to 1946, and Charlton, Ontario from 1946 to 1948.

She is the mother of five children, one of whom is deceased, from two former marriages. While raising her children, she worked as a cashier, factory worker, clothing store manager, window dresser and file clerk.

In the 1960s, she lived in British Columbia in Chilliwack and Revelstoke. In the 1970s, she returned to Ontario, living in Elliot Lake and Charlton. In Charlton, she took night school classes in oil painting. In the 1980s, she moved to North Bay, where she took night school classes in creative writing, clay sculpting, pen and ink drawing, calligraphy and silver casting.

Solo exhibitions of her work include Shadows on the Wall (1998, White Water Gallery), Ships & Things (1999,The Great Gecko), Wishes (2000, Duncan, BC), When Shadows Fall (2001, White Water Gallery), Red Hat Ladies (2004, Jaeger Meisters, North Bay,) and Untitled (2005, The Pastry Monk). The group exhibition 'Accumulation' (2004, curated by Lise Melhorn-Boe with featured artists Allan Hirsh, Betty Sager, and John Weiss) was the opening exhibition for the new location of White Water Gallery at 147 Worthington Street.

(The biographical information featured here was written in consultation with the artist in 2006.)

Interview:

ART IS SPECIAL FOR SHADOW BOX MAKER

For Betty Sager, shadowbox making is in her blood. "When I was abut two [years old], I would try to draw on birch bark with charcoal from our wood stove," Sager explained. In her lifetime, the local shadowbox maker has always had the passion, heart and dedication to make some form of art.

When it comes to ideas, Sager always has some floating around in her head. "If I had enough time to create everything I dream up, I would have a huge gallery of my own to hang them in," Sager expressed.

Everyone of Sager's shadowboxes reflects her own life as everything she makes is connected to her emotionally. "Some of the shadow boxes are part of childhood fantasies from my own life," Sager said. At times, usually before the shadow boxes are completed, Sager also feels connected to the shadow boxes spiritually.

Most of Sager's shadow boxes have stories behind them. "But I like to think of the viewer seeing something in them to create their own stories," Sager added.

After an idea begins flowing inside of Sager's head, the process of making the idea into a reality begins. First, Sager makes a central figure or plan in her mind, and then she will create some kind of background. She then works at until it begins to take shape. "Sometimes I take items out and add others if the first ones don't seem right," Sager explained.

For Sager, the most satisfying part of making her shadowboxes is when they are behind the glass and ready to hang. Even once work is completed, Sager can't wait to begin her next project, "which in my mind, will be even more satisfying than all the previous ones." Sager said, "I find myself unable to start a piece of work while one is not completed."

Sager doesn't think her shadowboxes follow any particular theme. "I believe I use many aspects of experience, insights, dreams, and fantasies in my work," Sager expressed.

Sager believes every artist, including herself, creates his or her own brand of passion, which is innate and easily dissected for discussion. For Sager, she has no idea how long a shadowbox takes to be completed as every single one is done at different stages. "I work sometimes for hours and sometimes only for minutes, depending on what I want to finish," Sager said.

Sager explained that the approach she uses to construct her shadow boxes is intuitive. "[It is} possibly not the choice of another artist, but my choice," she added.

Art is such a huge part of Sager's life and if she wasn't an artist, she says she would still find a way to be involved in art and to create something.

(By Andrew Hopkins, based on an interview in winter, 2006).

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Betty Sager
2006

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Betty Sager, Woman Underground, mixed media
2006

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Betty Sager, Artist statement (NB: contact information omitted)
2001