Betty Spindler

Betty Spindler (born 1943) is an American ceramist, known for her ceramic renditions of fruits, vegetables, and other foods.[1]

Born in Long Beach, California in 1943, Spindler struggled with learning disabilities as a child, later diagnosed as dyslexia.[2][3] She began her art career with classes at Sherman E. Burroughs High School, but did not continue to college, instead marrying and starting a family.

Spindler resumed her formal art education in 1979, with classes at Cerro Coso Community College.[4] She focused on ceramic sculpture, graduating with an Associate of Arts degree in 1986.[2] She then attended the University of California, Santa Cruz, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1990, at the age of 47.[2][3]

While Spindler's ceramics work started as a hobby, she slowly parlayed this into a professional career. Her most prominent work, the 2000 sculpture Hot Dog, is on permanent display in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.[5][1] Other works of hers are included in the permanent collections of the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, California, and the Winfield Gallery in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.[6]

Spindler has frequently spoken to students on her experiences in overcoming learning disabilities. In 2012, she served as a Distinguished Speaker for her alma mater Cerro Coso Community College's commencement exercises. She has also served as a trustee for Kern Community College District and the California Association of Community Colleges, and served on the Governor of California's Commission for Disabled Students.[3]