Bettina Grossman (September 28, 1927 – November 2, 2021) was an American conceptual artist, best known for her longtime residency at the Hotel Chelsea in Manhattan and her eccentric persona.
[2] After struggling to make ends meet overseas, she moved back to New York City and settled into Manhattan's historic Hotel Chelsea, a haven for artists, musicians, and cultural icons.
This period saw contributions from various individuals, including Rachel Cohen, also a longtime resident of the Chelsea Hotel, and Varun Khanna, a representative from the United Nations who became acquainted with Bettina through a chance meeting.
Their involvement culminated in Bettina's collaborations with artist Yto Barrada and the Amazon Prime documentary Dreaming Walls, focused on the hotel's history.
As a result, at 92, Bettina, emerging from years of isolation, participated as an inaugural artist at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council on Governors Island and had her work exhibited at prestigious venues like the Museum of Modern Art before her death.