Betty Blayton (July 10, 1937 – October 2, 2016) was an American activist, advocate, artist,[2] arts administrator and educator, and lecturer.
Her abstract methods created a space for the viewer to insert themselves into the piece, allowing for self reflection, a central aspect of Blayton's work.
Blayton studied at Bruton Heights until 8th grade and then continued her education at Palmer Memorial Institute in North Carolina until 1955.
One of her most successful students was Jean-Michel Basquiat, who is thought to have learned his appreciation of adolescent creativity from Blayton's philosophy that spirit is more important than technique when it comes to your artwork.
[11] After she moved to New York, she became a part of the Association Community Team of Harlem Youth Opportunities Unlimited where she taught teenagers about art and encouraged them to visit MoMA.
[13] During the 1970s, she participated in a community art space called Communications Village operated by printmaker Benjamin Leroy Wigfall in Kingston, NY.