Meet Elizabeth Groth

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Groth.

Elizabeth, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I began studying art at a local junior college while in high school. Up to that point, I had only been homeschooled, so in a lot of ways, my first exposure to the “real world”, was the art world. I loved the way one could make sense of everything around them through ideas and making. In the middle of earning my BFA in Studio Art from the University of Texas at Tyler, I went to Spain to study art history and completed an artist residency in Sefrou, Morocco.

In my travels and studies, I learned acceptance, exchange, and extolance of culture. Upon graduating, I went back over the Atlantic to focus my efforts through a second artist residency in Madrid. I stayed for two years, had three solo shows, a group exhibition, and gave several university talks. Before moving to Boulder in 2019, I lived in Tucson, Arizona, where I kept a private studio and worked as an educator at the Tucson Museum of Art. I currently live in Boulder, Colorado, and continue to effort towards growth and evolvement in my work, practicing out of a studio in Boulder Canyon.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Every individual will have their own struggles on their journey, but one thing I recommend to those still in undergrad or graduate school is to take an entrepreneur or business class. I wish more BFA degree plans implemented the business side of being a working artist. It can be challenging to balance a focus on art-making while figuring out the admin and business side. Progress adds up over time by taking every step in stride!

We’d love to hear more about your art.
I used to think of my job as an art educator as separate from my private studio practice. As time went on, I started to notice my classroom discoveries informing my personal work. I took an interest in art history as I began to teach it. In the past few years, I have started to create pieces that recall or criticize well-known works, artists, and movements in art history. How does learning that Picasso was abusive to his seven wives, lovers, and muses change the way we see his work? Why are women artists largely excluded from genres they were pivotal in founding? If we take the beauty out of a work of art, is the public still interested in learning from it? The aim of my work is to ask questions that lead to more questions, not answers. It is vital for one to speak out the truth of their existence, which we can think of as collected experiences. My recent curiosities have explored themes of womanhood, what it means to be a woman today, and how women are subconsciously viewed.

Something I am proud of as of recent is my inclusion in the Rocky Mountain Biennial. Three of my paintings were invited to be a part of the exhibition, which was at the Fort Collins Musem of Art from July through September of 2020. There were some bigger names and amazing artists I was extremely honored to share the walls with.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.elizabethgroth.com
• Instagram: ea.g

Image Credit:
Daniela Dawson

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