Beth Reitmeyer is a visual artist who likes to make people happy with her colorful installations. Her installations are based upon landscape topography and geology, specifically waterfalls, clouds, sinkholes, caves, geodes, and rocks. Her work investigates how experiencing the glories of a place impact our sense of being, perception, and relationships with other people. Beth’s work has recently been exhibited at the Frist Art Museum, Nashville; ChaShaMa, New York; The Elizabeth Foundation, New York; OZ Arts, Nashville; TedX Nashville; The Downing Museum, Bowling Green, KY; Zg Gallery, Chicago. Beth has been an artist-in-residence at The Studios at MASS MoCA, ChaNorth, Pine Plains, NY, the Sam & Adele Golden Foundation for the Arts, New Berlin, NY; Craigardan, Elizabethtown, NY; The Ragdale Foundation, Lake Forest, IL; Byrdcliffe, Woodstock, NY. Recent awards include the Tanne Foundation award and grants from Metro Nashville Arts Commission/National Endowment for the Arts.

We go through life, looking for hope and love, finding it in expected and unexpected places. Beth’s artwork strives to be a physical manifestation of the cherished yet unseen parts of our relationships: hopes, dreams, wishes, loss, and love. It seeks to foster relationships between people who may or may not otherwise meet, allowing them to spend time making memories and building friendships in specific places of one’s life.

Currently Beth is creating a series of places based upon landscapes: investigating rivers, waterfalls, caves, geodes, stars, and the moon. Her work examines the joy of unexpected yet beautiful spaces and places that may be discovered as one explores the land and structures within it. These spaces are comprised of rich, luscious, inviting materials, such as fabric, glitter, and twinkle lights. The inviting environments allow the viewers to explore the land and get to know one another in a deeper, more profound way. They may also provide a space for renewal and hope for persevering.

Beth’s artwork embraces radical optimism (everyone can find joy and hope) and indiscriminate hospitality (all are welcome to create and experience joy through sharing). Hopefully viewers will realize that people are like landscapes: we make assumptions about initial appearances, but through knowledge and experience, pleasant surprises abound as we gain a deeper knowledge of each other while in the land and through art.