Our August Treasure of the Month features the works of artist Jean Wetta, which are displayed throughout the second floor of the library as well as the Treasure of the Month case. See if you can find them all!
About the Artist
Jean Carruthers Wetta was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1944. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts at Webster College in St. Louis, and her Masters in painting at Louisiana State University. In the 80s, after she finished graduate school, she moved to Galveston, where she taught both painting and art history. Wetta worked as a painting instructor at Galveston Arts Center for seven years, then as an art history instructor and later Gallery Director at College of the Mainland.
After Galveston, Wetta moved to Florida where she developed an impressionistic style to depict the environment she lived in. In 2000, she spent time in France as the Artist in Residence at the Centre D’Etudes D’Architecture. Then, in 2002, she moved to New Jersey, where she currently lives and paints full-time.
Wetta has been a guest lecturer at several universities, including Rice University in Houston, SFA University in Nacogdoches, and University of Houston. Her work has been shown in galleries and exhibits nationally, but her paintings and involvement in Galveston left a strong impression in the community. Wetta displayed her paintings in several one-person and selected group exhibits throughout the Galveston-Houston area, including the Galveston Arts Center and the Moody Gallery.
About the Art
The majority of Wetta’s work appears to be moody and realistic (though not entirely representational, and stylized). The portrait of John and Marjorie McCullough in the McCullough Room on the library’s 2nd floor is a good example of Wetta’s signature style. While this style of work is Wetta’s most recognizable, other artworks in the Rosenberg Library’s collection are visibly different than her usual work.
Hanging in the Friends’ Book Shop on the 2nd floor of the library is one of two Wetta landscapes in the library’s collection. In this untitled piece, we can see the brush strokes are bold, thick and visible with the usage of bright colors. While there is no exact date on this artwork, it is reminiscent of how she described the artwork she created in Florida. She described these paintings of the swamps she lived around as first impressions, completing the paintings in one sitting, with “no time to refine.” The influence of her impressionist style may be seen in this piece, as it is unlike her usual more developed, moody, representational style. The second Wetta landscape painting can be seen hanging in the 2nd floor stairwell across from the Visitor’s Center – this painting is noticeably different than the one in the Book Shop. This piece, Mediterranean near St. Tropez, was painted in 1977. This piece could be seen as transitional between her fast-paced impression paintings and her more refined, detailed pieces. Unlike the previous piece, there is a mix of tones – while not as dark as some of her other landscape paintings, the mix of dim, soft colors and the rolling clouds in the background mark this painting as an in-between piece for Wetta’s artwork.
The piece in our Treasure of the Month case is Wetta’s Swan, a 3-D plaster sculpture painted in acrylic. While Wetta is most notable for her paintings, she experiments with other mediums and art forms, including sculpture. While it is recognizable as a swan, the abstracted shape allows the viewer’s eye to follow the movement throughout the sculpture. Though not a typical example of her work, Swan still reads as unmistakably Wetta – bold, defined, and creative.
Jean Wetta’s artwork gives us a glimpse into her perception of the environment surrounding her, each time in a unique way. From her more refined works to her quick impression paintings, her talent can be seen in all of her works. To find out more about this artist, you can use this link to view her website:
https://www.jeancarrutherswetta.com/statement.htm
The Treasure of the Month is located on the library’s historic second floor near the East Entrance. It can be viewed during regular library hours: Monday, Friday, & Saturday, 9:00 am–6:00 pm, and Tuesday–Thursday, 9:00 am–8:00 pm. For museum questions, call 409.763.8854 Ext. 125 or email museum@rosenberg-library.org. For press inquiries, contact the Communications Coordinator.
