Betty Ballew

Betty Ballew, a graphic designer-turned-fine artist, transitioned from broadcasting to creating art full-time when she welded her first life-size metal horse sculpture, "Maximus," in 2012. Before this, she had a diverse career as a published illustrator, airbrush comic book artist, photographer, art director at NBC-17 Raleigh and UPN-33 Miami, and video director at Zimmerman and Partners advertising in Fort Lauderdale. Ballew has won numerous broadcasting awards, including Telly Awards, Addy Awards, Mobius Awards, and an Emmy for her work in 3D animation and video editing. Additionally, she has also been featured on the cover of the national fabrication publication, FF Journal, and is featured in the “Women of Harley” painting series by David Uhl. 

Ballew’s sculptures primarily consist of metals collected from her family's Nebo farm, dating back to the 1800s, as well as exotic aviation metals from a jet propulsion repair facility in Miami, FL, scrapyard treasures, and donations from friends. Betty chooses to weld dissimilar metals to create her pieces, often inspired by her nightly dreams, to highlight the unique components that make up a story’s energy.