Molly Bethel

Molly Bethel is a painter and educator. She is also the co-founder (with Olga Lownie) and former director of Locust Street Neighborhood Art Classes (formally known as MollyOlga). Bethel was born in 1933 and received her Bachelor of Arts from Vassar College in 1956.[1] She also attended Cornelia Yuditsky School of Creative Art in Washington, D.C. The school, an extension of the publicly funded arts program Works Progress Administration, helped mold Bethel’s teaching style and her commitment to community outreach and arts education for students of all backgrounds.[2]

In 1956, Bethel began teaching art classes, working with several organizations. For a time, she designed and coordinated the original iteration of the Albright-Knox's outreach education program, bringing art classes to the many diverse neighborhoods of Buffalo.[3] Children in Molly's neighborhood knew she painted and taught painting. The little girl who lived in the front house asked her for help learning to draw. Soon, more neighborhood children started coming to her home. Over time, Molly provided instruction and guidance to a host of children who would come to her house for "painting parties"

Bethel would buy art supplies and host the growing number of students in her home, never requesting any type of payment for her classes.[4] Living in a predominantly African American neighborhood, Bethel’s classes provided the community unprecedented access to art. By 1961, the number of students interested in classes grew too large, requiring Bethel to find a larger space. With the cooperation of Reverend Kenneth Curry, she began teaching at the St. Phillips Episcopal Church.[5] By the end of the first year at St. Phillips, 50 children were coming, leading to the adition of   Olga Lownie, who was an art education student at Buffalo State at that time. Olga would teach alongside Molly for the next thirty years.

In 1971, a wide path of "urban renewel" in Buffalo lead to the demonition of St. Philipos Episcopal Church. At the same time, the consolidation of Catholic Schools made it possible to use the first two rooms in the neighboring convent of St. Boniface RC at 138 Locust Street. Molly and Olga incorporated the classes as MollyOlga.[6]

The three-story building, located on Locust Street, is in the heart of the Fruit Belt, a neighborhood in Buffalo that has historically been haunted with poverty, violence and drugs.[7] MollyOlga was a welcome addition to the neighborhood; local gang members would even protect the building from rival gangs.[8] MolyOlga rented the two front rooms in the building for 10 years, until the building went on sale in 1981. With the community’s ongoing support, MollyOlga managed to purchase the building outright; all of the funding for the purchase was comprised of donations from neighborhood families and the local church parish.[9] Without the burden of a mortgage, MollyOlga was able to keep classes free, even expanding the offerings to include photography, ceramics and sculpture classes. Continuously providing access to art to the Fruit Belt community and the city of Buffalo as a whole, is the very basis of which Locust Street Art was created. Terrie Ford, a former student at Locust Street Art (1982-1991) writes:

“One of Molly’s primary goals for Locust Street has been to embrace children and adults from diverse backgrounds and show them that art isn’t just for an elite. She continues to prove, through encouragement and careful attention, that art can be accessible to everyone.”[10]

In 1997, the program was formally renamed Locust Street Art Classes, and is still in operation today. Students of all ages and skill levels can take studio classes and workshops in painting, clay, animation, film and digital photography.

Bethel has been honored several times for her contribution to the city of Buffalo. Her awards and accolades include the New York State Governor’s Arts Award for MollyOlga (1985), the Buffalo News Citizen of the Year (1996), Community Recognition by the Fruit Belt Coalition (2011), and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Buffalo Arts Services Initiative (2014), and the Father Baker Service to Youth Award (2008).[11]

Despite her extensive work in art education, Bethel exhibited her own art throughout her life. Her paintings have been included in group shows at the Pastel Society of America 18^th Annual Open Exhibition in New York City (1990), the Clary-Miner Gallery in Buffalo (1991), and the Anderson Gallery in Buffalo (1992).[12] Bethel as also had individual shows at El Museo Gallery in Buffalo (1998), the Maclaren Art Centre in Barrie, Ontario (2003) and the Gallery Moos in Toronto (2003).[13] In the early 2010's, Bethel was featured in a small group show at Buffalo Big Print. 

After 50 years of service, Bethel retired as director of Locust Street Arts in 2010. She continues to paint.