PALETTE FEATURE – IN MEMORIAM MURIEL DINSMORE
H
umboldt County lost a huge force of nature for getting things done when Eureka native Muriel Dinsmore passed away in her sleep October 16, 2018 at the age of 89. Although petite of stature, she was an irrepressible dynamo of activity. Muriel was a passionate advocate for art and culture on the North Coast. She had a deeply rooted love of historic architecture, and was the Founding Director of the Eureka Heritage Society. She helped found the Humboldt Arts Council, served as past-president, and was on its board of directors. Muriel was also one of the original founders of the Fortuna Arts Council and the CR Foundation League. During the 1960s Muriel was secretary to then-HSU Vice President and founder of the Humboldt Arts Council, Dr. Homer Balabanis. From 1970 to 1980 she was the writer and editor of the Times-Standard’s “Accent on People” section, where she interviewed a number of luminaries including Nancy Reagan and Norman Vincent Peale. She won awards from the California Press Women’s Association; in fact, the list of her activities, achievements and honors is almost endless. A few of the many other awards she received were the League of Women Voter’s Significant Contribution award, the HAC’s Contribution to the Arts Award (twice), Woman of Distinction from the local Soroptimists International Chapter, and the Humboldt County Republican of the Year award. As titanic as her accomplishments were, however, it was her small acts of kindness that will be missed by her many friends and acquaintances. Those legendary, personal touches from this remarkable woman, and her years of giving back to her community, will never be forgotten.
Muriel Dinsmore, courtesy of Humboldt Arts Council
FLOYD BETTIGA
F
loyd Bettiga, an important figure in Humboldt County’s art community, passed away peacefully on September 25, 2018 at Mad River Hospital. Born in Ferndale in 1932, Floyd was a well loved, award-winning local painter and teacher. He was hired to teach art at College of the Redwoods in 1964, one of the college’s original faculty members, and influenced art students there for almost 30 years. He also played an important role in establishing the college’s permanent art collection, and established scholarships at CR and HSU (the College of the Redwoods Floyd Bettiga Art Scholarship and the Humboldt State University Floyd Bettiga Scholarship Endowment Fund). Friends who wish to honor him are urged to contact those schools about supporting their scholarship programs named after him. In addition to his work at CR, Floyd was instrumental in helping found the Morris Graves Museum of Art in Eureka, and served on its board of directors. There is a gallery named after him located at the museum’s main entrance. His work has been exhibited internationally.
Floyd Bettiga, photo by Beti Webb Trauth
10 / The Palette
