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Betty Murtagh is a published author and an illustrator of children's books. Published credits of Betty Murtagh include Together at Mass.

Born in south New Jersey, Betty had fond memories of long summer days on the ‘Jersey shore,’ but her life-long passion and career was as an artist. In high school, she worked as a sign painter, and during WWII she painted the sides of blimps and warplanes in Lakehurst, NJ. Betty received her BFA from Syracuse University in 1947, and later worked for several New York City advertising agencies. Her fashion illustrations appeared in Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, and she was a runner up to none other than Liz Claiborne in a coat design competition.

In 1950 she married Gil Murtagh, an architect, and in 1956 they moved to Norwalk, Connecticut where they raised five children. Using her bedroom as a studio, Betty illustrated four children's books and produced over 75 Christmas card designs. In 1963 she illustrated and co-authored, "I Can Do Anything Almost," for Wonder Books with Virginia Hartmann.

In 1975 Betty and family moved to the Chicago suburb of Hinsdale, Illinois where she began experimenting with the serigraph method of printmaking and produced over 100 print editions. Her large and colorful prints are in corporate offices, human service agencies, and private collections throughout the US and were represented in the Chicago Art Institute and Indianapolis Museum of Art rental galleries. She was an active and long-time member of the LaGrange Art League.

After the death of her husband Gil Murtagh in 2001, Betty moved to Utica, N.Y. with her daughter. In May 2002, British artist Dr. Becky Shaw curated Betty’s first solo exhibition at Pratt/ Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute in Utica, N.Y.; exhibitions followed at Utica College and the Dean’s Gallery at Syracuse University in 2004. A permanent collection of her prints can be seen at the Resource Center for Independent Living in Utica.

Betty died on May 20, 2008, and is remembered as an intensely creative woman who, working out of her bedroom and basement while juggling a family and career, left a significant body of work marked by a unique passion.

Betty Murtagh is a published author and an illustrator of children's books. Published credits of Betty Murtagh include Together at Mass. Born in south New Jersey, Betty had fond memories of long summer days on the ‘Jersey shore,’ but her life-long passion and career was as an artist. In high school, she worked as a sign painter, and during WWII she painted the sides of blimps and warplanes i... More