Frank Bette's History

Frank Bette's History

Frank J. Bette 1903-1999

Siedlinghausen, Germany 1903-1927

Franz Josef Bette was born in Siedlinghausen, Germany, in 1903. His father and uncle had a woodturning and furniture manufacturing shop. Frank's schooling and apprenticeship readied him to continue the family business, but his personal vision included the arts, which would have been impossible in his strict family. He came to the United States in 1927. Frank was sponsored into the United States by a maternal uncle, F.J. Senge, who promised to pay his passage back to Germany if things "weren't satisfactory."

Chicago 1927-1942

Frank painted promotional signs for his uncle's dry goods store and later began working with wood. He took art classes at the American Academy of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago and joined the Chicago No-Jury society of Artists. His work included landscapes and portraits as well as ventures into fantasy compositions in vivid colors. Frank found things satisfactory. He was granted citizenship in April 1933.
His oil "Untitled Chicago landscape" achieved First Mention in the Chicago Daily Times in 1941.

The War Years

Frank served in the Army Air Force from October 1942 to June 1945. During this time he learned to use power tools for woodworking and was assigned to a mechanics unit fabricating wooden propellers for trainer airplanes.

A 1941 trip to the Grand Canyon made impressions on Frank that would last for many years. The power and natural beauty he saw became the basis for his Grand Canyon Dance series of paintings. This series was begun in 1942 with the Archaic Grand Canyon Dance painting, and followed by others over the next twenty years

New Orleans 1945 - 1950

Frank relocated to New Orleans after the war. Here, he concentrated on sculpting in plaster, stone, clay and wood. Frank worked as a refinisher of antique furniture in the French Quarter. He honed his skills while he continued to study art and sculpture. Frank was never completely comfortable living in the South. Having been raised in Europe, he could not understand or condone segregation. In 1950, a friend suggested he might be happier living in California.

Alameda, California 1950 - 1999

Frank's first job was refinishing and repairing antique furniture for Gump's in downtown San Francisco. He moved to the East Bay after a year, and worked as a refinisher and repair person for an Alameda antique store. A man he met in Oakland suggested he open a refinishing business in Alameda, because the Island was covered with Victorian houses that were all full of antique furniture. Frank thought this was a good idea, and he opened his first shop on Central Avenue near Crab Cove. While things were financially tight at first, Frank still took classes in figure Drawing and Life Drawing at California College of Arts and Crafts in 1952-53.

His antiques repair and refinishing business prospered, allowing Frank the freedom to work on paintings, drawings and sculpture. He moved to a larger facility in the 1960's, at 1601 Paru Street. He lived in what is now the Workroom, and had his refinishing business in the Gallery space. After about ten years, the landlord approached Frank about buying the building. Frank thought that was a good idea. This didn't change Frank's living space at all. The upstairs apartment was always rental income to Frank, who preferred to live simply in his small quarters. He took meals in restaurants or with friends, and spent as much time as possible painting "en plein air." Frank had a particular affinity for landscapes of Mount Diablo and painting trees. In later years, Frank branched out into writing, specializing in poetry.

"...this California definitely was good for me... for my heart," said Frank. "My best paintings were done here. It was like I think my best sculpture was done here... an opening up."

The opening exhibit in January 2003 showed Frank Bette's landscapes, still lifes and portraits.