Betty (Elizabeth) Klausner

Betty (Elizabeth) Klausner was a smart, strong, and determined person who overcame barriers faced by most women of her generation. Born in 1928 to Mildred and Charles Bloom in New York City, Betty was always a New Yorker at heart despite living the last 44 years of her life in California, first in Santa Barbara and later in San Francisco. Betty married the love of her life Bob (Robert) Klausner in 1950 and had three children with him: Mimi (Kim), Drew and Kathy. After raising her family, Betty embarked on a varied career in the arts. She founded the Santa Barbara Contemporary Graphics Center and the Contemporary Arts Forum where she worked as the director, served on the San Francisco Art Institute Board of Directors, wrote regularly on modern art for Art Forum, Art in America and other publications, and authored Touching Time and Space, a biography of David Ireland. Betty was a discerning collector, generous philanthropist, and mentor and patron to many artists.

She was preceded in death by her husband Bob and her brother Lewis Bloom. She is survived by her children and their partners Susan Stryker, Susan Goldsmith Klausner and Beni Strebel, her grandchildren Gus, Olive, Noah, Max, Emma and Oscar, and great grandchild Theo, as well as by brothers-in-law Clay Tedeschi and Bill Klausner and his family, cousin Leslie Steinmetz, and Virginia Ribeiro, who holds a special place in the Klausner family. Many thanks to all her caregivers, especially Ana Franco, who cared for Betty during her long journey with Alzheimer’s.