Flora Douglas “Dougie” Betts (née Moore) was born in 1914 in Belleville, Ontario.
She attended the Ontario College of Art (now the Ontario College of Art and Design University), receiving her diploma in drawing and painting in 1935. She then continued her studies at Western University, where she completed an Honours Degree in Visual Arts before spending 25 years teaching Art and Art History at Matthews Hall, a private school in London, Ontario.

In 1955, Dougie Betts was one of 20 founding members invited by Eleanor Somerville and Josephine Wilcox to join the Women’s Committee of the London Art Gallery, a precursor to Museum London. Other committee members included Shirley Brickenden, Lenore Crawford, Mackie Cryderman, Nancy Geddes Poole, and Elizabeth “Woody” Moore.

Dougie Betts showed her artwork throughout Ontario, with two prominent exhibitions taking inspiration from trips to Asia and the Canadian Arctic. In addition, she painted oil and pastel portraits by commission, and was also a fashion artist.

Dougie Betts passed away in 2008.

Biography by Samantha Merritt

SOURCES

“Awards, Scholarships At College of Art. “ The Globe, May 17, 1935.

Government of Canada. “Artist/Maker name “Betts, Flora Douglas.”
Artists in Canada.  https://app.pch.gc.ca/application/aac-aic/artiste_detailler_bas-artist_detail_bas.app?lang=en&qlang=en&rID=1382&pID=85&fID=2&ps=50&sort=AM_ASC.

“Flora Douglas (‘Dougie’) Betts (1914-2008).” UpwithArt.ca.  https://upwithart.ca/portfolio/flora-douglas-dougie-betts-1914-2008/.

“Flora Douglas ‘Dougie’ (Moore) Betts.” The Globe and Mail, September 17, 2008 and September 18, 2008.
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/theglobeandmail/obituary.aspx?n=flora-douglas-betts-dougie-moore&pid=189931727.

Poole, Nancy Geddes. The Art of London, 1830-1980. London, Ontario: Blackpool Press, 1984.