Meet Tracy Bettencourt

Resilience in Every Stroke

Tracy Bettencourt is a blind artist based in Clarksville, Tennessee. She began losing her vision in her early 30s from Retinitis Pigmentosa and was completely blind by 36. At that time, she was a single mom raising two daughters. It was a low point, but she refused to let it define her.

Five years ago, Tracy began painting. She uses textured acrylics and puffy paint to create lines and shapes she can feel. Her iPhone and iPad help her identify colors through assistive technology. As she puts it, "My hands are my eyes." Every painting is a physical extension of her thoughts and memories.

Tracy's artwork explores themes of hope, strength, and joy. She teaches workshops called Painting in the Dark, where participants are blindfolded and guided through finger painting. Her goal is to change how people experience art.

She is an alum of Austin Peay State University and now works as a motivational speaker and disability advocate. Her work has been shown in exhibitions including Light Within Darkness at the Customs House Museum. Tracy has turned her story into a message of creativity and courage.