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Beth Appleton (b.1949)
Beth Appleton is a native of Ocala, Florida, and studied underwater ballet as a child in preparation to become a Weekie Wachee mermaid when she grew up, and discovered a love of art at her aunt's roadside fruit stand. These early years of dance and creative writing would later inspire the lyrical artworks and books she would later create. She received her degree from Florida State University and spent many years teaching art professionally. She has also traveled extensively, and with her husband David Harbaugh's encouragement, established an art studio near the rural community of Quincy, Florida. While in Quincy, she started Art in Gadsden, a regional exhibition of art, which later developed into the Gadsden Arts Center & Museum. She relocated to St. George Island, off the Florida panhandle, contributing to Appleton's unique blend of cultural diversity that spans the state of Florida.