(Beaver Dam) A new exhibit at the Dodge County Center for the Arts opening Friday will feature works of art from an American portrait painter. Stephen Bennett traveled to the far corners of the world seeking out indigenous and local people to portray. Bennett himself says he has been doing it for forty years.
“I’ve been traveling around the world and meeting people who are part of a community and then I paint a series of paintings of that community,” says Bennett. “And then I exhibit those paintings with the community if I can.”
Bennett says if he cannot exhibit his art with the community, he brings them back stateside for a cultural exhibit display. During a recent appearance on Community Comment, the Beaver Dam artist recalls portraits he painted of famous celebrities.
“I did Michelle Pfeiffer the actress, or actor they say now,” Bennett says. “I did it for the charity amfAR. She received it as an award for raising money for AIDS research in New York. Then I did one for Sharon Stone. She’s someone who’s raised a tremendous [amount] for research for AIDS.”
Other portraits of well-known celebrities include the late David Bowie’s wife Iman and retired network television journalist Tom Brokaw. The opening reception for Stephen Bennett’s exhibit is Friday, October 6th from 4pm to 7pm at the Dodge County Center for the Arts. The exhibit runs through November 7th.
