"Beach Baby" by Stephen Bennett (artist's mock-up of possible UN stamp)
“Friends and Family: Portraits” is the latest exhibition opening at the Red Bluff Art Gallery on Friday. An Artists Reception for the thirty participating artists will be held from 5 – 9 PM, Friday, July 18th and on Saturday, July 19th from 4-6 in the afternoon.
“Faces of the World”, paintings by Stephen Bennett, will be one of the featured sets of portraits. Bennett’s portraits are from his collection, done while travelling around the world. Eighteen of his images have been selected by the United Nations to appear on postage stamps next year and the Gallery will be showing a dozen of the colorful images.
“My mission is to empower people around the world through art,” Bennett says. He travels and paints portraits of the people he meets and joins with local schools as a volunteer teacher conducting hands on portrait-painting workshops.
“Through my work I try to illuminate the unique and valuable cultures of indigenous people across the globe. In the workshops I hope to promote global understanding and compassion by sharing cultural knowledge and encouraging the students to do their own self-portraits.”
Bennett paints very large canvases and for the Red Bluff show, his work will be presented as affordable Giclée prints.
“We’re very lucky to have Stephen’s work for this exhibit,” says Gallery Director Anastasia Nelson, “his portraits are unusual in that he applies a good deal of creativity in revealing the personalities of the people he paints.”
The exhibition also includes work by over two dozen local artists.
Additionally, “Life Works”, an exhibition by Lu Parish opens in the Gallery the same night, as well as “Mineral (CA) Paintings” by Libby Coates. All three exhibits will run from July 18th to August 15th.
The Red Bluff Art Gallery is located at 516 Walnut, kitty corner from the Post Office in downtown Red Bluff. More information about the new exhibitions can be seen at www.RedBluffArtGallery.com or by phoning the Gallery at 529-1332.
