William Bennett

Picasso, Lydia and Friends* Vol. 3
*William Bennett, Anne Chesnut, Dean Dass, Rosemarie Fiore, Sanda Iliescu, David Summers, Russ Warren
26 August – 25 September 2016
Exhibition page >

Twenty!
LYdM turns 20 in 2015
9 January – 1 February 2015
Exhibition page >

Picasso, Lydia, and Friends* Vol. 2
*William Bennett, Anne Chesnut, Dean Dass, Sanda Iliescu, David Summers and Russ Warren
5 September – 5 October 2014
Exhibition page >

Biography

William Bennett has been Professor of Sculpture at the University of Virginia since 1985. He earned his MFA in Sculpture from Indiana University in 1975. In 1978, he received the Artist’s Fellowship Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and, in 1986, received the Artists Grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts. He has exhibited widely and his work has been included in numerous publications, including books by John Beardsley and David Summers and a review by Roberta Smith of the New York Times.

Born 1948, Glenridge, NJ

Solo Exhibitions
“Loomings” Large Scale outdoor sculpture based on Moby Dick installed at Pinninsula Fine Arts Center, Newport News, Virginia. Summer, 2003
“Loomings” Installed near Fayerweather Hall, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virgina. 2002
“Loomings” installed at New Bedford Whaling Museum, New Bedford, MA. Summer 2001.
“Writing, Table, Book: Bridge” Installation/Performance during the Festival of the Boo Bayly Museum, Charlottesville, Va., March 2000.
“Loomings” Large Scale outdoor sculpture based on Moby Dick. Installed at Les Yeux du Monde Gallery, Charlottesville, VA, 1999
“Ear” Large scale machine sculpture for listening installed on the grounds of Western University, Cullowhee, North Carolina. 1998-present
“For Those Who Wish To Fly” Sculpture of William Bennett, 1985-95, Summer 1995, Fine Arts Center, Newport News, VA.
“William Bennet, Sculpture,” 1990, Montpelier Cultural Arts Center, Laurel, MD
“William Bennet” sculpture, Fayerweather Gallery, 1986, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
“Halley’s Comet” Installation at the South Eastern Center for Contemporary Art, Winston-Salem, NC
“William Bennett, Recent Scuplture,” South Eastern Center for Contemporary Art, Winston-Salem, NC
“Recent Stone Sculpture”, Pittsburgh Plan for Art, 1984, Pittsburgh, PA.
“Stone Boats and Buildings” James Madison University,I983, Harrisonburg, VA Hobart College, 1978, Geneva, NY, Bucknell University, 1976, Lewisburg, PA,
Indiana University, 1975, Bloomington, IN. MFA Thesis Show.

Group Exhibitions
“UVA Faculty Show”, ADA Gallery, Richmond, VA. Sept.2004
“Gallery Artists,” Les Yeux du Monde Gallery, Charlottesville, VA, Sept. 2004.
“Off the Wall, Virginia Sculptors”, Riverviews Gallery, Lynchburg, VA. November 2003
“Art and Science”, Science and Engineering Library, UV A October 2003
“$ (money)” Fringe Festival Exhibition, IGA, Charlottesville, VA, October 2003
“Art Now!”, Faculty Show, Fayerweather Gallery, UV a., Sept. 2003
“Hindsight/Foresite Revisited, Les Yeux du Monde Gallery, Charlottesville, Virginia, Sept. 2003.
“Sizing it Up!”, Peninsula Fine Arts Center, Newport News, VA Summer., 2003
Summer Show, Reynolds Gallery, Richmond, Virginia. 2003
“9/11/01, Reflections” Les Yeuxdu Monde Gallery, Charlottesville, Va. January, 2002.
“Masquerades” Fringe Festival, Installation. “Fallen House I” Frank IX Building. Charlottesville. Va. October, 2001
“Formations of Erasure: Earthworks and Entropy” Historic Earthworks by William Bennett, Robert Smithson, Michael Heizer, Nancy Holt and others. Storefront for Art and Architecture Gallery, NYC,May, 2001.
“Formations of Erasure: Earthworks and Entropy” Historic Earthworks by William Bennett, Robert Smithson, Nancy Holt. and Michael Heizer. Center for land Use Interpretation. Los Angelos, California. November, 2000.
“Animal Attractions” Frank Ix building, Charlottesville, VA. Part of the Virginia Film Festival. October 2000.
“Hindsight/Fore-site, Exploring Thomas Jefferson’s Legacy for the New Millennium. “Ash Lawn Labyrinth” a site specific work of mowed grass and sail cloth located at Ash Lawn Highland, the home of James Monroe. Summer 2000,
“Sculpture Invitational: 20 Year Anniversar” Montpelior Cultural Arts Center, Laural, Maryland summer 2000
“Bridge” Art for the new Millennium” d’ART Center, Norfolk, VA, February 2000.Curated by Deborah McCloud.
“Back to the Future” Les Yeux du Monde Gallery, Maquette of “Albemarle Labyrinth” a large scale sculpture proposed to be constructed at Fontaine Research Park, Charlottesville, Virginia
“Shelter” a Benefit exhibition for the ShelterforHelp in Emergency,Installation of “Bed” a mixed media construction including life-size paper figures who appear to breathe.
“Mates.” 1999. Longwood College, Fannville, Virginia.
“Pier Walk ’99, Maquette Exhibition,” 1999,Vendanta Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
“Between the Bridges,” 1998, Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park, Brooklyn, New York.
“Pier Walk ’98,” installation of “Catch a Falling Star” 1998, Navy Pier, Chicago, Illinois.
“Lest we Forget, a National Survey of Artists’ Responses to the Persian Gulf War,” 1998, The Robert and Mary Montgomery Armory Art Center, West Palm Beach, Florida.
“Pier Walk, ’98, Maquette Exhibition,” 1998, Chicago, Illinois.
“Artists of a Different Caliber.” 1997. Hewlette Gallery. Carnegie Mellon University. Pittsburgh. PA.
“Juried Show,” 1996, Staunton Augusta Regional Art Center, Staunton, VA. Award of Merit
“Summer Solstice Show,” 1997,1998, Les Yeux du Monde, Charlottesville, VA.
“Irene Leache Memorial Ex-11ibition.’1 1994, Chrysler Musuem. Norfolk. VA.
“Environmental,” Peninsula Fine Arts Center,Newport News VA ,1994 Juror, Suzi Gablik,First Prize.
“Survival Research,” Reynolds Gallery, 1993, Richmond, VA. 3 person show.
“Evento,” 1992, APE Gallery, New York, NY.
“Sculpture ’91, A Juried Exhibition of Contemporary Sculpture,” 1991, Washington Square, Washington, DC.
“Medicine Dance: Objects and Spaces of Power,” 1991, Arlington Arts Center, Arlington, VA. Ed Love, Juror.
“Open Exhibition 1991,” Fairfax County Council of the Arts, Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale, VA.
“Juried Exhibition,” 1991, Chatanooga Arts Council, Juror. Chatanooga, TN. Patrick Ireland, Juror
“Elizabeth Schoyer, Drawings, and William Bennett, Sculpture,” 1991, Marsh Gallery, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA.
“Six Sculptors, An Exhibition of Contemporary Sculpture,” 1990, Washington Square, Washington. DC.
“Museum Expansion Show.” 1989, Peninsula Fine Arts Museum, Newport News, VA.
I! 10 Virginia Sculptors,” 1989, Danville Museum of Art and History, Danville, VA. Catalog.
“Southern Stone Sculptors” 1988, AJbertson-Peterson Gallery, Winter Park, FL,
“Un/Common Ground,” 12 Virginia Artists, 1988. Virginia Museum. Richmond, VA. Catalog. Irene Leache
Memorial Exhibition, 1988, Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, VA. Jack Cowert, Juror.
William Lasansky and Sculptor Alumni, 1988, Center Gallery, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA.
Alexandria Sculpture Festival 1986 Alexandria Va, First Prize, Joror Ned Rifkin (Curator, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden).
Alexandria Sculpture Festival, 1984, Alexandria, VA.
Alexandria Sculpture Festival, 1983, Alexandria, VA.
University of Virginia Faculty Show,. William and Mary College, 1979, Williamsburg, VA.
Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts, 1974, Lewisburg, PA. Faculty Show.
Blossom-Kent Outdoor Sculpture Show, 1971, Kent, OH.

Public Collections
Western Carolina University, Culluwhee, North Carolina, “Ear”
University of Virginia Museum, “Falling House, Shadow”
University of Virginia Hospital, “The Voyage.”
City of Baltimore, Maryland. “Baltimore.”

Honors
Research Grant, University of Virginia, 2004.
Virginia Commission for the Arts, Artists Grant, 1986.
Sesquicentennial Grant, University of Virginia, 1984, 1992. 1998, 2004
Summer Grant, University of Virginia, 1983
National Endowment for the Arts, Artist’s Fellowship Grant, 1978-79
Grant in Aid of Research, Indiana University, 1975.
Class of 1915 Art Award, Bucknell University, 1970.
Member of Delta Mu Delta. Business Honor Society, Bucknell University, 1970.

Major Projects
Designing and building.”Tom Hughes Navigator”, Large outdoor machine sculpture for Vanna Venturi House, a landmark post modem house by Robert Venturi.
“Quarry III, Wedge, Stone Boat” a large site related work in the floor of an abandoned quarry near Syracuse, NY, 1976- .
Large environmental stone carvings in the wall and floor areas of an abandoned quarry space near Bloomington, IN. 1972- 75.

Education
1975 MFA Sculpture, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
1970 BA Business Administration, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA

Teaching Experience
Associate Professor, Sculpture, University of Virginia, 1985-present
Assistant Professor, Sculpture and Design, University of Virginia, 1979-85
Sculpture Instructor, Continuing Ed. Program, Manlius, NY, 1979
Sculpture Instructor, Pennsylvania Governer’s School for the Arts, Lewisburg, PA, Summer 1974
Sculpture Instructor, Graduate Assistant, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 1973-74

Related Experience
Studio Chair, McIntire Department of Art, University of Virginia, 2000-2004
Fringe Festival Founder and Director, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
Gallery Director, Fayerweather Gallery, University of Virginia, 1980-88. 1992-1994, 2000-2004
Co-Director of Festival Entitled “Poetry and the Visual Arts,” University of Virginia, Spring 1984
International Stone Carving Symposium, Charleston, WV, Summer 1975
Graduate Assistant in Sculpture, Supervisor of Sculpture Machinery, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 1974-5
Built and operated a bronze casting foundry and made castings for other artists. Summer 1971, 72, 73
Assistant to William Lasansky, Sculptor, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, 1969-72

Bibliography
“Real Spaces, World Art History and the rise of Western Modernism” by David Summers pg. 651, 652 including photo
“Center for Land Use Interpretation” by Roberta Smith, New York Times, NY, NY. May 25, 2001, Section B, Page 29, Photo of Jamesville Quarry Project
“Double Helix: Over the River and Through the Woodsd” by Doug Harvey, Laweekly, Los Angelos, CA, October 13-19, 2000 vol. 22 no. 47. Photo of Jamesville Quarry
Part of Earthworks and Beyond by John Beardsley, Devoted to James Quarry Sculpture

Publications
Article in Shelter published 1973
“Between the Bridges,” 1998, Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park, Brooklyn, New York.
“Pier Walk ’98,” installation of “Catch a Falling Star” 1998, Navy Pier, Chicago, Illinois.
“Lest we Forget, a National Survey of Artists’ Responses to the Persian Gulf War,” 1998, The Robert and Mary Montgomery Armory Art Center, West Palm Beach, Florida.
“Pier Walk, ’98, Maquette Exhibition,” 1998, Chicago, lllinois.
“Artists of a Different Caliber,” 1997, Hewlette Gallery, Carnegie Mellon University, PittsbUrgh lPA.
“Juried Show,” 1996, Staunton Augusta Regional Art Center, Staunton, VA. Award of Merit
“Summer Solstice Show,” 1997,1998, Les Yeux du Monde, Charlottesville, VA.
Irene Leache Memorial Exhibition,”1994, Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, VA
“Environmental,” Peninsula Fine Arts Center ,Newport News VA ,1994 Juror, Suzi Gablik,First Prize.
“Survival Research,” Reynolds Gallery, 1993, Richmond, VA. 3 person show.
“Evento,” 1992, APE Gallery, New York, NY.
“Sculpture ’91, A Juried Exhibition of Contemporary Sculpture,” 1991, Washington Square, W ashington~ DC.
“Medicine Dance: Objects and Spaces of Power,” 1991, Arlington Arts Center, Arlington, VA Ed Love, Juror..
“Open Exhibition 1991,” Fairfax County Council of the Arts, Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale, VA.
“Juried Exhibition,” 1991, Chatanooga Arts Council, Juror. Chatanooga, TN. Patrick Ireland,
“Elizabeth Schoyer, Drawings, and William Bennett, Sculpture,” 1991, Marsh Gallery, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA.
“Six Sculptors, An Exhibition of Contemporary Sculpture,” 1990, Washington Square, Washington DC.
“Museum Expansion Show,” 1989, Peninsula Fine Arts Museum, Newport News, VA.
“10 Virginia Sculptors, ” 1989, Danville Museum of Art and History, Danville, VA. Catalog.
“Southern Stone Sculptors,” 1988, Albertson-Peterson Gallery, Winter Park, FL.
“Un/Common Ground,” 12 Virginia Artists, 1988, Virginia Museum, Richmond, VA. Catalog. Irene Leache
Memorial Exhibition, 1988, Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, VA. Jack Cowert, Juror.
William Lasansky and Sculptor Alumni, 1988, Center Gallery, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, IFA.
Alexandria Sculpture Festival 1986, Alexandria VA, First Prize, Juror Ned Rifkin (Curator, Hirshhom Museum and Sculpture Garden).
Alexandria Sculpture Festival, 1984, Alexandria, VA.
Alexandria Sculpture Festival, 1983, Alexandria, VA.
University of Virginia Faculty Show,. William and Mary College, 1979, Williamsburg, VA.
Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts, 1974, Lewisburg, PA. Faculty Show.
Blossom-Kent Outdoor Sculpture Show. 1971. Kent. OR.

Caroline Newman, “FOUR DECADES IN, PROFESSOR WILLIAM BENNETT IS SCULPTING MORE THAN JUST CLAY”, UVA Today