Also get a unique view of industrial corridors and parks at the exhibition, which is open through fall 2021 or find out from Benton himself at a Meet the Artist event on June 6 from 2-4 p.m.
It was as a middle school student that Benton became intrigued by the drawings of classmates and sought to make art his career. He graduated from South High School in 1972, later earning his bachelor’s degree from Wright State University and master’s from the University of Pennsylvania.
“It’s my lifelong passion, my therapy, it keeps me sane,” Benton said of his craft. It was helpful in getting him through the pandemic as well.
The SMOA, which gives local artists a place to shine, is where Benton has participated in multiple Juried Members Exhibitions, so he was excited to receive an exhibition after submitting a proposal. Still returning here several times of year to see friends and family, Springfield became a source of inspiration for “Groundwork.”
A landscape artist, Benton likes to focus on more than just the obvious and bucolic, but things people may not pay attention to, such as quarries or highway maintenance.
“I’m always looking at the landscape, at how light is falling on a tree,” Benton said.
Although he lives in one of the country’s largest cities, Benton’s hometown is a constant source of inspiration.
Exhibit visitors will see familiar Springfield sights, including one they can view, walk outside the SMOA and see for real – the Limestone Street overpass and the nearby Buck Creek riverwalk. The difference in this case is he captured these while under construction a few years ago and not the finished product people now see, and that’s the takeaway Benton is hoping for.
“They’re places that have lots of texture and variety. There’s lots of debris and downed trees and it’s not a beautiful spot but I hope people will rethink what they’re looking at,” he said of those works.
Benton spent lots of time in Cliff Park and Snyder Park growing up and his family still lives near Snyder Park, the source of several paintings in private collections, but two are in the current exhibition.
“It’s a very beautiful place in a classic sense,” he said. “The things I looked at as a kid I now see with more appreciation. Something here still speaks to me”
Benton is also looking forward to the Meet the Artist event. He said so much of an artist’s time is them and a canvas and taking time to prepare for the exhibition; validation comes with an audience’s feedback.
“It’s not complete until someone’s is looking at the work,” Benton said.
The SMOA is located at 107 Cliff Park Rd. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 12:30-4:30 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $5 for adults and free for members and children 17 and under.
For more information, see the museum’s social media pages.
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