Art Opening: The Art of Craft
Art opening presents new paintings, sculpture, and ceramics at Bennett’s Knoxville location
Bennett is proud to present The Art of Craft, our annual exhibition of visual art influenced by craft making. The Art of Craft opens on September 10th, 2022 and will feature works of new and existing Bennett artists from around the country.
Henry Molter is an abstract oil painter based in Friendsville, Tennessee. Henry draws inspiration for his paintings from his travels around the United States, specifically the ecological diversity of the country. This is Henry’s first show at Bennett.
Marga McBride is a multimedia artist based in Knoxville, Tennessee. Marga has exhibited many times with Bennett and works heavily with themes of nature and spirituality. She studied painting, printmaking and graphic design at the University of Tennessee and drawing and painting at the Mesa Community College in Arizona. She was taught how to work with clay through a friend and colleague and combined the two mediums to create her work.
Robmat Butler is a contemporary artist whose work has been shown both nationally and internationally. His work has been shown at the Tennessee Arts Commission Gallery, and most recently, been included in Miami’s Art Basel and featured in The Foosaner Art Museum’s show Naval Gazing. Robmat also collaborates with Barron Hall as The Art Team, building site-specific, large-scale installations. Butler also works as a freelance fabricator while pursuing an interest in curating local and regional art events.
Marty McConaughey is based in Sharp’s Chapel, Tennessee and specializes in sculpting with foraged materials. Her sculptures have won awards at the Local, State, National and International level, and have been represented in National Parks, Galleries, and the Tennessee State Museum. Marty continues to add new found
materials and techniques to her designs. She brings a raw, refined element of movement that draws viewers in. This is Marty’s first show with Bennett.
Kat West is a ceramicist working out of Newport Beach, CA. Kat’s ceramic pieces are both sculptural and functional with each piece displaying its own unique presence. Her inspiration comes from the connection to humanity Kat feels, along with her personal experiences as an immigrant, a mother, and a creator. Themes of tradition and heritage drive Kat’s vision for her pieces, as well as finding ways to reduce the environmental impact of creating art. Kat’s commitment to her mission is shown through the donations she makes towards organizations such as the ACLU, the Black Lives Matter movement, and Color of Change. In addition to her philanthropy, Kat produces work in an eco-conscious manner by making each vessel to order.
Josh Copus is a ceramicist working out of Asheville, North Carolina. By combining his experiences in the academic classroom with more traditional pottery teaching models, such as working with and talking to a variety of professionals, Josh’s work references historical forms and processes while remaining relevant to the contemporary art world of our age. Josh is the founder of the Clay Space Co-op, a cooperative studio and gallery that he founded in the River Arts District of Asheville.
The Art of Craft will run from September 10th, 2022, to October 1st, 2022. For more information contact claras@bennetthome.com or roberts@bennetthome.com.
