Nov. 13, 2017
For Immediate Release
By Austin Fitzgerald, Intern Writer, Office of University Communications
CAMPBELLSVILLE Ky. — Dalton Bennett of Campbellsville, a senior at Campbellsville University, will be presenting his senior art exhibit from Nov. 20 to Dec. 1 in The Pence-Chowning Art Gallery at 205 University Drive, Campbellsville, Ky.
Bennett will be graduating from Campbellsville University in December with a Bachelor of Science with an Area in Art. For two years in a row, he has been awarded Best of Show and 1st place in drawing at the Campbellsville University Juried Exhibition.
The exhibit will begin with a reception on Nov. 20 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. The gallery will be closed from Nov. 20 through Nov. 26 for Thanksgiving.
Gallery hours are: Mondays and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. until 6 p.m.; Tuesdays, 9 a.m. until 7 p.m.; Thursdays, 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.; and Fridays, 9 a.m. until noon and 1 p.m. until 6 p.m.
Bennett's exhibit is titled “Suede,” and will include sculptures and installations.
According to Bennett, “Suede is simply a memory; it is nothing more than a piece of my past. Although a material used for decorative purposes, suede represents various moments in my life that have now reoccurred in my mind, thus translated throughout the fiber of my work. This is not to say that suede is the only textile that is symbolic of my life, but I find a common theme in both the material and myself: transition.”
Bennett said his work is composed mostly of found materials, each representing a specific detail to the entirety of the meaning.
“When I search for these materials, I am not aware of the specific item so much as I am looking for an item that either fits within a given perimeter or is reflective of the idea that I wish to pursue.”
Bennett said each of his pieces “holds a secret that I wish to retain. I have informed my audience of an important emotionally traumatic event in my life through my work, but I have failed to release their true meanings.
“This is my way of expressing love, heartbreak, deception and humiliation while still holding my burdens captive until I am ready to completely disclose them.
“This is what I call the ‘underneath,' the ‘hidden,' or simply put, ‘Suede.'”
Bennett has also held a solo exhibition titled “See Through” at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Margaret “Peggy” Swayze Memorial Art Space in Campbellsville in 2016.
Some of his group exhibitions include: SKyPAC Exhibition at SKyPAC Main Gallery in Bowling Green, Ky.; Campbellsville University Student Juried Exhibition in 2017, 2016 and 2015 at The Pence-Chowning Art Gallery; Bicentennial Art & Poetry Walk at Oak and Axe in Campbellsville and the juried The Next Generation at Kaviar Forge & Gallery in Louisville.
Bennett teaches drawing (charcoal) at Method Studio and the Taylor County Public Library, both in Campbellsville.
Bennett is the son of Dawn Webster and Eddie Bennett. He also wishes to mention his step-dad, Aaron Webster, and grandmother, Lorraine Cheser, who have contributed to his college career.
Campbellsville University is a widely-acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with nearly 8,000 students offering over 90 programs of study including 20 master's degrees, six postgraduate areas and seven pre-professional programs. The university has off-campus centers in Louisville, Harrodsburg, Somerset, Hodgenville and Liberty with instructional sites in Elizabethtown, Owensboro and Summersville and the newly established West Coast Site in Costa Mesa, Calif., plus a full complement of online programs. The website for complete information is cjpk.net.