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 Ernie Benton
A native of Chicago, Illinois, I have been actively involved in artistic activities since early childhood. I am a self-taught artist who started making sketches with pencil and charcoal at a very young age. I consider myself a contemporary artist, and through the years I have worked to develop a unique and distinctive artistic style producing several notable pieces, some by special request for individuals, and for public and private events. I have competed in and won many awards in local, regional and national competitions, for numerous juried shows and exhibitions, building a solid reputation as a well-respected artist.

For me, art is essential to the human experience.  “A basic understanding and appreciation of the arts serves to broaden character and deepen the connections with those in our social circles” (A Passion for Jazz!™ 2007).   I like to use my art as an opportunity to inform, educate, and ignite the interest of art lovers and students. The paintings I create depict the sounds, flavor, and vibrations of life and I hope that in some authentic way to generate an opportunity for communication and understanding.

My mediums of choice are acrylics and pastels, and my palette is a mixture of earth tones, cool pastels, and vivid primary colors that focus on styles, texture, and form.  Of my creative process, I am inspired by passion, beauty, and the abstracts and intangibles of music, thought, form and shape. My work mostly revolves around the interplay of shapes and color, and the interaction between the abstract and the figure. Many of my pieces are evocative of the great Picasso in geometry and form, yet display a truly distinctive approach. I have recently ventured into the "Wearable Art" arena with Le Galeriste clothing designers and manufacturer to bring selected paintings to the fashion industry.

My wife and I now reside in North Texas where I am actively involved in local art organizations, juried exhibitions, public art projects, and participate in selective Juried Fine Art Festivals throughout the country. My paintings are collected and displayed in fine homes and private collections across the United States including California, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Georgia, Missouri, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Florida, New York, Kansas, Oklahoma, Washington DC., and in the collection of Northlake College in Irving, Texas, and my painting “Quaker Town”, commissioned by the City of Denton TX Public Art Project, which hangs in the Denton Texas City Hall.

Artist Affiliations Associated Creative Artists, Dallas, TX The Black Academy of Arts & Letters, Dallas, TX Irving Art Association, Irving, TX Irving Arts Center, Irving, TX Pastel Society of the South West, Dallas, TX Plano Art Association, Plano, TX Texas Artist Coalition, Fort Worth, TX The Art House at the Jones Center, Austin, TX Southwestern Watercolor Society, Dallas, TX Visual Arts Coalition of Dallas, TX Visual Arts Society of Texas, Denton, TX Texas Visual Arts Association Dallas, TX North Texas Business for Culture and the Arts, Juror Le Galeriste, Montreal, QC Canada
Solo Exhibitions North Lake College Solo Exhibition - Irving, TX The Blues & Jazz Experience Art Exhibition Irving Arts Center - Irving, TX 55 Degrees Wine Bar & Bistro - Plano, TX Barnes and Nobles Book Sellers - Denton, TX Farmers Branch Manske Library Gallery - Framers Branch, TX Marshall Motors - Dallas, TX Buttons Restaurant - Fort Worth, TX
Festivals & Events

Addison ArtFest Addison, TX
African Festival of the Arts, Chicago, IL
Alexandria Old Town Art Festival, Alexandria, VA Allen USA Celebration Allen, TX
Alpharetta, GA StreetFest
Art & Air Festival, Saint Louis, MO
Art Afaire, Fort Worth, TX
ArtFest Fair Park Dallas, TX
Artisphere Art Festival, Greenville, SC
Arts, Beats and Eats, Royal Oak, MI
Arts Goggle, Fort Worth, TX
Autumn & Art at Bradley Fair, Wichita, KS
AVAA 34th Annual Regional Juried Show, Arlington, TX
Boardwalk Art Show, Virginia Beach, VA
Buckhead Fine Arts Festival, Atlanta, GA
Champions of Literacy Auction Dallas, TX
City of Denton Public Art Project Denton, TX
Cleveland The Flats Art Festival, Cleveland, OH
Columbus Arts Festival, Columbus, OH
Cottonwood Art Festival Richardson, TX
Dallas CityArts Festival Dallas, TX
Deep Ellum Art Park Public Art Project, Dallas, TX
Denton Arts & Jazz Festival Denton, TX
Festival in the Park, Charlotte, NC
Fort Worth Music Festival, Ft Worth, TX
Frisco Arts Festival, Frisco, TX
GrapeFest, Grapevine, TX
Huffhines Art Trails Richardson, TX
IAC Art In The Garden, Irving, TX
Irving Heritage Festival, Irving, TX
Jazz By The Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX
La Quinta Art Celebration La Quinta, CA
Lakewood Summer Arts Faire, Dallas, TX
Las Olas Art Fair, Ft Lauderdale, FL
Lubbock Arts Festival, Lubbock, TX
National Black Arts Festival, Atlanta, GA
Mount Dora Arts Festival, Mt Dora, FL
Paul Quinn College Benefit, Dallas, TX
Peoria Art Guild Fine Art Fair, Peoria, IL
Potter's House International Festival, Dallas, TX
Preservation is the Art of the City, Fort Worth, TX
Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show, Philadelphia, PA
Summerlin Festival of Arts, Las Vegas, NV
Webster Arts Fair, Webster Groves, MO


Group Exhibitions

Artist's Showplace Associates Show
Artist's Showplace Gallery Juried Exhibition
Artscape Plano, TX
Associated Creative Artist Annual Award Show
Bank of America BHM Art Expo
DAF Productions Art Exhibition
Dallas Symphony African American Concert Festival Dallas, TX
Fort Worth CAC 9" x 12" Works on Paper Exhibition
Fort Worth CAC Biennial Exhibition
FWCAC Biennial: 39 Hour Exhibition
FWCAC Extended Show
Grand Prairie Arts Council Juried Art Exhibit
IAC - Art Connection Members Show
IAC - The Blues (& Other Colors)Show
IAC New Talent Gallery
ICTN "Visual Embrace" Solo Show
Irving Art Assoc. Annual Members Juried Show
Irving Art Assoc. Annual Wildlife Juried Show
Irving Art Assoc. Winners Exhibition
Irving Black Arts Council "Boundless Expressions"
PCPC Arts Festival Dallas, TX
Plano Art Association "Beauty of Nature Show"
Plano Art Association "Walk On The Wild Side"
Plano Art Association Members Show
Sprint Arts and Crafts Festival in Northern Virginia
Studio 2600 "Swells & Curves" Dallas, TX
Texas & Neighbors Regional Juried Exhibition
Texas Visual Arts Association (TVAA) New Members Exhibition Dallas,
TVAA Digital Art Show Dallas, TX
TVAA 60th Members Exhibition
Up and Coming Artists of Metro D.C.
Verizon BHM Art Connection
Visual Arts Society of Texas "Art and Poetry" Exhibit Denton, TX
Visual Arts Society of Texas Connections Exhibit Dallas, Texas
Washington D.C. Urban League

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