Personal Topography: Exploring Natural Abstraction

sylviabenitez-LAGPaintings by Sylvia Benitez
August 29 – December 2, 2016
On display at the Pecan Campus Library nd  Floor

Art Talk: Oct. 13, 1:00-2:00 PM Pecan Library
Reception: Oct. 13, 5:00-7:00 PM Pecan Library

New painting exhibit shines light on the South Texas landscape

The Library Art Gallery at South Texas College invites the community to a special talk by nationally awarded artist Sylvia Benitez on Oct. 13 at the Pecan Library Rainbow Room at 1 p.m.

The South Texas College Library Art Gallery, in collaboration with the college’s Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration, has curated an exhibit featuring Benitez’s work that will be on display until December 2, 2016. The exhibit is located on the second floor of the Pecan Campus Library.

Benitez will give a talk about her Puerto Rican heritage and its influence on her artwork. The talk will be followed by a reception from 5 – 7 PM in the Library Art Gallery. The Pecan Campus Library is located at 3201 W. Pecan Blvd., Bldg. F in McAllen, Texas. All events are free and open to the public.

“Sylvia Benitez’s highly skilled, large-scale paintings allude to the remote landscapes of 19th century romanticism while honoring the conceptual principals of modern abstraction,” says Gina Otvos, STC Art Gallery Associate. “For centuries, the natural landscape has been a mirror for the self. As we contemplate the abstracted figures in the clouds or the shadows in distant pockets of land, we are given the opportunity to reflect on our own personal topography.

Sylvia Benitezhas been working in sculpture and painting for over forty years. Receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Maryland in 1979, she moved to New York City, where she used sculpture to explore physical space in a densely populated city.

After nearly twenty years in NYC, Benitez’s work changed profoundly when she relocated to the countryside, eventually to a 13-acre property in Seguin, Texas, where she found inspiration in painting the vast rural skyscapes.

“I cannot capture Nature and I do not try to. One might say, however, that it has captured me.” Benitez says of her work.

Over the years, Benitez has received numerous awards including two prestigious Pollock-Krasner Awards, two National Endowment-for-the-Arts Awards, an AICA award, and an Empire State’s Craft Award. She has been profiled in Art in America, Sculpture Magazine, and the New York Times.

“The paintings in this exhibit act as a song without words, allowing us to travel into the undefined and take a walk within natural abstraction,” Otvos said.

STC’s Library Art Gallery exhibits regional, national and international artwork, explores new visions and theories of creativity, and introduces innovative artistic expressions to the South Texas region.

For more information, contact Gina Otvos at gotvos@southtexascollege.edu or
(956) 872-3488. For a complete listing of events visit: http://library.southtexascollege.edu/LibraryArt.

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