EPISODE 1 – February 25, 2021
Artist Mary Benton chats with Linda Megathlin
Mary Benton is a Wisconsin fiber artist who came to Rhode Island to earn a MFA in Graphic Design from RISD. She taught Graphic Design at St. Johns University 1990-1991, Salve Regina University 1991-1995, Roger Williams University 1995-1997, and at the Community College of Rhode Island, 1998-2015, where she additionally served 5 years as Chair of the Art Department and 6 years as a member of the CCRI Board of Trustees. She received a national Teaching and Leadership Award in 2002.
She has maintained an Art Studio in Warren, RI since 1999 where her work embraced Altered Digital Photography until her retirement, when she turned to oil painting, taking classes in plein air with the Westport Art Group, a variety of classes at the Providence Art Club and various workshops on the east coast.
The focus of her most recently exhibited paintings was singularly about Warren, RI.
She held a solo exhibit in October 2017 at the Providence Art Club with a sign upon entering the exhibit saying “Entering Warren” and little factoids about Warren posted on the gallery walls. Warren reminds her of the small, friendly Wisconsin town of her youth, but with very different architecture, older historic buildings, compacted into much less space and surrounded by salt water. Her home in Massachusetts is 5 doors from the Warren border. She identifies with Warren as “home”. | 
