Steven Alan Bennett is an American attorney, art collector, and philanthropist.
Steven Alan Bennett | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of Notre Dame University of Kansas School of Law |
| Occupation | Attorney |
| Known for | Art collector |
Career
editAfter stints at several Fortune 100 companies, Bennett retired in September 2015 as executive vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary of USAA.[1] In 1996, President Bill Clinton appointed Bennett as a member and, later, as Vice Chairman of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars within the Smithsonian Institution.[2]
Art collecting
editBennett works on collecting art, writing an art blog, producing a podcast, and participating in various philanthropic projects.[citation needed] He is married to Elaine Melotti Schmidt and they have an extensive art collection of works by women figurative realist painters.[3] To further support the type of work they collect,[4] they established The Bennett Prize for Women Figurative Realists ("The Bennett Prize"), in 2016.[5] The contest awards $50,000 biennially to a woman figurative realist painter following a juried competition, followed by a traveling exhibition of the works of the ten finalists.[6][7] The Bennett Prize has been awarded three times since inception and has recognized 30 women painters as finalists.[8][9]
In 2022, Bennett and Schmidt made a $12 Million gift to the Muskegon Museum of Art,[10] the host museum for the Bennett Prize competition, which included a monetary donation along with art from their collection.[11]
The Bennetts’ personal collection has been compiled over many years. The Bennett Collection is composed of historic works including pieces by Mary Cassatt, Artemisia Gentileschi,[12] Elaine de Kooning, Sarah Miriam Peale, Agnes Martin, and Suzanne Valadon. Among the living artists represented in the collection are major works by Julie Bell, Margaret Bowland, Zoey Frank, Xenia Hausner, Andrea Kowch, Katie O’Hagan, Harmonia Rosales, Alyssa Monks, SuSu, and Kathrin Longhurst,[13] among others.[14]
Philanthropy
editBennett and his wife are supporters of the charity Friends of Kenyan Orphans, which provides food and shelter along with K-12 education.[15] He is also a founding trustee of the Center for Thomas More Studies at the University of Dallas.[citation needed] Bennett serves as a director on the board of a realist art school in Philadelphia, Studio Incamminati, where the couple sponsors The Bennett-Schmidt Lectures on the Higher Aim of Art.[16]
Background
editBennett is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a degree in art history. He also holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Kansas School of Law.[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ "San Antonio couple endows $50,000 award for female painters" San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ "President Clinton Names Steven Alan Bannett to the Board of Trustees of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars" White House Office of the Press Secretary. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ "Supporter Spotlight: Steven Alan Bennett and Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt" Frye Museum Blog. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
- ^ Gotthardt, Alexxa (April 11, 2018). "This New $50k Prize Is Just for Emerging Female Figurative Painters". Artsy. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- ^ "Groundbreaking Event Planned for Muskegon Museum Expansion" US News & World Report. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
- ^ "A $50,000 Biennial Prize Recognizing Women Figurative Realist Painters" Fine Art Connoisseur. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
- ^ "First-of-its-kind prize aims to propel careers of women artists" Pittsburgh Foundation. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
- ^ "First-of-its-kind prize aims to propel careers of women artists" Black Tie Magazine. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
- ^ "The $50,000 Bennett Prize is Back for Its Third Edition" ARTnews. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
- ^ "Muskegon Museum of Art to break ground on $11.2M expansion with spotlight on art by women" MiBiz. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
- ^ "Muskegon Museum of Art breaks ground on new expansion, celebrates $12 Million donation" WZZM. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- ^ "Art Herstory Adds Five New Note Card Designs for Spring 2021" Art Herstory. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
- ^ "Major new work by Kathrin Longhurst purchased by The Bennett Art Collection" NandaHobbs.com. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
- ^ "The Collection" The Bennett Collection. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
- ^ "San Antonio collectors champion women artists with Bennett Prize, Muskegon Museum gift" San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ "The Bennett- Schmidt Lecture Series on the Aim of Art" Studio Incamminati. Retrieved May 15, 2023.