Introduction
Jean Benvenuto's artistic process has been informed by so much. However, she counts these artists among the most influential: Charles Sibley, of Old Dominion University and the painters that she has admired; Margaret Bowland, Richard Diebenkorn, and John Singer Sargent, to name a few.
She was trained in oils, but has used acrylics on canvas and linen for the past 40 years. She received both a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting in 1980 and a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education in ‘89 from Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia. A recently retired high school art teacher, she was formerly associated with the city of Portsmouth,Virginia’s Center for Excellence in the Visual and Performing Arts.
As a professional artist, Benvenuto has regularly exhibited work in the Hampton Roads region and beyond. Some notable shows include: TIME, Chrysler Museum (Norfolk, Virginia), The Ignition Show, Spark Gallery (Brooklyn, NYC),Bella Leeor Group Show, Spark Gallery (Brooklyn, NYC), This Century Gallery, One Woman Show (Williamsburg, VA), New Waves Juried Exhibition (MOCA Virginia Beach, Virginia), Riverview Gallery, One Woman Show (Portsmouth, Virginia), The Chrysler Museum, Irene Leach Memorial Juried Exhibition, twice (Norfolk, Virginia), and in 2016, Portsmouth Art and Cultural Center, Degrees of Separation Exhibition. In 2017 the painting "In Reply" was juried into the National Art Education Association headquarters exhibition and was a part of New Waves 2018 at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art in Virginia Beach.
She designed and created the concept for The Museum Tree installation in 2020 for the Hermitage Museum exhibition Unknown Outcome 2100, and won Best in Show in Persistence II, d'Art Center (Norfolk,Virginia). Jean received the Virginia's Finest Award for the body of work Happily Ever After at the Virginia Beach Boardwalk Art Show, hosted by the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (Virginia Beach, Virginia) and has exhibited the installation Tell Her Story at Old Dominion University's Gordon Gallery (Norfolk, Virginia). In 2024 she was awarded Best in Show in Port Warwick's Art and Sculpture Festival.
Resume
Education
2021 Master Class, Erin Fostel, Virginia MOCA, Virginia Beach, Virginia
2018 Master Class, Julie Heffernan, Virginia MOCA, Virginia Beach, Virginia
2012 Graduate Course, Advanced Figure Drawing, Old Dominion University
2010 Graduate Course, Figurative Drawing, Virginia Commonwealth University
2007 National Gallery of Art, Teacher Institute, Smithsonian Museums, University of Virginia
2005 Graduate Course, Web Design, Norfolk State University
2004 Graduate Course, Digital Imaging, Norfolk State University
1997 Graduate Course, Adv. Painting, Old Dominion University
1989 Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education, Art K-12
Magna Cum Laude
1980 Bachelor of Fine Arts, Painting, Old Dominion University
Summa Cum Laude
Employment
1992 - 2017 Art teacher, Churchland High School, Portsmouth, VA
The Center of Excellence in the Visual and Performing Arts
1989-1992 Secondary Art teacher, Cradock High School, Portsmouth, VA
1981-1989 Private Art Instructor
1980-1983 Instructor, Portsmouth Art and Cultural Center, Portsmouth, Virginia
Professional Memberships and Affiliations
1989-2017 National Art Education Association, Virginia Art Education Association, Tidewater Virginia Art Education Association
Employment Awards
2014 Scholastic Art and Writing, National Distinguished Teacher Award
2005 Tidewater Outstanding Secondary Art Educator (TVAEA)
2005 - 2006 Churchland High School Teacher of the Year
1999 Who’s Who Among American Teachers
Shows & Exhibitions
2024 Conversations with Artists, online gallery
2022 If Not Now, an national invitational exhibition curated by Gayle Paul, Portsmouth Art and Cultural Center
2021 Persistence III, d'Art Center, Norfolk, VA
Fall Stockley Gardens Art Festival, Award of Merit, Norfolk, Virginia
Virginia Artists 2021, Charles H. Taylor Visual Art Center, Hampton, Virginia
Old Dominion University Alumni Exhibition, Tell Her Story drawing and neon installation, Norfolk, Virginia
65th Annual Boardwalk Art Show, Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Virginia Beach, Virginia
2020 Persistence II, d'Art Center, Norfolk, VA, national juried, Best in Show,
The Museum Tree, Unknown Outcome 2100, Installation Commission, Hermitage Museum and Gardens, Norfolk, Virginia
2019 Ghent Antiques, featured artist winter season, Occasion for the Arts, Williamsburg, VA, Bethesda Row Arts Festival, Bethesda, MD
2018 New Waves 2018, Juried Exhibition, Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Virginia Beach, Virginia
Stockley Gardens Spring and Fall Art Festival, Norfolk, Virginia
Waterways, Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Satellite Gallery, invitational group show
2016 Degrees of Separation, Portsmouth Arts and Cultural Center, Small group show
2015 Portsmouth Here and Now, Portsmouth Arts and Cultural Center, Juried Show
2014 Spark Workshop Gallery, Brooklyn, New York, Juried Show
Barely There, Richard Stravitz Gallery, Virginia Beach, Virginia
Tidewater Virginia Art Educators Assoc. Show, Best in Show
2013 TIME, Juried Show, The Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, Virginia
Art Speaks, This Century Gallery, Williamsburg
Tidewater Virginia Art Educators Assoc. Show, 2nd prize
Ignition, Juried Show, Spark Workshop Gallery, Brooklyn, New York
2011 What in the Word, Suffolk Museum, Suffolk, Virginia
2009 Winterim, TVAEA, Suffolk, Virginia
2005 Occasion for the Arts, Williamsburg
2002 - 2003 New Waves Juried Exhibition, MOCA, Virginia Beach, Virginia
2003 Riverview Gallery, One Woman Show
2000 Tidewater Virginia Art Educators Assoc. Show
1989 D’Art Center, Figure Show
1986 Peninsula Fine Arts Center Juried Show, Newport News, Virginia
1982 Tidewater Artists Association, Drawing Show
1981 - 1988 Portsmouth Seawall Art Show
1981 - 1998 Chrysler Museum, Irene Leach Memorial Juried Exhibition
1980 - Present Virginia Beach Boardwalk Art Show
Awards
1980 Portsmouth Seawall Art Show - Award of Merit, Portsmouth, Virginia
1981 Boardwalk Art Show - Alice Granberry Painting Award, Virginia Beach, Virginia
1981 Irene Leach Memorial Juried Exhibition, Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, Virginia
1985 Portsmouth Seawall Art Show - Judge’s Choice Award, Portsmouth, Virginia
1986 Portsmouth Seawall Art Show - Purchase Award, Award of Excellence, Portsmouth, Virginia
1986 Peninsula Fine Arts Center, Juried Show – Award of Merit, Newport News, Virginia
1987 Portsmouth Seawall Art Show - Judge’s Choice Award, Portsmouth, Virginia
1988 Seawall Art Show - Award of Merit, Portsmouth, Virginia
1991 Tidewater Virginia Art Educators Show - 3rd Place
1992 Tidewater Virginia Art Educators Show - 3rd Place
1993 Boardwalk Art Show - Sand Dollar Award, Virginia Beach, Virginia
1998 Irene Leach Memorial Juried Exhibition, Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, Virginia
1999 Tidewater Virginia Art Educators Show - 2nd Place
2001 Boardwalk Art Show - Award of Merit, Virginia Beach, Virginia
2001 Tidewater Virginia Art Educators Show - Best in Show
2002 Contemporary Art Center, New Waves Juried Exhibition, Virginia Beach, Virginia
2003 Contemporary Art Center, New Waves Juried Exhibition, Virginia Beach, Virginia
2005 Boardwalk Art Show, Board of Trustees Award, 2nd Place, Virginia Beach, Virginia
Tidewater Virginia Art Education Association Exhibition, 3rd
2013 Tidewater Virginia Art Education Association, 2nd
2014 Tidewater Virginia Art Educators Assoc. Show, Best in Show
2016 - 2017 Boardwalk Art Show, Award of Merit, Virginia Beach, Virginia
National Art Education Association, National Juried Exhibition, Alexandria, Virginia
2018 New Waves, Juried Exhibition, Museum of Contemporary Art, Virginia Beach, Virginia
Portsmouth Art and Cultural Center - Plein Air Event - Curator's Award
2020 Persistence II, d'Art Center, National Juried Show, Norfolk, Virginia, Best in Show, juror- Lori Pratico
Unknown Outcome, Hermitage Museum and Gardens, Norfolk, Museum Tree Installation,
2021 Fall Stockley Gardens Art Festival, Award of Merit, Norfolk
Boardwalk Art Show, Virginia's Finest Award, Anne Virga and Family, 2nd Place overall, Virginia Beach,
Virginia
2024 Best in Show, Port Warwick Art and Sculpture Festival, Newport News, Virginia