AMBER BENTON | Visual Artist
itsamber@amberlynnbenton.com

Profile

I am an interdisciplinary visual artist and educator working primarily in clay, fibers, and printmaking. My interests are in the areas of localism, relationship building, and Placemaking which help traditional cultural heritages flourish. My work often focuses on traditional Appalachian migration patterns — particularly those influenced by the textile region of the North Carolina Piedmont. My current project is a photography practice titled Redemptive Images While Trespassing while we work as a family to build on ancestral land. I am open to speaking, writing, curation, and installation projects and collaborations.

Education

University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Bachelor of Fine Arts 2021

professional Experience

Graham County Travel and Tourism Authority | Assistant Director
2024 to present, Charlotte

Promoting Graham County, NC as ‘Your Natural Destination’ for experiencing the wonder and culture of the ‘secret side’ of the Great Smoky Mountains. Coordination and post Covid relaunch of the Azalea Festival happening June 8, 2024. Establishing greater community engagement and coordination amongst organizations, businesses, and community members within Graham County to encourage economic growth and a stronger community vitality both of which increase our attractiveness as a destination.

Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center | Program Director
2021 to 2024, Stecoah, NC

Development and management of all arts and cultural programming including the JAM program, the An Appalachian Evening concert series, as well as the annual Harvest Festival. Expanded music and arts programming, established the Smoky Mountain SpringFest and managed the enhancement of the Textile Studio and a new website design through a North Carolina Arts Council Spark the Arts Grant. Managed all graphic design and branding as social media channels.

Freelance | Designer, Illustrator, Small Business Consultant
2004 to 2020, Charlotte, NC

Logo design, branding, website design, print management, vinyl, screen printing, marketing, small business consulting, surface pattern design, greeting card design, and illustration

Carolina Bags, LLC | Art Director
2018 to present, Charlotte, NC

Rebranding, marketing materials, preserving and managing digital archives, print management of artwork, placing artwork on products, manage printshop relationship, creating line sheets and catalogs, setting up ordering and royalty systems

Exhibitions

Shuttled | Installation at UNC Charlotte, Consilience, 2021
43rd Annual Conference Show |
Tri State Sculptors Association, 2021
A New Leaf |
UNC Charlotte, Book Arts, 2021
From Our Hands To Yours |
UNC Charlotte, Ceramics, 2021
Novant Student Art Show |
UNC Charlotte, CPCC, Novant Health, 2021
Juried Student Exhibition
| UNC Charlotte, Spring 2021

Public Art

Macro-Micro Mural | ARTP3161 Fall 2021

Outdoor mural on the Rowe Arts building bordering the Hechenbleikner Lake certified wildlife habitat on the campus of UNC Charlotte; participated in all stages of the collaborative design, development and execution. Research for the project included reading environmental literature, microscopic studies of pond life, visits to the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens, visiting local wildlife centers and habitats, and conversations with numerous guest speakers.

Founders Day Cake | ARTP3161 Fall 2021

Art installation commissioned by UNC Charlotte Chancellor Gaber's office; participated in a collaboration creating the surface design and painting of an over-sized "cake" that toured UNCC campus throughout 2021-22 school year.

 

Public Speaking

Commencement Address | UNC Charlotte COA+A, 2021
Panelist |
UNC- CLT BFA show Consilience, 2021
Artist Talk |
Tri State Sculptshare, 2021

Recognition/Press

Twenty-seven Year Journey | Spectrum News 1, 2021
Commencement Speaker |
UNC Charlotte, COA+A, 2021
Student Spotlight |
UNC Charlotte, COA+A, 2021
Student of the Year | UNC Charlotte, Rowe Arts, 2020

Memberships/Conferences

Tri State Sculptors Association
International Ceramic Arts Network (ICAN)

Publishing

Self Education in An Art Museum | Charlotte Mason Institute

Workshops/teaching