THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 2, 1994 TAG: 9406010191
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARK DuROSE, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: 940602 LENGTH: Medium
The Art Works Gallery, very much Norfolk, is the second oldest successful gallery in the city. Owner Beth Benson, who showcases the high-caliber work of local artists, mixes the Norfolk flavor with a metropolitan ambiance.
{REST} Benson made the decision more than three years ago to focus on the works of local artists. ``It cuts down a lot on my long distance bill,'' she said. ``It's very satisfying, getting to know the art and the artists more intimately. It added a whole other dimension to my work. I really enjoy what I'm doing.''
Some of those homegrown artists include Charles Sibley, Robert Vick, Vicki Bruner, Barclay Sheaks, and Christa Pleasant.
Sibley, an octogenarian who calls himself the ``old man on the mountain'' of the local art scene, calls Benson ``an outstanding person in her field,'' and sees her gallery as an ``extremely attractive and very elegant gallery, done in good taste, with a good mix of work which is always presented well. And her shows are very creative, and she's got quite a flair,'' he added.
One show in particular was quite special. During the Christmas season of 1992, Benson invited a wide spectrum of local artists to enter original works into one of her first theme showings. The theme was cows, and for the season, Benson called the show ``Yule Have a Cow.''
``I'll never forget the way she brought a live cow to the gallery for the opening,'' recalled Sibley. Indeed, Benson acquired a huge heifer named June from Bergey's Dairy for the occasion. Patrons were able to enjoy feeding straw to the bovine ``guest of honor'' in addition to viewing cattle in a variety of artistic interpretations. ``It was definitely inspired,'' Sibley said.
But Benson's plan wasn't always to own an art gallery, any more than the gallery's focus was always on original works by Tidewater artists.
After graduating with a degree in fashion illustration from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Benson's first post-college job was in the creative services department of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. For two years, she channeled her creativity into layout and illustration.
Then she married and moved to Germany. Two weeks after her return to Norfolk from Europe she went to work for Willis-Wayside in Virginia Beach.
``It was at Willis-Wayside that I got interior design and retailing experience,'' said Benson. ``I was there for seven years, and learned a lot, and became head of the Advertising Department.''
Her career there was interrupted in March of 1976, however, by the birth of her son, Frank.
In 1979, after three years of motherly responsibilities, Benson opened a frame shop with Dale King, a college friend and Larchmont neighbor.
Six months later, with the gallery under way and King primarily an absentee partner, Benson and her husband separated. ``I was left with running a business, a house and raising a child, all at the same time,'' said Benson. ``Friends now ask me how I could have done it. Tenacity has a lot do with it, but I always say that I hire people smarter than me, and then I learn from them.''
In 1983, she opened a second location at Waterside, in partnership with Frances Lindsay. As the spin-off shop catered more to prints and posters, the original gallery became more and more a showcase for original artwork. When the five-year lease ran out at Waterside, Benson did not renew.
``As far as prints and poster art, and just being a frame shop, it was a market I was no longer interested in. My clientele had grown more sophisticated, and were supportive. Their word of mouth has allowed me to grow, and to remain here.''
Lindsay, her partner in that second venture, applauds Benson's ability to appreciate and understand her clients. ``She's very talented, and very charming,'' said Lindsay, ``But, mostly, she's very accommodating and goes out of her way to make her customers happy.''
Years later, partnerless and a successful businesswoman in her own right, Benson appears to have learned her lessons well. But she admits that there's more to it than that.
``We are the second oldest gallery in Norfolk'' said Benson, which I do feel is an accomplishment, because galleries come and go.
She feels that her background as an artist and interior designer helps her, both with the people she represents, and the ones she serves.
by CNB