Bridget Benton: RESUME
EDUCATION
Master of Science, Creativity and Change Leadership, International Center for Studies in Creativity, State University of New York, Buffalo State College Campus (2007)
FourSight Certification (2007)
Bachelor of Arts, Studio Arts, Cum Laude and with Distinction in Art, The Colorado College (1992).
Phi Beta Kappa honor society (1992)
LECTURES, APPEARANCES & WORKSHOPS
Spiral Notebook Necklace and A Layering on of Hands at Art Unraveled, Phoenix, AZ, August, 2010.
Introduction to Encaustic Painting and Creatives in Business: Leveraging Strengths, Managing Weaknesses at the Summit of Awesome, Portland, OR, June, 2010.
Cigar Box Shrines for Quest Center's Healing Empowerment Project, supporting participants dealing with breast cancer, Portland, OR, Spring, 2010.
Creative Anatomy: Creative Problem-Solving Self-Assessment, Entrepreneur Development Series, Portland Community College Small Business Development Center, Portland, OR, Winter, 2010.
Adult art workshops, including Chakra Collage, Guardian Night Light, and One-on-One Encaustic Painting Basics at my home studio, Hearth, Portland, OR, Fall 2009 – Present.
Adult art workshop Spiral Notebook Necklace at Scarlet Star Studios, Portland, OR, Fall 2009.
Wax and Fiber: An Encaustic Adventure and Washed Up and Worn: Recycled Rubber Jewelry at Art Unraveled, Phoenix, AZ, August, 2009.
Wax and Fiber, demonstration at the Portland Chapter of the International Encaustic Artists’ Encaustic Jam, Summer, 2009.
Creative Anatomy: Creative Problem-Solving Self-Assessment, Entrepreneur Development Series,
Portland Community College Small Business Development Center, Portland, OR, Summer, 2009.
Copyright and the Collage and Assemblage Artist at CopyNight, Portland, OR, January, 2009.
Adult art workhops including Memory Jewelry, Junk Drawer Jewels, Images on Fabric, Artmaking as Playful Prayer and more, DIY Lounge at Collage, Portland, OR, 2004 – Present.
Fabric Pendants, Multnomah County Library,Portland, OR, January 2009.
Lecture and workshop Creative Entrepreneurship: Conception to Actualization, Side Project to Startup Conference, CubeSpace, Portland, OR, Fall, 2008.
Wax Image Transfers and Beeswax Collage Basics, with Linda Womack, Art Unraveled, Phoenix, AZ, Summer, 2008.
Paper Bag Books, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR, Summer 2008.
Guest Craft Expert on AM Northwest, KATU Channel 2, Northwest Region, September 2007, March 2008, and May 2008.
Adult art classes including Memory Jewelry and Basic Beading at Portland Community College, Continuing Education Department, Portland, OR, 2004 – 2007.
Delivered lecture and workshop Artmaking as Playful Prayer: Towards a Value-Based CPS Model at the Expert to Expert Creative Studies Conference, SUNY Buffalo State College, Buffalo, NY, Summer, 2007.
Presented, with Janice Francisco, the workshop When Thinking is Critical at the Annual North American Conference of the International Association of Facilitators, Portland, OR, Spring 2007.
Delivered Guest Lecture, Mandalas: The Nature of Creativity in a culture class for Korean art exchange students, Portland State University (PSU), Summer 2005 and Summer 2006.
EXHIBITS
Featured artist, Guardino Gallery, Portland, OR, August 2010. (Juried)
Encaustic work selected for Luminous Layers, Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts, Lake Oswego, OR, June, 2010. (Juried)
Featured artist, ReUse Recycle group show at 100th Monkey Gallery, Portland, OR, April, 2010. (Juried)
Encaustic pieces included in IEA-PDX Winter Group Show at West Linn Public Library, West Linn, OR, February, 2010. (By special invitation)
Encaustic pieces selected for Little Things group show at Guardino Gallery, Portland, OR, December, 2009. (Juried)Encaustic pieces selected for Dia De Los Muertos group show at Guardino Gallery, Portland, OR, November, 2009. (Juried)
Mixed media assemblage work selected for Mixed Media group show at Sixth Street Gallery, Vancouver, WA, October, 2009. (Juried) Work featured on the promotional postcard.
Participated in the Portland Open Studios Tour, Portland, OR, October 2009. (Juried)
Participated in the 4th Annual Artist’s Trading Card Exhibition at Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond, Canada, Fall, 2009.
Encaustic assemblage displayed with the International Encaustic Artists, Portland Chapter, Renewal group show at the downtown Unitarian Church, Portland, OR, February, 2009.
Assemblage pieces selected for Dia De Los Muertos group show at Guardino Gallery, Portland, OR, November, 2008. (Juried)
Encaustic collage selected for Dia De Los Muertos group show at Maude Kerns Art Center, Eugene, OR, October-November, 2008. (Juried)
Fiber collage selected for the Fourth Annual National Fiber Arts Festival group show at Sixth Street Gallery, Vancouver, WA, August 2008 (Juried)
Shadowbox selected for Gender group show at The 100th Monkey Studio, Portland, OR, June 2008 (Juried)
Migrations, a one-woman installation at Mad/50 Art Space, Portland, OR, March 20 through May 5, 2008 (by special invitation)
The Last Two Years, one-woman show at Cubespace, Portland, OR, Spring, March-June 2008 (by special invitation)
Encaustic collage selected for the Celebration of Souls group show at the Sixth Street Gallery, Vancouver, WA, November, 2007 (Juried)
Encaustic collage selected for the Dia de los Muertos group show at the Linn-Benton Community College Gallery, Albany, OR, November, 2007 (Juried)
Shadowboxes selected for Transitions group show at The 100th Monkey Studio, Portland, OR, October, 2007 (Juried)
Wax and stitched paper collage selected for Trophies group show at Working Artists Studio & Gallery, Portland, OR, August, 2006 (Juried)
Miniature collage series exhibited as part of The Trade Show artist trading card group show at Collage, August, 2006.
Encaustic collage exhibited as part of the 4x4 group show at Collage, Portland, OR, February, 2006.
RECENT CAREER HISTORY
Portland Community College, Small Business Development Center, Business Advisor and Creativity Instructor. Portland, OR, January 2009 - Present. Advising creative professionals and integrating creativity training into entrepreneurial development curriculum.
Eyes Aflame, Owner. Portland, OR, 2002 - Present. Specializing in Adult Art Workshops, Creativity Training & Consulting, Teambuilding, and Group Facilitation.
DIY Lounge at Collage, Workshop Facilitator. Portland, OR, 2004 - 2009. Focused on arts,crafts and creativity instruction (formerly, The Workshop at Collage).
CASE Associates Inc., Senior Business Analyst, Boring, OR, 2002-2010. Sub-contractor specializing in designing, conducting, and analyzing risk assessment and business analysis interviews with project stakeholders and team members on large scale government IT projects. I am particularly adept at identifying gaps in communications and conflict resolution procedures that put projects at risk.
Helen M. McCann, CPA, P.C., Audit Assistant, Portland, OR, 2002-2009. Sub-contractor specializing in business process analysis for Credit Union audits, Bank Secrecy Act compliance, and fraud investigations.
Riley Research Associates, Assistant Project Manager/Project Manager/Senior Project Manager, Designing and Analyzing Qualitative and Quantitative Market Research Studies, Facilitating Focus Groups, Developing Client Relationships: Portland, Oregon, 1996 – 2001.
VOLUNTEER & COMMUNITY WORK
Treasurer, Portland Open Studios, February 2010 - Present.
President, Portland Chapter of the International Encaustic Artists, Fall 2009 – Present
Participated in An Artist a Day at Muse, an artmaking and fundraising event for School House Supplies, Portland, OR, Spring 2010.
Participated in the LNPB (Leave No Plastic Behind) art challenge, episodes 5 and 6, 2009. Created bottle cap sculpture used at a Surfrider event, which is currently on display at SCRAP (School and Community Resource Action Project). SCRAP is a non-profit that collects and resells business cast-offs as art supplies. Work from this exhibit also appeared at PIE Footwear in Portland during January, 2010.
Encaustic work donated for The 100th Monkey Studio’s Anniversary Show and Scholarship Fundraiser, Portland, OR, Fall, 2009.
Designed the cover art for the DaVinci Arts Middle School Annual Auction Catalog, 2007.Taught Art and Craft Classes to at-risk women in the Rose, an apartment building run by REACH CDC, Spring 2004 – Fall 2005, with the goal of helping the women make useful items.
Designed business cards and coupons for SCRAP (School and Community Resource Action Project) that they could revise and print from MS Word, 2005. SCRAP is a non-profit that collects and resells business cast-offs as art supplies.
Served Portland Center Stage as a volunteer developing window displays that reflected its brand and promoted its 2002-2003, 2003-2004, and 2004-2005 seasons.
Greenway, Volunteer Marketing Specialist: Hat Yai, Thailand, 2001-2002. Worked with a team of international volunteers to plan an International Festival and develop a brochure to help a cooperative of Thai weavers promote their products more effectively to tourists and exporters. Also participated in Greenway's annual World Culture festival for the local community.
Organized the Women’s Words events at Portland International Women’s Day in 1999 and 2000, resulting in the most diverse group of readers and writers in terms of age and ethnicity ever assembled for PIWD.
Served as the Secretary of the American Marketing Association, Portland Chapter, 1999-2000, greatly improving record keeping with the national organization.
PRESS & PUBLISHING
Trendy Tires in Green Craft, Fall 2010, featuring my recycled bicycle inner tube jewelry.
Featured artist on AnArtistADay.wordpress.com, April 21, 2010.
East Portland Artists Welcome Guests into their Studios in East Portland News, Fall 2009, featuring Open Studios artists.
Featured artist on Portland Open Studios Blog, September 12, 2009.
Guest Blogger, Inspiration, on CreativeEveryday.com, September 17, 2009.
Craft Demos from my blog, The Matchbook, featured on CraftStylish.com, Craftzine.com and Whipup.net, 2008.