“At the Table: People Places and Things / A La Mesa: Gente, Lugares y Cosas” – A New Cultural Exhibition by Hannah Bennett
“At The Table: People, Places, and Things / A La Mesa: Gente, Lugares, y Cosas,”a new exhibition by Madison-based artist and educator Hannah O’Hare Bennett. The show is inspired by Bennett’s two years of Peace Corps service in Quillín, Loja, Ecuador, where she arrived with limited Spanish into a world of unfamiliar customs, landscapes, and rhythms. Her art reflects the people, places, and things that grounded her during that transformative period.
This exhibit will be open from Jan. 27 to Feb. 24. A special reception at 5 p.m. with an artist talk at 5:30 p.m. followed by an open house from 6 to 7 p.m. will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 17. Light refreshments will be served. The exhibition centers on the idea of substantivo, the Spanish word for noun, as a symbol of tangible connection. Bennett’s works combine materials and techniques she encountered in Ecuador, such as bead weaving, with the handmade paper and embroidery that define her current practice. Patterns and images appear and fade across these textured surfaces, mirroring the gradual process of gaining clarity in a new environment. Featured pieces include Tres Mesitas, three pieces inspired by domestic life in Quillin, and selections from Quillin, a portfolio that pairs small studies with reflections on daily life in the Andes. Other works reference local architecture, the three sisters crop system, and the surrounding sky, land and waterways.
At its heart, the exhibition celebrates human connection, our relationships to one another, our surroundings and the material world. Bennett’s experience of being welcomed into a community as a foreigner offers a hopeful reminder of the grace people can extend across cultures, something she strives to reflect in her own life twenty years later.
Hannah O’Hare Bennett is a Madison-based artist, papermaker, and educator. She holds a BFA in Printmaking and an MFA in Design Studies and currently maintains her studio at Arts and Literature Lab. She serves as UW Madison’s Peace Corps recruiter and is a lecturer in the Design Studies department. She recently received one of two Women’s Artist Forward Prizes. Her work combines personal experience with traditional craft techniques, and she has taught, exhibited, and participated in residencies nationwide. You can check out more of her work at www.hannahoharebennett.com.
Roberta’s Art Gallery is located on the first floor of the James R. Connor University Center at 800 W. Main Street, Whitewater, Wis. The gallery collaborates with campus departments, student organizations, and community artists to coordinate and sponsor exhibits. During the academic year, the gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday. Roberta’s Art Gallery is closed on Saturday and Sunday.
At Roberta’s Art Gallery, we pride ourselves in providing free and open exhibits to the public, and attending certain events can earn students class credit. If you are interested in being featured in the gallery, please contact us for a proposal request. Reach us at ucart@uww.edu or 262-472-3193. Visit our website for any questions or inquiries, and follow our Instagram at uww_rag.
