Faces of the World
We are all the same, yet, we are all different.
Many of those differences are due to the varied cultures and ethnicities found around the world.It's these differences that are important to Stephen Bennett, a world renown portrait painter now living in Tamaqua.Bennett moved to Tamaqua from New York City after the collapse of the World Trade Center's Twin Towers. The atmosphere on the streets of New York had become almost hostile, according to the artist."It was so different walking down the streets. Everywhere you went, there was a heavy police presence. People looked at each other with suspicion. The entire atmosphere changed, and not for the better," Bennett remembers.He also had another reason for moving. Thanks to his friend and mentor, Joseph Marioni, Bennett discovered many of the older buildings in the former coal mining town had a commodity sorely lacking in the big city - large, open space rooms at an affordable cost.Many of the artist's paintings need a lot of space, measuring between five and seven feet tall, a throwback to the 27 years he spent painting backdrops for theater, films and fashion shows.In the last 15 years, Bennett has traveled to more than 23 countries, immersing himself in the local culture, becoming familiar with the indigenous people, encouraging and nurturing the survival of those cultural identities.Many of the paintings from his time spent in remote, sometimes dangerous locations, feature vivid colors representing the subject's personality, character and emotions.Bennett believes in "the survival of different cultures. The world may be seen as one big melting pot, but it's important to realize and understand our differences. I hope my work helps people realize the importance of keeping our cultural identities."Bennett's work has been recognized by the United Nations Postal Administration, which issues commemorative stamps used between U.N. offices and collected by hobbyists around the world.The UNPA honored Bennett in 2012, 2010 and 2009, selecting a total of 54 of his indigenous people paintings for reproduction. Having his work selected by the U.N. is one of the "most amazing aspects of his work," says the artist.Bennett also believes art is an important part of education. His nonprofit, Faces of the World Inc., has offered free art workshops to children throughout the world.The portrait workshops encourage the younger generation to identify and celebrate their uniqueness, inspiring them to become curious and accepting of the world's cultural diversity.The artist recently held such a workshop at the Tamaqua Art Center. He will be visiting students in the Tamaqua Area Middle School before traveling to China and India during the winter months.Hoping to share his love of art, Bennett has also established an internship program. He's looking to share, one on one, the ins and outs of the art world, which involves a lot more than just creating art."If you want to share your art with the world, there's a lot of research, organization and correspondence that's also required, a lot of work needed behind the scenes of an art show," he explains.Bennett should know. His work will be featured at the Allentown Art Museum beginning this Saturday.It's the latest showing in a tour that has taken him to places as diverse as the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Australia.For more information on the artist and his work, visit
www.theportraitpainter.com.For information on Faces of the World Inc., visit www.facesof the world, net.For information on the internship, email