August 2013

Toe River Arts Council in Burnsville, NC, Offers Works by H. Allen Benowitz

The Toe River Arts Council in Burnsville, NC, will present Through the Lens of H. Allen Benowitz—From Burnsville to India, a mini-retrospective of self-taught photographer H. Allen Benowitz, on view at the Burnsville Gallery, from Aug. 10 through Sept. 7, 2013. A reception will be held on Aug. 9, from 5-7pm.

Benowitz’s passion began as a child snapping pictures of friends. It evolved over the decades as career paths diverged until finally resurfacing. One morning he noticed his six-year old son playing with their springer spaniel in the sunlight. The resulting photograph received honorable mention in the International Kodak Contest. From a professional court reporting and video career, the camera became a natural segue to photography, and the accolades and recognitions followed from featured articles and exhibitions to national and international honors and awards

In 2004, Benowitz traveled to the state of Rajasthan in the northwest corner of India. He spent the next several weeks photographing the “Land of the Kings” from shadows of the sun upon the dunes of the Thar Desert in Jaisalmer to those created by the intricate architecture of Jodhpur, the second largest city in the state. He photographed snake charmers and charming young boys in large colorful turbans. Shy boys, tough boys, and boys in a band trying to make a few rupees from tourists.

In 2006, Benowitz bought a summer home in Burnsville that sparked another passion — beauty of the landscape of the surrounding mountains. “Through the Lens…” takes one from the serenity and majesty of the Blue Ridge, the curves of the roads and the vines beside, and the quiet peace of falling leaves and fallen fences to a cacophony of color and colorful places across the ocean in other places in time.

Benowitz has lectured extensively on his journeys, exhibited nationally and has his work in collections and galleries around the country.

The Toe River Arts Council is 501C-3 nonprofit and is supported by donations, memberships, local government support, grants (including the North Carolina Arts Council, a state agency) and earned income from its events and sales. 

For further information check our NC Institutional Gallery listings, call the Council at 828/682-7215 or visit (www.toeriverarts.org).

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