Metal Arts of Benicia artist Mike Kendall

The metal arts of Benicia artist Mike Kendall are featured now through October in the  Arts and Technology exhibit at the Benicia Historical Museum highlighting the technical skills of contemporary artists and artisans who work in and about Benicia.

The exhibit is located in the main museum, adjacent to the Arts and Trades wall panel created by museum installation designers Anne Toxey and Patrick McMillan. 

The visual arts shown on the panel includes a sampling of works representative of Benicia artists to highlight Benicia's legacy in the arts.

Coordinator of the Art and Technology exhibit, Bonnie Weidel thanks the current museum curator Beverly Phelan for developing one more way to make visible the continuity between Benicia's past and present--- this time by showcasing the relationship between changing technology and the changing form of the arts object.

According to Weidel and Phelan, the objectives of the new exhibit are threefold: first, to create an opportunity to specifically showcase contemporary fine craftworkers; second, to contribute to the viewer's understanding about how intimately the artists  are involved with their material and, third, to illustrate how tools, materials and ideas historically evolve together.

The end goal is to further educate the public about the role of the creative process in the evolution of functional objects.  The artists are invited to share technical details which artists must master if their works are to succeed.

Each exhibit illustrates how final form and function must coincide to enable the artist's idea to develop.

You can preview the new Arts and Technology Exhibit duringregular museum hours: 

for further information, call the Benicia Historical Museum at 745-5435.