Area Artisan: Heidi Bench

Heidi Bench is a BFA graduate of Missouri Western State University. Graduating Cum Laude and majoring in Graphic Design and Painting. Though she was born in Salem, Oregon, she currently resides in Lathrop. The small midwestern town and the people in it serve as an endless source of inspiration for many of her paintings and drawings. She works primarily in oil and acrylic painting, and recently included mixed media and watercolor to her artistic repertoire. Heidi likes to say that she “steals faces and moments: captured on her phone camera, then reinvents them onto the canvas”. Her favorite medium is oil, “I love the layers and textures that appear”.

Heidi is an active member and promoter of the NWMO art scene. She has exhibited around the region including the Potter Gallery in St. Joseph, Paper Birch Landing, and 504 Gallery in Kansas City. Heidi’s personal goal is to bring art awareness to the community. She already does some of this by helping host several small art shows throughout the year, holding paint parties, and dropping free art several times a month with inspirational quotes. As a continuation of this goal she will be writing a weekly article in the newspaper showcasing a Cameron area artisan. If you know of a skilled artist or craftsman in the area, please contact Heidi at: classifieds@mycameronnews.com