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Stephen
Henning
"I
enjoy quiet, natural surroundings that are far away from the noisy demands
of everyday life. I strive to capture impressions of the fleeting beauty
of such places that are uncluttered by man, whether it be a wilderness
waterway illuminated by the morning light or an abandoned pasture bathed
in the colors of evening. My primary artistic goal is to provide a
pleasing, peaceful image that can be brought indoors, a sort of escape
portal where one's mind is free to stretch and dance. I prefer to create
large paintings that make a big impact and are easy to "step
into." Once your eye has entered one of my paintings, you will be
entertained by a wide spectrum of colors that are built up in many
overlapping layers or intertwining brushstrokes, a playground of hue,
value, and varying texture that gives a rich depth to a seemingly simple
scene."
EARLY YEARS
Stephen Henning was mentored since his youth by the famous
portrait artist Gene Ritchie Monohan and pioneer
conservationist Ernest Oberholtzer, both. residents of
Rainy Lake, on Minnesota's Canadian border. Well-known Twin
Cities graphic artists Bill Stein (Artifex Studio) and Bob
Blewett (Decision magazine) also were important to his
artistic growth. Henning received formal art training at
the Minneapolis College of Art & Design, and the
University of Minnesota. Art historian Barbara Kerwer
(Minneapolis Institute of Art) also has been an inspirational
force in his artistic education.
1970: Barbara Kerwer, standing, leads Student Volunteers on a
tour of Minneapolis Institute of Art.
Photo courtesy Dane Sorenson.
ART CAREER
Henning was an award-winning graphic designer, art director
and marketing consultant in Minneapolis for almost 20 years
before taking up his paint brush on a full-time basis in March
1995. Today his original paintings, oil pastels, and art
reproductions hang in homes, businesses, galleries and museums
around the world.
THE ARTS ARE FOR EVERYONE
His first public exhibition, in January 1996, was so
successful that Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts made him an
Honorary Board Member. At about the same time, Henning
also founded the Evansville Arts Coalition and served as its
president for 12 years. Committed to making the arts -
in all forms - accessible to more people, Henning has been
artist-in-residence at many rural Minnesota schools, has
championed funding and support for many arts programs, and
served on the Board of Directors of COMPAS for six
years. He helped establish a marketing
consortium of nonprofit arts organizations, and has been a
public speaker on economic development and the arts at several
statewide conferences.
Here are just a few stories about him:
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