Publications
Published ariticles and statements about Houston artist Lee Benner.
H-Town
Houston Chronicle, Valerie Sweeten
May, 2013
Artist passionate about history of Houston area
Benner, a native Houstonian, is known throughout the greater Houston area as an artist, historian and preservationist. Dan and Ann Becker, Harris County historical Society members recently hosted Benner to share his experiences and involvement with saving the Kennedy Foley building. Benner’s acknowledgment about the city and what it has gone through over the past hundred years is invaluable according to the Beckers, they said it is amazing how much off the top of his head he knows, he makes history come alive and gets down to the level where people live. Ann Becker said “I think Lee is a real Renaissance man who is a writer, filmmaker producer and building investor. I’m enthralled with his description of Houston art scene. Benner’s artistic endeavors are well known as his love for Houston history.”
Sean Duke
May, 2013
"Benner’s insight into the community of art has been an amazing teaching tool. He is the most creative artist I’ve ever met with the ability to fuse Glass and Metal. He is amazing with bronze and copper. He’s very knowledgeable with art and the history of Houston there is nothing that compares to his work he still being commission said Duke,Benner is long devotion to history is evident.”
Houston Chronicle, David Kaplan
December, 2001
When Benner, began the project in 1994 the building ravished by 1989 fire was about to be demolished. It was a burned-out shell with no roof, windows,doors or plumbing and Benner had no money.
“it was a pretty brave thing to do,” said Rice University architectural historian Stephen Fox
Benner has been involved in a variety of adventures. At age 15, he printed business cards saying,” Clutch, and Transmission repair.” His parents came home one day to see that he had dug a grease pit and their garage in Meyerland.
He dropped out of South Texas Junior college where he studied, mechanical engineering, and decided to be a sculptor and photographer. In Montrose, Benner owned a bicycle repair shop where he did sculpture in the back. Later he worked as a jaguar mechanic, did a job in construction and helped design oil rigs.
N 1986 he began making Pocket out of fabricated and cast metal. The idea of the pocket heart is to carry it and eventually give it away. He also makes metal art furniture.
002 Magazine
1994
"Lee Benner, Downtown's renaissance man."
Deborah Mann Lake
1994
"Artist envisions life for downtown in old Foley's."
Houston Post, Terri Williams
March, 1994
"Lee Benner has the gift of seeing beauty in discarded items."
The Houston Post
July, 1994
"An artist reviving downtown Houston."
Houston Press, Karen Weintraub
July, 1994
"Benner, who describes his building as a wonderful raw canvas."
Dateline University of Houston, Richard Olsen
August, 1994
"Houston has so few historic buildings if Benner is successful, he will have done something very special for Houston."
Houston Post, Designing Men in Their Environments. By, Pamela Luis
January, 1992
Benner is no stranger to environmental cleanup. He previously had a space in the warehouse district just north of downtown where he was a member of the artist warehouse alliance. “One of our projects was to clean up the area. We got the city of Houston through clean Houston to come down and we had a band and girls with pom-poms to keep all the volunteers going."
Downtown Inc, Susan Freeman
August, 1992
Benner had this area adjoining his warehouse cleared of the remnants of eight houses, four large trucks and 650 truck tires by street people happy for the opportunity to work on the project. Benner is careful to create opportunities for them because “an artist is only a few inches away from being a street guy."
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Houston Post, Metallic Art to Wear, Judy Lunn
January 1990
Bolo ties were designed by Houston sculptor Lee Benner whose work is shown in the museum of fine arts Houston.
Houston Chronicle, Madelyn McDermot HAMM
1989
Lee Benner‘s table base which intentionally appears to have moving parts and undefinable skin makes the observer. Wonder if it is animal or machine.
Pannell Kerr Forster Worldwide,
Worldwide Panorama Magazine
1985 and 1986
The precision needed in shaping and assembling the achievement award itself are the skills and creativity needed to complete an award-winning article sculptor Lee Benner talents, complement those of our outstanding financial journalists.
