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HELEN'S LIFE IN A GLANCE
Born in Leetsdale, Pennsylvania, Helen Hunt Bencker was interested in art from an early age. She Went on to study painting and illustration and attained her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh. She intended to embark on a career in commercial and fine arts.
In a twist, Helen’s career took a turn and she found herself on a path in the world of fashion. She built a highly successful career as an award-winning designer and Creative Director with major international firms. She became known for her discerning eye and timeless style of sophisticated elegance imbued with a balance of artistry, glamour, and femininity.
After marrying Claus Hoie in 1956 and moving to East Hampton in the 1960s, Helen shifted her focus from the Fashion World to the fine art world. She would go on to exhibit her emotionally charged collages and paintings with major galleries and institutions locally and elsewhere in the United States. Her works are poetry in paper and pigment and resonate through the decades.
Biography/CV
Born:
Leetsdale, Pennsylvania
Education:
B.A., Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pa. Department of Painting, Study with Kenneth Shopen, University of Vermont; Elliot O'Hara, Maine; Henry Pearson, New York; Alexander Russo, East Hampton, N.Y.
Awards:
National Academy of Design 163rd Annual Exhibition
Certificate of Merit 1988
Audubon Artists Annual Exhibitions, N.Y.
Len G. Everett Award 1990
Silver Medal of Honor 1987
National Society of Painters in Casein and Acrylic, N.Y.
Binney and Smith Award 1989
Arches-Canson Rives Award 1986
Michael M. Engel Memorial Award 1985
John J. Newman Medal 1983
First Prize, 25th Annual Exhibition 1978
Elizabeth Erlanger Award 1976
Individual Exhibition Award, 24th Annual Juried Exhibition Parrish Art Museum, Southampton, N.Y. 1977
First Prize, Abstract Painting, Guild Hall Museum, East Hampton 1970
Who's Who in American Art
Solo Exhibitions:
Bridgehampton Museum, Bridgehampton N.Y., “H.HOIE: Paintings and Collages”, Spring 2024
St. Mary's College of Maryland 1994
Harmon-Meek Gallery, Naples, Fla. 1987, 1991, 1993
Ruth Vered Gallery, East Hampton, N.Y. 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987,
1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994
Forum Gallery, New York, N.Y. 1984 "Collages" Stavanger Museum, Stavanger, Norway 1983
Elaine Benson Gallery, Bridgehampton, N.Y. 1972, 1977, 1983
Adelphi University, Garden City, N.Y. 1981
Babcock Galleries, New York, N.Y. 1974, 1977, 1983
Light-at-the-Beach Gallery, Southampton, N.Y.1981
Parrish Art Museum, Retrospective 1968-1978, Southampton, N.Y.1978
Maison Francaise, New York University, New York, N. Y. 1976
Upstairs Gallery, East Hampton, N.Y. 1973
Southampton College, Southampton, N.Y. 1971
Maison Francaise, New York University, New York, N.Y., 1976
Upstairs Gallery, East Hampton, N.Y. 1973
Southampton College, Southampton, N.Y. 1971
Group Exhibitions:
Provincetown Art Association "The League of the Cape" 1993
Gallery International 52, New York, N.Y. 1987
Forum Gallery, New York, N.Y. "Large Paintings" 1986
Forum Gallery, New York, N.Y. "Collages" 1986
Provincetown Museum of Art, Provincetown, Ma. "Cross Currents"1986
National Academy of Design Annual, New York, N.Y. 1986 - 19 9м
Benton Gallery, Southampton, N.Y. Inaugural Exhibit 1986
East Hampton Star, 100th Anniversary Exhibition, Guild Hall, East Hampton, N.Y. 1985
Bergen Museum of Art & Science, Paramus, NJ. "Collage, the State of the Art" 1985
Parrish Art Museum, Southampton, N.Y. 30th Juried Exhibition 1970-1992
Susan Blanchard Gallery, New York, N.Y. 1985
National Society of Painters in Casein and Acrylic, New York, N.Y. 1977-1990
Adelphi University Art Gallery 1983
Audubon Artists, Inc., New York, N.Y. 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989
Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, New York, N.Y."1 + 1=2" 1993
Guild Hall Museum, East Hampton, N.Y. "Poets and Artists" 1982
Elaine Benson Gallery, New York, N.Y. "Dore Ashton Selects" 1982
Phoenix Fine Art Gallery, Frederick, Md. 1980
East Hampton Art Colony from the Guild Hall Collection
Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 1980
Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, Miss. 1980
Pensacola Museum of Art, Pensacola, Fla. 1979
Women Artists of Eastern Long Island, Guild Hall Museum, East Hampton, NY 1979
American Academy of Arts & Letters, Hassam Fund Exhibition, 1971 1978
National Academy of Design, Ranger Fund Exhibition 1978
Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa. 1976
Fairleigh Dickenson University, Hackensack, N.J. 1976
Guild Hall Museum, East Hampton, N.Y. Annual Invitational 1976
Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio, Annual 1975
Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, N.Y. Works on Paper/Women Artists 1975
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va. 1975
Randolph-Macon Women's College, Lynchburg, Va. 1975
State University of New York, Binghamton, N.Y. 1975
Chatham College, Pittsburgh, Pa. 1975
New York Community College, New York, N.Y. 1975
Guild Hall Museum, East Hampton, N.Y. Long Island Painters Exhibition,1971, 1972, 1973, 1974
Collections:
The Bridgehampton Museum, Bridgehampton, NY
The National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C.
Guild Hall, East Hampton, N.Y.
Centre College of Kentucky, Danville, Ky.
The Parrish Art Museum, Southampton, N.Y.
The Stephen's Collections, Little Rock, AK
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