Ward Bennett facts for kids
Ward Bennett (born Howard Bernstein) was an amazing American designer, artist, and sculptor. He lived from 1917 to 2003. People said his designs really defined a special time in history! He was known for creating beautiful furniture, homes, and even jewelry.
Early Life and Learning
Ward Bennett was born as Howard Bernstein on November 17, 1917, in Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York City. His dad, Murray Bennett, was an actor who later worked in real estate and owned a restaurant.
When he was just 13, Ward started working in New York's Garment District, Manhattan. He worked for a famous fashion designer named Hattie Carnegie. He even designed costumes for a play called Lady in the Dark. After visiting Europe, he decided he wanted to be a designer. He studied art in Paris at a place called Académie de la Grande Chaumière. He even learned from a famous sculptor named Constantin Brâncuși.
Later, Ward moved to California and worked as a window dresser. He then came back to New York City. He kept dressing windows and studied design in the evenings. A teacher named Hans Hofmann taught him. He even shared a studio with artist Louise Nevelson. Ward lived and worked in New York City for most of his life. He had an apartment in the famous Dakota Building, which he often redecorated. His home in East Hampton (town), New York is called The Springs.
His Designs and Work
In 1944, Ward Bennett's ceramic artworks were shown in an exhibition at the Whitney Museum. After visiting Mexico, he showed his jewelry at the Museum of Modern Art. In the mid-1940s, he started designing interiors for homes. His first project was an apartment in Manhattan. He used cork for the floors and white bookshelves. He was known for using mostly one color in his designs, which is called monochromatic.
Bennett wanted to create a design style that felt truly American. This was different from the popular European styles of the 1960s and 70s. His style was called "sensual minimalism" because he mixed industrial looks with beautiful art. He was one of the first designers to use industrial ideas in home design. By 1979, he had designed over 100 different chairs!
He also created many other things, like furniture, silverware, dresses, and jewelry. He worked for big companies and famous people. Some of his clients included Sasaki, Japan, Chase Bank, David Rockefeller, Gianni Agnelli, Tiffany & Co., and Jann Wenner. In the 1970s, he was the main designer at Brickel Associates.
He designed a special "University Chair" for the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum. He was very interested in designing chairs because he had back problems himself.
Later Life and Legacy
Ward Bennett passed away at his home in Key West, Florida, on August 13, 2003.
You can find Ward Bennett's amazing works in many museum collections. These include the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art. There is also an oral history (a recorded interview) with Bennett at the Archives of American Art.
