A New York native and California transplant, Rita Benton has several decades of experience as a graphic designer and photographer. She has a BFA in Visual Communications from the State University of New York at Buffalo, where she was awarded their European Travel Fellowship from the Fine Arts Department. Subsequently, she earned an MFA in Photography from the San Francisco Art Institute, studying under Linda Connor and Jack Fulton, and contributing to a limited edition portfolio that was acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
As the principal and creative director of Benton & Associates Design Communications, she has developed materials for a diverse array of corporate and non-profit clients, garnering numerous accolades and industry prizes. Early in her career, her fine art photography was featured in two solo exhibitions at Lawson DeCelle Gallery (San Francisco), a solo exhibition at the San Francisco Art Institute’s Diego Rivera Gallery (Multiples) and a group show at San Francisco Camerawork. After stepping back from her fine art explorations to focus on building her design business, she has recently returned to her artistic roots, exploring multiple imagery drawn from personal photography. Recently, work has been included in group shows at the Fred Jones Museum of Art at the University of Oklahoma, Colorium /2024, the Las Laguna Gallery in Southern California and Aesthetics /2024.