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    Andrea Benitez.

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Andrea Benitez, 29, did not imagine what she was getting herself into when she embarked on a community art project that produced unexpected results.

As a local artist based in the Inland Empire, she was approached by the director of the Ontario Art & History Museum with a grant to engage the community in the arts. Benitez commented it had to with taking a plunge, as a professional artist, in an underrepresented neighborhood in the Inland Empire. As a result, she delved into a positive and culturally rich immigrant experience.

The idea to focus on the parish community who attended Our Lady of Guadalupe church in Ontario came from the director of the Museum, John Worden, Benitez said. While riding on his bike, he had noticed the doors of the church were always open and there was something inviting, vibrant and alive going on inside.

Benitez contacted the parish office to ask for names of parishioners who would take an interest in participating in the project. She would meet with them in the church’s courtyard, interview them and take their photo. Back at home, she would draw their portrait using pencil and graphite. The final product would culminate in 20 black and white portraits.

“Mostly everyone I interviewed from thr parish happened to be immigrants who came to settle in the Ontario-area. When they arrived here they noticed many differences from their country but once they went to the Mass celebrated in Spanish, they felt they were at home.”

The portrait exhibit called Faces of the Community/Caras de la Comunidad includes a book with all the sketches and complementing stories. The exhibit is currently being displayed until August 7th at the Ontario Museum of History & Art.

Besides Faces of the Community, Benitez has also worked on other community-based projects including murals and decorated benches. She studied fine arts and graphic design at Chaffey College and California State University, Fullerton. Holding a full-time job during the day, she dedicates afternoons and evenings to her artwork.

“I didn’t realize how much attention this exhibit was going to get,” she admitted.

Ontario Museum of History & Art: 225 Euclid Avenue. Telephone: (909) 885-6324; www.ontarioca.gov/museum. Open Thursdays through Sundays from noon to 4:00 PM. Admission is free.

Contact the writer: anaso@pe.com.