Painter Amy Werntz of Dallas, Texas, has been named winner of the 2025 Bennett Prize. In her work, she strives to “give importance to ordinary moments in everyday life and to show the importance and value of this generation so often overlooked in our society by the lure of youth.”
The largest prize offered solely to women figurative realist painters, The Bennett Prize has awarded Werntz $50,000 to create new work for a solo exhibition that will ultimately travel the United States.
“In examining the pieces in person, I was struck by the respect for the elderly conveyed by Amy Werntz. Not only were the paintings exquisitely executed, but they also honor a group of individuals who are frequently overlooked,” said Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt, juror and co-founder of The Bennett Prize.
“Her level of mastery is remarkable, and her works have a finished, jewel-like quality that is instantly attractive. Her understanding of figurative painting is palpable and her treatment of her subjects is both kind and subtle,” said Steven Alan Bennett, co-founder of The Bennett Prize.
Werntz’s win was announced on May 15 at the opening reception for Rising Voices 4: The Bennett Prize at the Muskegon Museum of Art, which showcases 30 works by this year’s finalists through August 24. Concurrently on view at the Michigan museum is The Cost of Life, a solo exhibition by Deng Shiqing, the winner of the previous award cycle.
Werntz, who received her BFA in Interior Design in 2002, has exhibited throughout the US and has been an award recipient or finalist in many competitions, including the Portrait Society of Americas International Portrait Competition, The Bennett Prize 2, and the 15th International ARC Salon. She is represented by Valley House Gallery in Dallas, Texas.
Also announced today was “The Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt Prize,” which awards Nicole M. Santiago of Williamsburg, Virginia, $10,000 for her unique depictions of everyday life.
Along with Werntz and Santiago, the other eight finalists were:
- Olivia Chigas, New York, NY
- Nimah Gobir, Oakland, CA
- Ambrin Ling, Salem, OR
- Jane Philips, Brooklyn, NY
- Audrey Rodriguez, Brooklyn, NY
- Abbey Rosko, New Tripoli, PA
- Helena Wurzel, Cambridge, MA
- Rei Xiao, Brooklyn, NY
For the first time in the prize’s history, the members of this year’s four-person jury were all women: Gloria Groom, curator at the Art Institute of Chicago; artists Margaret Bowland and Angela Fraleigh; and Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt.
To learn more, visit thebennettprize.org.
