M&T Bank Gallery & Main Stage
D.E. Bentley is a visual artist, author, and educator whose creative practice sits at the intersection of sculpture, storytelling, and puppetry. Her work is rooted in motion, transformation, and the layered experiences she brings to each new artistic direction. Puppetry—her lifelong obsession—allows her to merge dramatic writing, design, fabrication, costuming, and directing into a single expressive form.
Bentley’s puppets, carved primarily from locally sourced wood, emerge from the grain as creatures of the wild—messengers from environments increasingly threatened in the Anthropocene era. Each puppet carries the memory of the tree it came from, connecting forest life to the characters she brings to the stage. Her multidisciplinary background includes drawing, illustration, photography, metalwork, garment-making, and leatherwork, all of which inform her puppetry practice.
Since 2024, Bentley has studied with renowned Icelandic puppet maker Bernd Ogrodnik through the Academy of the Wooden Puppet and the Academy Mastermind Program, engaging with puppeteers worldwide. She is currently developing The Imp Tree, a theatrical script that will introduce her cast of rod, hand, tabletop, and string puppets to audiences.
During the reception, Bentley will offer a brief artist talk and a live puppet demonstration, inviting visitors into the imaginative world where her sculpted characters come alive.
The opening reception on Thursday, August 20 is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served (including a cash bar). Visitors can experience Bentley’s puppet demonstration and explore two distinct exhibitions that celebrate storytelling, material exploration, and youthful creativity.