This stunningly realisticoil-on-linen painting of Elaine Melotti Schmidt, Ed.D., and Steve Bennett was painted by Katie O’Hagan in 2016 and is a cornerstone of the couple’s art collection. 24 TheBennettPrize CREATIVEEXPRESSION S I N C E 2 0 1 0 , StevenBennett andElaineMelottiSchmidt, Ed.D.,havebeencollectingpaintingsbycontemporarywomen artistswho work in the figurative realistic style. It’s an approach that the couple, who live in the San Antonio,Texas, area, embrace for authentically depicting and celebrating women in all their complexity, power and vulnerability. As thecouple’scollectionhasgrown,sohastheirawareness of inequities thatconfrontwomeninthearts.Museumsand galleriespresentfar fewer exhibitions of art by women, have fewer pieces by women in their collections and, when women’s pieces are collected, theygenerallysellforlessthan worksbymaleartists.Troubledbythisgenderdiscrimination, SteveandElainedonated$3millionlastyear,thelargestnew gift in2016,toThePittsburghFoundationandestablished The BennettPrizethroughtheCenterforPhilanthropy,where theFoundation’ssubjectmatterexpertspartnerwithdonorsto developsignificantprojects.The Prizewillfundajuriedbiennial exhibitionofworksby10 emergingwomenartistswhopaint inthefigurativerealisticstyle.Thejurywillthennameoneof thesepaintersasthefirstBennettPrizewinner.Thewinnerwill receiveatwo-yearstipendtocreatenewworksleadingtoasolo museumexhibitionandcatalog.Nowonthevergeofannouncing themuseumpartnerfortheinauguralgroupexhibition,Steve andElainehopetocreateanappetiteforfigurativerealismand increasethelikelihoodthatwomenwhoworkinthisgenrewill achievethecriticalacclaimtheydeserve.