Fall - 2022

C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • F A L L 2 0 2 2 125 memories of one of the family’s early Carmel spaces on San Carlos between Fifth and Sixth. To her, the community’s artistic scene always felt “larger than life.” “People come here from all over the world to collect and celebrate art. A lot of artists come here to be inspired. As a kid, being in Carmel and being around art was just pure magic,” she says. Bennett-Stoddard managed the family’s Carmel gallery early in her own career, and brushed up on her painting skills while building relationships with neighboring artists. “Several artists had small spaces within that courtyard. That community was like a family,” she says. The Bennett family let go of their foundry and galleries in the late 1990s, and Ashley Bennett-Stoddard eventually relocated to Utah. When her mother, Debi Bennett-Stephens, decided to reopen a Carmel space 10 years ago, Bennett-Stoddard began splitting her time between the Utah mountains and the California coast, where she worked on paint- ings and helped manage the new gallery. She and her family made a full-time move back to Carmel in 2018. Once she got settled, Bennett-Stoddard got involved with local nonprofits like Carmel Sunset Rotary, which works to empower youth through the arts. The club’s first Pointe of Art auction raised more than $18,000 for scholar- ships. After pausing for the pandemic, this year’s events have attracted more than two dozen participating artists. “Artists get asked all the time to donate for fundraisers, but we don’t always see the impact. From meeting the dancers, to creating some- thing, to seeing what it means for these kids to have opportunities, I think that feels good for all of us,” Bennett-Stoddard says. “I'm always eager to support organizations that encourage local artists. But also, as some- body who was very fortunate to take art les- sons at a young age from an instructor in my community, I know how much mentorship means,” says Paul Richmond, who works out of Open Ground Studios and is creating a painting for the Pointe of Art auction. “It’s a win-win sit- uation. It's about supporting the arts. It's about supporting mentorship and art opportunities for these students. And it's about the actual art that they share with our community.” While talking with the dancer who inspired G A R Y G E I G E R