Ron Benner biography
Ron Benner was born in London, Ontario, on January 8,1949. He studied agricultural engineering for one
year at the University of Guelph (1969-70) and began to work as an artist in London, Ontario in 1970.
From 1971 to 1979, he worked as a brakeman and conductor on the Norfolk and Western (Wabash) Railway,
and was a member of the United Transportation Union. In 1973 he began to travel frequently in Mexico,
Central & South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. In March 1980, he attended the World Conference
of Indigenous Peoples, in Ollantaytambo, Peru, as an official artist/observer. From 1975 through 1981,
Ron was a member of the Forest City Artists' Association, and was manager of the Forest City Gallery
in 1980-81. In 1983 he co-founded the Embassy Cultural House and served on the board until 1990. Co-organized
the Merida/London exchange (1980/81), as well as the Havana/London exchange (1988). In 1989 he was an
artist/observer of the 3rd Havana Biennial. He organized the exhibition program Siting Resistance (1990)
at the Embassy Cultural House, Forest City Gallery and Cross Cultural Learner Centre, London, Ontario.
Since 1995 he has worked with the Rural Advancement Foundation International, Ottawa (RAFI) and the Pomelo
Project, Vancouver in a critique of the Human Genome Project and Life Patenting. In 1998 participated
in the First International Gathering on Biodiversity and Biodevastation in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.
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