Motivated by creativity and a deep appreciation for aesthetics, Janice Lynn Bennett has dedicated her life to making beautiful things. She had always loved drawing, so she decided to channel her talent into a career as a graphic artist. She proceeded to earn a Bachelor of Arts in graphic design with a minor in journalism from Northern Illinois University in 1973, and started as a graphic artist at Montgomery Ward in Illinois later that year. Ms. Bennett advanced rapidly; after giving birth to her son Scott in 1974, she became the assistant production manager and art director of Crow Publications in 1977, and the owner, graphic artist and typographer of several Colorado-based companies between 1980 and 1989.
Around this time, however, Ms. Bennett began to feel like she needed a change of pace. She went back to school to obtain a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Metropolitan State College of Denver (MSCD) in 1993 and a Master of Arts in Spanish literature from the University of Colorado in 1997. Literature, research and writing were a new art form for her, but she really took a liking to it. She authored, edited and published “Guía práctica a la Literatura, el Análisis y la Redacción” in 1998, which she used as a textbook for her classes in Spanish literature at MSCD. She was the author, publisher and editor of “Sacred Blood, Sacred Image: The Sudarium of Oviedo, New Evidence for the Authenticity of the Shroud of Turin” in 2001, followed by “St. Laurence and the Holy Grail: The Story of the Holy Chalice of Valencia” in 2002. The latter two books, which involved intensive research in Spain, were republished by Ignatius Press in San Francisco in 2005 and 2004, respectively. Polish and Spanish editions of “St. Laurence” were published in 2007 and 2008 and, several years later, a Polish edition of “Sacred Blood, Sacred Image” was published in 2010. Most recently, in 2018, Ms. Bennett released “Enquete sur le Suaire d’Oviedo: Le Mystere du Sang Divin” through Éditions Artège in Paris.
In addition to her writing, Ms. Bennett has slowly begun to return to her roots. She is the owner, graphic designer and photographer for Sagaz Media, through which she lends her skills to websites, eBooks, and photography for products and events. The digital photography aspect is relatively new to her, but she has found it to be a great creative outlet that taught her how to see differently, use photographic and design software, and process photographs in various ways. The feedback from her clients has been very positive; she is frequently commended for her intuitive understanding of their needs and her ability to meet them. In her spare time, she paints with oils, acrylics, pastels, watercolor and colored pencils.
As a testament to her talent and passion regarding her research on the Holy Chalice, Ms. Bennett was selected as the recipient of the Dama de Honor del Santo Cáliz from the Confraternity of the Holy Chalice in Valencia, Spain, in 2007. She was also the featured speaker at the First International Conference on the Holy Chalice of Valencia in 2008. While studying at MSCD, she was named Outstanding Student-at-Large for Pure Academic Achievement. Additionally, she has been featured in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who of American Women and Who’s Who in American Business.
When Ms. Bennett steps away from the art world, she enjoys traveling, hiking, piano, biblical studies and dogs. She received a certificate in advanced studies from the Catholic Biblical School in Colorado in 1992, completed graduate coursework in theology at the Institute of Pastoral Theology through Ave Maria University between 2002 and 2003, and became a certified dog trainer in 2013 through a program offered by Animal Behavior College of California, which involved theoretical and real-world training using positive reinforcement methods.
