Barbara Benda

Travel 45 miles south of Fargo-Moorhead and you will find my treasured hometown of Wahpeton, North Dakota. I have many fond memories there and a little history, too. My grandfather, Frank Benda, owned the historical Opera House building, the Sears building, and the building that housed Benda’s Meat Market. My grandfather died before I was born and the Meat Market was lost to the depression; however, I grew up feeling proud of him because he was known for making the “best polish sausage around”. He would probably roll over in his grave if he knew I stopped eating beef and pork 39 years ago, but that is beside the point. As a result of his ownership of three buildings on Dakota Avenue, there is a large brick on one building that says, “BENDA BLOCK”. Across the street from this landmark is the quaint 1915 National Bank building which has been the home of the Red Door Art Gallery since 2012. It  features original works by Wahpeton-Breckenridge native Fritz Scholder and a variety of works by artists in a variety of mediums in response to the theme of “Rural”.  I have three paintings on display in this exhibit: Snowflake , Springtime at the Ruddy Farm (my aunt and uncle’s farm west of Wahpeton), and The Well House.  Please check out the gallery hours at http://www.reddoorgallerywahpeton.com/. It is worth the trip!