Zac Benson is an international artist whose work speaks God’s truth in unique ways. Benson was invited to display his work at the Luz Art Gallery, which is located in Chelsea. Considered New York’s arts district, Chelsea is a popular destination where both tourists and New Yorkers can visit an amazing concentration of World-class galleries. 

Benson, an associate professor of studio art at the South Carolina School of the Arts at Anderson University, has shown his work across the United States and internationally in countries that include Taiwan and Bulgaria. Benson was approached by the gallery, which is operated by a nonprofit organization called Luz Art that seeks out Christians in the arts to show their work.  

Benson’s solo exhibition titled “Presence” launched at the Luz Art Gallery June 6 and is showing through August 30, 2024. Some of the work in the exhibition explores encounters with the Holy Spirit in five installations. These installations reflect on biblical scriptures where people are in the presence of holiness. “We are divided by a balance between our human and spiritual qualities and neither is meant to dominate the other in a healthy experience of life,” says Benson, who recreates qualities of these unanticipated encounters with the Holy Spirit with “Presence.” 

“Presence,” one of the main pieces, was funded by the Anderson University Faculty Development Committee through the Provost’s Office.  

“They’ve definitely helped me make pieces to go in that show and also helped me go install the show, too,” Benson said. “A lot of credit, too, is just due to AU and their encouragement and backing of my work.” 

Benson also introduced a new piece, which he says took about a month and a half to complete. 

“To be honest, that was quick,” he said. “Usually for my pieces like ‘Presence,’ that took the whole summer to make. Making a piece in about three to four weeks was really hard. It was a piece on the Holy Spirit. I felt led to make it and to put it into this exhibition. I started that specific piece right when classes ended. The Monday after graduation I was in the studio starting to make the piece.” 

About eight years ago, Benson felt God was leading him in to use his studio in a way that drew him closer spiritually while guiding him to creatively communicate His truths. He takes a concept, basically an idea, and it becomes ingrained in his art in a way that engages people—basically similar to how Jesus told parables to convey God’s truths in ways people could more readily grasp.  

“I want my artwork to have a conversation with the viewer so they continue to think and wrestle with the concepts long after they leave the gallery,” he said. 

Benson encountered a young man who said he was a New Yorker and had spent all day in the Chelsea district. The young man talked about his love for art and visiting galleries. 

“He came into the space, looked around at the artwork—really experienced it,” he said. “Then he came up to me and asked if I was the artist, and I said ‘yes.’ He was talking to me about pieces, engaging well and at a high level and made the comment ‘I had been looking at artwork all day today, coming in and out of all types of galleries and museums and this is the best artwork I’ve seen today.’ That’s not praise on me. It’s like, ‘Lord, you’re using me,’ and I love that. That’s what we as believers want. It’s not about us. We want to point people to Him.” 

Benson says that every piece of art “is a lot of thinking, a lot of praying, a lot of writing, a lot of just being in the studio,” and then, he adds, “Ideas come from God—but in His timing.”  

According to Benson, the Chelsea galleries are open all of the time and attract many tourists.  

“At the opening reception, it was amazing to see the diversity coming into the gallery. You had young people, old people, you had kids, you had professionals, you had artists. There was one lady I met who had been an interior designer in New York for 30 years. She goes to these gallery openings in the Chelsea District to look at artwork because her clients sometimes want art in their house… New York City, specifically Chelsea, is still the capital of the art world. New York is where art happens, and so to have an exhibition there and to represent AU is just amazing.” 

Find more details about Benson’s show and the Luz Art Gallery online here.