10/16/2026
From our CEO Paul Grass for Art Ascend Competition 's juried NYC Show.
Art Ascend and Knights and Dames of The Religious Academy formally present The Light Shines in the Darkness, a month-long exhibition of sacred realism. It opens November 15 and closes December 15, 2026, at 347 W. 36th Street, Manhattan, NY 10018.
The title comes from the opening of the Gospel of John: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." Twelve artists respond to that line in their own way. Some works face suffering and loss directly. Others stay with quieter moments of grace, forgiveness and return. Together they tell one story: darkness is real, but it does not have the last word.
The exhibition also includes Father, Forgive Them, a body of work on mercy at the foot of the cross.
We hope people will take their time with these paintings. Many of the artists spent months on a single canvas, and their care rewards slow, patient looking. Like everything Art Ascend does, the show exists so artists can be seen and heard, and so their work can reach the people it was made for.
Please join us for the gala reception on November 19, 2026, to meet the artists and see the work in person. Everyone is welcome, whether you collect, make art, study it or come for the first time.
To learn about sponsoring the exhibition, contact Zimou Tan at [email protected].
