Spotlight on Biennial Grant Recipient visual artist Linda Benson

Linda Benson is one of five visual artists featured in the City of Fort Myers’ 2024 Biennial Artist Grant Recipient Show.

Linda lives in Fort Myers and has been active in the arts in Southwest Florida for 25 years. An Individual Artist Grant recipient for 2023, Linda is a Hurricane Ian survivor. She lives in a flood zone off the Caloosahatchee River and was inside her house as the flood waters surrounded her and her dog, Elsa, in four feet of water. She lost everything – house, contents, computers, artwork, cars, and her studio-boat the Artist Xpress. The Artist Xpress was swept down river into the mangroves. The art equipment and paintings inside the vessel were caked with river mud, destroying years of hard work and treasured memories.

In Ian’s aftermath, Linda turned to art and teaching to help in the recovery process.

“Art can open doors and heal so many,” says Linda. “I can create more paintings and share my talents. My art is in my soul and I can share it with others.”

Several paintings on exhibit in the Biennial are from her “Rebuild Florida” series, which was made possible through the grant she received from the City of Fort Myers.

Prior to retiring and devoting herself full-time to art, Linda worked in newspaper industry as a graphic artist. During this span, she won top awards for her creativity. As a retired commercial artist, her energies are now directed toward making and teaching art. In the latter capacity, she has been teaching all ages and levels on Sanibel, Captiva, Punta Gorda, Naples, Cape Coral and Fort Myers for the last 10 years. She currently teaches art at the Alliance on Saturdays.

Linda enjoys sharing her knowledge with eager students. Her hands-on teaching technique brings out the best in her students.

Linda’s work is on view in the main gallery of the Alliance for the Art now through June 1st.

April 9, 2024; updated May 8, 2024.