She/Her https://kimbensonart.cargo.site/ benson.kimberlya@gmail.com Drawing/Painting, Interdisciplinary In-person, Online, Hybrid mentor (in-person and online) BIO Kim Benson received her MFA from University of Wisconsin, Madison, and her BFA from the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul, MN. She has attended residences at La Macina di San Cresci, Adams State University, McCanna House with the North Dakota Museum of Art, Jentel Foundation, and the Soap Factory. Benson’s paintings are about complexity. Richly dense, abstract surfaces are created through an ouroboric process of sanding, stenciling, casting, and extruding, as well as the more traditional modes of application by brush. References to Renaissance paintings—whether in image or color palette—populate the recent work, establishing a ground for exploration and excavation. The resultant density becomes paradoxically responsible for imbuing the compositions with vibrating luminosity, even as it roots their presence in the material world. TEACHING PHILOSOPHY & MENTORSHIP I am interested in teaching and mentoring as a way to engage with creative individuals and learn more about their unique sensibilities, processes and conceptual concerns in the dynamic contemporary landscape. I see myself more as a student than a teacher in that I enjoy discussing, listening, and hopefully supporting an individual’s quest to discover their individual voice and vision.