Laura Benson
poem by Caleb Nichols

Laura Benson is a working artist with interests in mysticism, sacredness, Jungian concepts of connected consciousness, and uncovering an internal mythology. She mainly works in mediums such as soldering, Gelli-plate, mixed media, paper mache, with most of her work maintaining an intimate scale that intends to draw the viewer in. Her main influences come from religious myths, folklore, childhood memories and Jungian writings as well as many women surrealists such as Remedios Varo and Leonora Carrington. She received her BFA in Drawing from the University of Alabama in Birmingham in 2019 and her MFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Colorado in Boulder in 2023. Originally born in the South and recently returned to her home state of Alabama for the time being, she is currently working as a jewelry maker and artist. 

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Caleb Nichols is a poet and musician from California. His poetry has appeared in the New England Review, 14 Poems, Poetry Wales, and many other places. His Kelp Book chapbook Teems/Recedes was called “a gorgeous abundance” by Chen Chen and his Bottlecap Press chapbook Chan Says & Other Songs was called “marvelously queer” by Eduardo Corral. Caleb’s critically acclaimed rock opera “Ramon” was released on iconic indie label Kill Rock Stars and he’s toured in North America and Europe in support of it and other KRS releases. A best of the net nominee, and a recipient of an Academy of American Poets University prize, Caleb is a PhD candidate in Creative Writing at Bangor University in North Wales.