Dr. Benyshek is a multidisciplinary artist whose studio practice is informed by her research and experience as an initiated shaman. Integrating contemporary and traditional approaches, her work explores visions of an inspirited natural world and reflects on the eternal cycles of life, transformation, and renewal.

Her early childhood was spent on a farm within a Czech immigrant community, an environment that contributed to her formative relationship with nature and cultural experience. Benyshek earned a BFA from Wichita State University and an MFA from the University of Washington, followed by an MA and PhD in transpersonal psychology from Saybrook University in San Francisco. She also attended Pilchuck Glass School on a full scholarship and received an artist-in-residence grant from the Ucross Foundation.

Her diverse professional and personal experiences have further shaped her artistic perspective. She taught in Alaskan Native villages and worked as a runway model for I. Magnin, bringing together experiences across art, culture, education, and creative expression.

Benyshek’s artworks have been exhibited at the Bellevue Museum, Whatcom Museum, Yakima Valley Art Museum, Coos Bay Museum, Museum of Northwest Art, and Daum Museum of Contemporary Art. She recently returned to Kansas with her son, continuing a practice grounded in the relationship between nature, spirituality, research, and artistic inquiry.