Sculpture by Karen LaMonte astounds at Munson Museum of Art this summer
Sponsored content
Exhibition featuring 60 works in porcelain, bronze, glass and stone runs through Dec. 31
By Katie Voce
The Munson Museum of Art in Utica, New York, presents the extraordinary artwork of contemporary artist Karen LaMonte, one of the most celebrated sculptors of our time, in a comprehensive exhibition, “Celestial Bodies: Sculpture by Karen LaMonte,” now on view through Dec. 31, 2025. “Celestial Bodies” will explore LaMonte’s career working in diverse mediums to create award-winning sculptures in porcelain, bronze, glass and stone.
“Celestial Bodies” is an expansive array of about 60 figures and forms, which not only reflects LaMonte’s life and career but her artistic soul as well. Her body of work follows an interest in the nature of life, connecting ideas of timeless beauty and femininity to both strength and fragility.
“Karen LaMonte’s sculptures are nothing short of breathtaking,” said Stephen Harrison, director and chief curator of the Munson Museum of Art. “She harnesses the heaviest, most unlikely materials to express ethereal beauty.”
A sense of connection that transcends time
Descended from the owner of one of the first glassworks in America, Karen LaMonte was born in New York City. She spent her early years attending museums as a way to escape the heat in the summer. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, LaMonte received several fellowships, including a coveted Fulbright scholarship, that allowed her to further her study of the concepts of beauty, culture and the human form.
LaMonte’s work has been shown in many museums around the world. From her earliest experiments in casting glass to her astonishing achievements in ceramic, bronze and marble, “Celestial Bodies” includes works that explore size, light and darkness. Harrison said, “LaMonte’s art conveys a sense of connection that transcends time.”
‘Celestial bodies’ inspired by climate science
Her most recent sculptures — scientifically accurate representations of clouds — derive from a childhood interest in how these elusive shapes form in the sky and dissipate. Of this new series, LaMonte said, “Clouds intrigue me because they make visible the invisible forces of the natural world.”
Given her assertion that carbon emissions are causing some forms of clouds to become extinct, and though she always tried to work in an eco-friendly manner, LaMonte has taken the extra step to think about her work in a more global context. Her collaborations with climatologists have also inspired her to offset the carbon emissions of her studio through a combination of increased efficiency and emissions reductions. Now LaMonte calculates her total emissions annually and offsets double the amount of her greenhouse gas emissions.
Plan your visit
Admission for “Celestial Bodies: Sculpture by Karen LaMonte” is $10 for the general public and free for Munson members. Plan your next visit at munson.art.
Memberships are available starting at $50 annually and can be purchased online at munson.art/membership, by calling 315-797-0000 or by visiting the Munson reception desk.
Presenting sponsor: Meyda Tiffany Lighting. Lead sponsors: Andrew Britton and David Grey; Christian and Cheryl Heilmann; Allison and W. Keyes Hill-Edgar; Elizabeth R. Lemieux, Ph.D.; family of F.X. Matt II; Linda and Alan Vincent. Sponsors: Joseph A. Abraham; Cheryl and Fred Haritatos; Jacque and Terry Tolles Fund of the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida counties; Laura and Todd Wetzel, MD; Deborah and Michael Zahn.