• Senior Exhibition 2025

    Featuring the work of Monmouth University graduating seniors who will receive their degrees from the Department of Art & Design.

    Closing Reception: April 27 from 1 to 4 p.m.

  • Candlelight Spring: Tribute to Adele

    Candlelight Spring concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations like never before. Get your tickets now to discover the music of Adele at Pollak Theatre bathed in a lush, floral display dedicated to spring.

    Fever Up’s concert series was created with the intention of democratizing access to classical music, and the space and performers are illuminated by thousands of candles to create a truly magical experience.

    The String Quartet has a tentative program that includes songs such as Hello, Rumour Has It, Set Fire to the Rain, Rolling in the Deep, and many more!

  • Ocean Bodies, A Solo Exhibit by Kimberly Callas

    Monmouth University’s Ice House Gallery presents Ocean Bodies, a powerful solo exhibition by multimedia artist Kimberly Callas. The exhibition will open on February 6, 2025, with an evening reception from 5:30 to 7:30 PM, and will run through April 27, 2025. Ocean Bodies offers an immersive exploration of humanity’s interconnectedness with the ocean, drawing on symbols, archetypes, and ecological narratives to invite contemplation and action.

    Through sculptures, large-scale drawings, and mixed-media works, Callas examines the “crisis of meaning” at the heart of the climate crisis and advocates for a shift in consciousness toward an “ecological self.” This concept, central to her work, reflects humanity’s integral role within nature rather than apart from it. In Ocean Bodies, she uses water-based materials, such as dyed fabrics, India ink, and water-soluble graphite, to invoke the sea’s physical presence while exploring the symbolic depth of whales, the horizon, and the ocean itself as metaphors for the psyche and cosmos.

    Among the featured works is a series of 10-foot mixed-media drawings inspired by historical nautical charts, which pair psychological journeys with the migration of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. Complementing these works are colorful life-size figurative sculptures and reliefs, 3D-printed using bio-filament, that further explore themes of renewal and interconnection. Through these works, Callas poses urgent questions about the loss of meaning, wisdom, and biodiversity in the Anthropocene.

    “The ocean has a unique way to connect with people in an immediate and emotional way. Science and data can only tell us so much; art can speak to each of us in a way that is both uniquely personal and universal. Having Kimberly as the Urban Coast Institute artist-in-residence provided inspiration for some of the artwork in the Ocean Bodies exhibit, which will in turn inspire others. She was also able to share her creative process with her students, conducting lectures and using her art and sculpture as a pathway to ‘discovering the ecological self.’ This work reminds us that the worlds of art and science are two sides of the same coin,” said Tony MacDonald, J.D., Director, Urban Coast Institute.

    Callas created much of the work in Ocean Bodies during an artist residency with Monmouth University’s Urban Coast Institute, with additional research conducted at the Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism (ARAS) and an artist residency at the Arts Quarter Budapest. This body of work seeks to merge art, science, and archetypal symbols to foster a deeper understanding of humanity’s place within the natural world and inspire meaningful environmental action.

    About the Artist

    Kimberly Callas is a multimedia artist, sculptor, and the lead artist of the Social Practice project Discovering the Ecological Self. Her work delves into the human/nature relationship, focusing on the concept of the ecological self. Recently, she has incorporated cutting-edge technologies, such as 3D printing with bio-filaments and CNC, into her life-size sculptures. Art New England described her series Portrait of the Ecological Self as “unforgettable.”

    Callas’s work often involves community engagement. With her Discovering the Ecological Self social practice project, featured in The Huffington Post, she has led workshops across the U.S. and internationally. Her art has been showcased in prestigious galleries and museums worldwide, earning her numerous awards and grants, including the Pollination Project Grant, the Urban Coast Artist-in-Residence award, and the Puffin Foundation Grant. Her accolades include First Place in Sculpture at the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club’s Annual Exhibit in New York City.

    Callas’s recent exhibitions include the International New Media Exhibit at the CICA Museum in South Korea, Crossing Boundaries: Art and the Future of Energy at the Pensacola Museum of Art, and Ocean Swimmers (Entanglement), a solo exhibition in Budapest. In May 2025, she will unveil a public art commission for the Lambert Castle Renovation in Paterson, New Jersey.

    Callas holds an MFA from the New York Academy of Art and a BFA from the University of Michigan. She is currently an Associate Professor of Art at Monmouth University and maintains studios in Maine and New Jersey.

    Event Details:

    Exhibition: Ocean Bodies
    Location: Ice House Gallery, Monmouth University, 400 Cedar Ave # 600, West Long Branch, NJ 07764
    Opening Reception: February 6, 2025, 5:30–7:30 PM
    Exhibition Dates: February 6, 2025 – April 27, 2025
    Gallery Hours: Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm,

    For additional information, please contact Scott Knauer, 732.923.4786  or visit https://kimberlycallas.com/.

     

  • Candlelight Spring: Tribute to Coldplay

    Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations like never seen before in Long Branch. This concert series was created with the intention of democratizing access to classical music, and the space and performers are illuminated by thousands of candles to create a truly magical experience. 

    The Listeso String Quartet has a tentative program that includes songs such as Clocks, Shiver, Speed of Sound, Trouble, Fix You, Paradise, Yellow, and many more!

  • Andrew Martin -Visiting Writer

    The Visiting Writers Series will welcome Andrew Martin, who will be reading from his latest novel, which will be released in 2026.

    He is the author of the novel Early Work, a New York Times Notable book, the story collection Cool for America, and the forthcoming novel Down Time. His work appears regularly in The Paris Review, The New York Review of Books, and Harper’s, and his stories and essays have also been published recently in The Atlantic, The Yale Review, McSweeney’s, The New York Times Book Review, and elsewhere. A graduate of the University of Montana’s MFA program, he teaches in the Writer’s Foundry MFA at St. Joseph’s University and in the Mountainview MFA program at Southern New Hampshire University

    Please RSVP to Michele McBride mmcbride@monmouth.edu to be put on the attendee list.

     

  • Pysanky: Learn the Art of Ukrainian Egg Decorating

    Class Schedule: Tuesday, April 15 | 6 – 8:30 PM
    Come celebrate the spring at Monmouth University with this unique opportunity to learn the seasonal ancient art known as Pysanky. Pysanky, also known as Ukrainian eggs, is an ancient folk tradition that has been passed down for thousands of years. This meditative and communal experience is unlike any other art process and for many this workshop marks the beginning of a spring time family tradition that can be passed on and enjoyed for years to come. This tutorial will cover the history and traditions surrounding Pysanky, a demonstration, and independent practice session. The instructor will provide a variety of eggs, dyes, and tools. Participants will turn real eggs into works of art using a wax resist method similar to batik. A great deal of patience and concentration is required to complete a single egg, but it is very rewarding to reveal your hard work when the wax layers are taken off. In-person attendance will be extremely limited.
    No prerequisite skills are required. Please bring a container or old egg carton to take home your creation. Ages 18+

  • Lead Like the Beatles

    Class Schedule: Thursdays – March 20 & 27 | 7:30 – 9:00 PM

    The need for today’s leaders to become expert with their use of “soft skills” is more pivotal than ever. Anyone approaching leading others in the setting of business, education, social groups, religious organizations, sports, and other forums will be called upon to utilize the right techniques and behaviors to exert influence. These far-reaching practices were mastered by the Beatles, and their abilities were one of the central reasons that they became highly successful and influential. You, too, can lead like the Beatles!

    Zoom Link will be provided upon registration.

  • Producing the Beatles

    Class Schedule: Thursdays – March 6 & 13 | 7:30 – 9:00 PM

    Based on his acclaimed podcast, Producing the Beatles, Jason Kruppa explores the music of the Fab Four from the perspective of the one person whose point of view has never been properly and thoroughly examined: their producer, George Martin. Using innovative techniques to break down their recordings, we’ll discover how the Beatles went from learning their way around the studio to becoming masters of the art of recording, with their producer working side by side with them each step of the way. And finally, with re-recordings and detailed recreations of Martin’s orchestral scores that allow us to hear individual instrument parts,, we’ll learn how his arrangements enhanced and shaped the Beatles’ music.

    Zoom Link will be provided upon registration.

  • Writing Memoir

    Class Schedule: Wednesdays – February 19 & 26 | 7:30 – 9:00 PM

    This two-session virtual course taught by Mike Farragher (’88), author of four books. The course builds on the wildly popular Intro to Memoir Writing workshops with an emphasis on character development, dialogue, and scene setting that will make any story a page turner. Practical lessons are interspersed with writing prompts to get the creativity going during this two-week course. No prior writing experience needed and all levels welcome!

    Zoom Link will be provided upon registration.

  • Yacht Rock! (Part II)

    Class Schedule: Thursdays, April  24  & May 1 | 7:30 – 9:00 PM

    All aboard! By 1980, Yacht Rock artists ruled the charts with their mixture of jazz, R&B, and smooth production. Which artists picked up the torch from the 1970s artists, and how did sounds change? What led to the decline in popularity of the genre? How did Yacht Rock make a comeback that led to the 2024 HBO documentary, a Sirius XM channel, and much more? Plus, the class will endeavor to create the ultimate Yacht Rock playlist and answer the question: what qualifies as Yacht Rock? Explore the history of the genre through multimedia presentations and class discussion.

    This two-session virtual course, taught by Kit O’Toole, explores the origins and rise of Yacht Rock, the smooth R&B and jazz-inspired genre.

    Zoom Link will be provided upon registration.