Free and open to the public
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 4, 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 – March 23, 2025
Gallery Hours: Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm,
