Artist: Karen Mooney
– ‘ A visual meditation on the strength and beauty found in faith. Each form represents a vertebra—fractured yet radiant—revealing a vibrant inner core of beading and embellishment symbolizing the fruits of the Spirit and the transformative power of grace. The cascading strands reflect how faith overflows into the world through acts of love, prayer, and service. This piece is both a testimony and a reminder: God strengthens us in our broken places. ‘ –
Artist Statement
I am a mixed media artist drawn to the magic that happens where textures, colors, and forms collide. My work spans life-sized beaded costumes, abstract paintings of imagined worlds, sculptural beadwork, and wet felting. Before dedicating myself to art full-time, I served individuals living with Alzheimer’s Disease and worked in Dental Services—experiences that profoundly deepened my understanding of memory, beauty, and resilience. Family remains my greatest inspiration; my sons, their wives, and my four grandchildren are central to my life and spirit. From 2008 to 2012, I studied Fine Art Glass and Studio Arts at Salem County Community College, where I was privileged to learn under master glass artist Paul Stankard. It was during this time that I created Joseph’s Cloak of Many Colors, a piece that walked the runway at the 2012 GAS Conference and now resides in the Mint Museum in Charlotte, NC. My Mixed Media artwork primarily consists of sculptural glass beading, wet felting, fused glass and textiles. I find great joy in exploring new ways to merge structure and spontaneity. I developed a freeform peyote stitch technique that allows my beadwork to grow organically—each piece an unfolding conversation between material, memory, and movement. My work has been featured in over 50 exhibitions, both in galleries and online, and across nearly 30 digital platforms. Through every medium, I seek to create spaces where wonder, connection, and transformation live side by side.
Artist Biography
Mixed Media best explains my artwork. From 2008-12, I was a student at Salem Community College. I was fortunate to have Paul Stankard as my professor for 4 years. My degrees are in Fine Art Glass and Studio Arts. My piece, Joseph’s Cloak of Many Colors, was completed in 2012. Laura Donofer accepted the shawl into her Glass Fashion Show, where I walked the runway and wore it during the 2012 GAS Conference. Corning Museum of Fine Art Glass published a book displaying all the pieces. The Renwick Gallery of Smithsonian Art sponsored a show in 2013 where Fluehr Bressler, a prominent art collector, purchased my cloak. She recently donated the Cloak to the Mint Museum in Charlotte, NC. I finished the Listening Shawl in January of 2024. Presently, I’m working on a costume for Laura Donofer’s 2026 Glass Fashion Show. In addition to my current body of work, I continue pursuing excellence in textiles through wet felting using sheep wool and many other textiles.