Aspen Monet Laboy
Biography
Born in Omaha, Nebraska to Black and Puerto Rican parents, Aspen Monet Laboy is an interdisciplinary artist working in poetry, glass, and installation. They have published three books, exhibited in galleries, performed in art hubs, and co-founded the poetry program Corner’s Space that was held at KANEKO. Several of their selected poems were aired on Friday Live with Nebraska Public Media in 2023, and later became a guest on Riverside Chats through NPR in 2024. They have been awarded two scholarships from Penland School of Craft and were accepted into the 2024 Pilchuck Glass School Auction. An alumni of Amplify Arts, they were part of the 2023-2024 Alternate Currents Cohort, Community Advisory Group, and now serves as a member of the Board for 2025.
Artist Statement
I am primarily influenced by nature, consciousness, and various philosophies, such as hermeticism, metaphysics, and numerology. These concepts translate into works that explore environmentalism and identity through the nature of events or happenings, the nature of the self, and the natural world. As a contemplative individual, I often question the universe and its interconnectedness, specifically the relationships we have with ourselves, each other, and the surrounding environment. In my work, I do my best to communicate the significance of these relationships, including the possibility of loss due to lack of awareness and action.
Initially a poet, my inspiration is derived from mere moments in everyday life, recording observations, thought processes, and lived experiences. I am drawn to the very nature of things and the transformation of those things - specifically energy, perspective, and physical materials. Glass is one of the materials I began sculpting with by repurposing scraps and fragments into two and three dimensional sculptures or mosaics. Incorporating glass (refraction) and mirror (reflection) with readymade objects is the framework of my installations. Though my mediums are diverse, they intimately overlap, being rooted in awareness, understanding, and relativism.
Curriculum Vitae
Education
2014
Diploma, Ralston High School, Ralston, NE
2017
Liberal Arts in Creative Writing, MCC, Omaha, NE
Grants & Scholarships
2021
Marsha P. Johnson Institute, COVID-19 Recovery Fund, Richmond, CA
2024
Penland School of Craft, Glass - Ché Rhodes: Reheated and Plated, Bakersville, NC
2025
Penland School of Craft, Glass - SaraBeth Post Eskuche: Cut, Sift, Fire, Bakersville, NC
Group Exhibitions
2021
KANEKO, Tessellation, Omaha, NE
The Apollon, Meet The Artist, Omaha, NE
The Apollon, In The Shadows, Omaha, NE
Harvester Artist Lofts, Beheaded, Council Bluffs, IA
The Apollon, Wizarding World, Omaha, NE
2022
KANEKO, Supervisor Showcase, Omaha, NE
Radial Arts Center, Art Expo Benefit, Omaha, NE
MoonRise Gallery, Biophilia, Omaha, NE
BLUEBARN Theatre, Harvest Moon, Omaha, NE
3301 Harney St, Everyday Performances, Omaha, NE
2023
LUX Center for the Arts, Lavender Country, Lincoln, NE
Generator Space, <proxy-fl3$h>, Omaha, NE
2024
Union Street Gallery, Small Works / Big Impressions, Chicago Heights, IL
Star Deli, Material;Muddle, Omaha, NE
Generator Space, Sequin/ce, Omaha, NE
Glacier Creek Preserve, Bouteloua LitArt Fest, Bennington, NE
Fremont Studios, Pilchuck Glass School Auction & Gala, Seattle, WA
John J. Mercer Masonic Temple, BFF Ball & Art Auction, Omaha, NE
2025
Hillmer Art Gallery, This Is Us, Omaha, NE
Joyce Norene Wilson Art Gallery, A Garden of Expression, Bellevue, NE
Solo Exhibitions
2022
Goldsmith Silversmith, Los Flores, Omaha, NE
Fleabane Gallery, El Baño, Omaha, NE
2023
Hardy Coffee, The Grind, Omaha, NE
Family of Things, Affirmation, Omaha, NE
Goldsmith Silversmith, Dreams, Omaha, NE
2025
Petshop, Mediums, Omaha, NE
Performances
2023
Project Project, We’re In The Back, Omaha, NE
Generator Space, <proxy-fl3$h>, Omaha, NE
Parrish Studios, Fuck Cancer, Lincoln, NE
2024
Ming Toy Gallery, Xanadu, Omaha, NE
Generator Space, The Reading Room, Omaha, NE
Church Art House, Midwest Poetics, Omaha, NE
Generator Space, Sequin/ce Performance Night, Omaha, NE
Pageturners Lounge, Femme Open Mic Night, Omaha, NE
Publications
2017
Aspen Monet Laboy, “Spirit,” Eber & Wein Publishing, New Freedom, PA
2018
Aspen Monet Laboy, “The Quiet Lion,” KDP, Seattle, WA
2022
BFF Zine, Issue 13, Omaha, NE
Aspen Monet Laboy, “I Matter,” KDP, Seattle, WA
2023
Aspen Monet Laboy, “Friday Live,” Nebraska Public Media, NPR, Lincoln, NE
“001*Omaha,” 1102 Studio, Cincinnati, OH
2024
Next Soulmate Mag, Issue 1, Online digital zine
Laboy, Aspen Monet, “A View/A Glimpse.” We Free Us, edited by Peter Fankhauser, Amplify Arts, 2023, p. 72 - 95
The Gardyloo, Issue 1, Online digital zine
Laboy, Aspen Monet, “Riverside Chats,” NPR, Omaha, NE
2025
Laboy, Aspen Monet, Groundwater: Farmer’s Almanac and Seed Catalog, Blazing Star Seed Cooperative, p. 1, 44, 47, 81
Programs
2021 - 2023
Poetry Workshop Facilitator, Corner’s Space, KANEKO, Omaha, NE
2023 - 2024
Amplify Arts, Alternate Currents Working Group, Omaha, NE
2024
Workshop Facilitator, Emerging Artists: Commemorating Communities – Representing Histories, Samuel Bak Museum: The Learning Center, Omaha, NE
Workshop Facilitator, Rest Fest: Gratitude - A Written Reflection, The Union for Contemporary Art, Omaha, NE
Professional Experience
2021 - 2023
Operations Assistant, KANEKO, Omaha, NE
2023
Artist Grant Reviewer, Amplify Arts, Omaha, NE
2023 - 2024
Community Advisory Group, Amplify Arts, Omaha, NE
2024
Visitor Services Coordinator, The Union for Contemporary Art, Omaha, NE
MAP Fund Reviewer, MAP Fund, New York, NY
2023 - 2025
Studio Assistant, Therman Statom, Omaha, NE
2025
Board Chair, Amplify Arts, Omaha, NE