Carolyn Monastra was raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She received a BA in English Literature from Fordham University and an MFA in photography from Yale University. For the past 15 years her work has focused on creating and discovering mystery in the natural world. A number of artist residencies have afforded inspirational environments in which to create her work. After a residency in Iceland, Monastra was motivated to begin her current project, The Witness Tree, to honor and preserve places affected by climate change. Over the past four years, Monastra has visited 19 US states, 17 countries, and every continent documenting and researching climate change. In addition to several awards resulting from her work in climate change, Monastra’s work has been widely exhibited around the world, and is in the Marguiles Collection in Miami. Monastra lives in Brooklyn, NY.
