Bonsai As Art (Sept 28)

September 28, 2–4:00pm
$200 Members | $225 Non Members

Discover the art of bonsai through the eyes of a sculptor.

Join Benjamin Keating—whose cherished works are part of the LongHouse landscape—for an intimate, hands-on workshop. Work directly with the artist in stone steel and with a live tree to create a living sculpture that you will take home. Participants will work on carving lava rock and attaching steel to act as a container for a bonsai tree. Partake in this rare opportunity to work with and create an artist edition that you get to own and enjoy.

All materials are provided. No experience necessary—just curiosity and a love of nature as art.

Benjamin Keating, Sculptor & Bonsai Artist

Benjamin Keating is a New York–based sculptor, poet, and bonsai artist celebrated for seamlessly combining molten bronze with living trees to create “living sculpture.” He operates his own foundry in New Jersey, casting works both for his own pieces and for prominent artists. His cherished bonsai sculptures—featured in The New Yorker and exhibited at Tripoli Gallery—often incorporate custom bronze containers and metal frameworks that enhance the long-term health, structure, and visual impact of each tree.

Keating’s sculptural works are part of the LongHouse Reserve collection, where they are admired for their refined craftsmanship and quiet power—harmonizing with the landscape in both form and spirit.

As founder of Keating Foundry, he has collaborated with renowned contemporary artists including Kiki Smith, Robert Longo, Julian Schnabel, and Nicole Eisenman. His own work has been shown internationally, from Mana Contemporary and Metro Pictures to the Venice Biennale, in exhibitions curated by figures such as Phong Bui and Vito Schnabel.

Keating is also a dedicated educator, having taught sculpture and foundry arts at Columbia University, Pratt Institute, the School of Visual Arts, and Johnson Atelier. Whether working in bronze or bonsai, he approaches each piece as a collaboration between permanence and growth—inviting viewers to experience nature and sculpture in continual dialogue.