Collage-O-Rama!
It's May; everything's coming up collage. I'll be in Seattle, hosting a party full of radical joy.
And just like that, it’s May—which means a million projects blossoming, as World Collage Day beckons!
First things first: I’d love to see you at Collage-O-Rama in Seattle. I’m hosting a bit of a shebang at Slip Gallery on May 11, from 1-4 pm! I’ve made a duo of collaged piñatas—a pair of scissors, an enormous and geographically inaccurate globe—that we’ll bust open; they’re filled with ephemera and collage fodder, not candy, and we’ll make new work with the treasure we find inside. We’ll cut, we’ll paste, we’ll make merry, and we’ll let go of every last fuck in the process. There’ll be joy, and a little bit of madness, plus good times all around.
One of the unique pleasures of preparing for Collage-O-Rama has been collaborating with artist friends, like teaching artist extraordinaire Hope Amico. I’m delighted to be in such good company! If you’d like to experiment, play, and broaden your skills, check out one of the many workshops that’ll run through June, offered by amazing regional collage makers: bring a mom to collage improv with Andrea Lewicki, make an instant zine with Hope, or try speed collage with Cheryl Chudyk. There’s something for everyone … well, at least everyone who likes sticky fingers and the sound of a blade through paper. You don’t want to miss it.
Collage-O-Rama opens May 10 and runs through June 9. It’s on show at Slip Gallery in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood, 2301 1st Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98121. My workshop is free and will be held Saturday, May 11, from 1 to 4 p.m.
See my work
Apart from Collage-O-Rama, I have a solo show at a local Portland business, plus work in a few other group shows. Check them out!
Defaced Women at Float On PDX. From May 6 to July 1, 2024, you can catch a selection of 15 recent Defaced Women collage works in this local business’s art gallery. Treat yourself to a float, zen out, and enjoy the work!
Portland Collage Showcase at Powell’s City of Books. I’m thrilled to have a piece in this May showcase of Portland collage artists in the bookstore’s Basil Hallward Gallery. A free Powell’s World Collage Day gathering, on May 11 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., is also part of the festivities, put together by Kellette Elliott of the Pacific Northwest Collage Collective and Kevin Sampsell of Sharp Hands Gallery.
Expressions West at Coos Art Museum. Two of my “word works” were juried into the Coos Art Museum’s Expressions West show for 2024. This diverse selection highlights “varied artistic perspectives … showcasing artists from the western United States.” See it through June 23, 2024, on the Oregon Coast!
Yukata Inspired 2024 at Danaca Design Gallery. Vintage hand-dyed yukata cotton from Japan is the inspiration for Yukata Inspired 2024, an exhibition featuring metal and jewelry work alongside collage. Using motif and color as a starting point, 30+ artists took the challenge to design work inspired by or made from this luscious and dynamic fabric. I’m delighted to have created two mixed-media works on 8”x8” cradleboard, inspired by ikebana and morning-glory patterned fabrics.
Three things I love right now
Between art and life, things are pretty hectic and stressful right now. So here are three little moments of light that have been keeping me afloat lately—I’d love to know what’s making you smile these days, too:
I just finished binging the second seasons of Physical 100, a South Korean Netflix reality competition that seeks out “the perfect physique.” One of my mild lifelong obsessions is feats of strength: World’s Strongest Man competitions, Qila Raipur/the Rural Olympics, &c. P100 is about strength, endurance, commitment … and smashing porcelain busts of your own body when you invariably fail. Huge props to the athletes—and the artists who cast all those torsos and chests.
Into books and art history? Don’t miss The Slip, a piece of nonfiction by Prudence Peiffer focused on Coenties Slip and its midcentury studio artists. I revere Agnes Martin’s work, and I loved learning about artists she ran with—Robert Indiana, Ellsworth Kelly, Lenore Tawney, and more—during a formative period. Highly recommend for its exploration of how place influences and shapes the work we make; one of the best books I’ve read so far this year.
Repair as art practice: Sophia Bogle does amazing book restoration work. I am nowhere near patient or process-oriented enough for this, but wow.
Wishing you great fun for Seattle! Enjoy yourself! So proud to know your work is up for viewing at so many places.