Through 31 May 2025 at Kolaj Institute Gallery in New Orleans. In this exhibition, fourteen International Collage Artists explore the obversity of Joy and Grief, "complicated states of being that often contain a multitude of emotions," said exhibition curator and Kolaj Institute Director, Ric Kasini Kadour. "We don't choose grief. Loss is thrust on us and we are compelled to make sense of it. Happiness is fleeting and joy is something we must choose to cultivate in our lives. Both of these things operate in irrational ways, prompted by historical events but experienced in ahistorical ways. Memory, nostalgia, life experience, past trauma...all of these things provide context to the feelings we are having at any given moment. That statement also explains how collage works in the world. In this exhibition, the artists draw upon their personal experiences and invite us to consider the complexity of grief and joy." A number of artworks in the exhibition were developed during Kolaj Institute's Joy & Grief Residency, where artists came together to explore these subjects and make artwork that asks, How do we make sense of loss? How do we cultivate and celebrate Joy? 

Jeremy Fraye works mostly on 12"x12" canvas to build entire rooms from design and furniture magazines then adds a cast of characters cut from various magazines to that room until a story presents itself. He records his process on video and creates a short narrative movie bending and playing with film themes and rules and using the art as theatre. The collage, Guest of Honour?, appears in Collage Artist Trading Cards Pack 10.

Skaneateles, New York, USA. David Edward Johnson is most interested in exploring belief systems, the birth and death of the American Dream, the nature and validity of desire, as well as identity and loss on a personal level. Visually, his work lies at the intersection of the organic, the geometric, the iconic, the abstract, and the found. All of that takes shape into mostly large-scale assemblage pieces that hover in between mediums. He feels like his body of work can be encapsulated in three words: abstraction, definition and deconstruction.

LeMieux Galleries in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA through 19 April 2025. "Subduction" is Kathryn Hunter’s seventh solo exhibition. Well known for her abilities to work with a wide array of media, such as wool appliqué, embroidery, laser- and hand-cut paper, relief printmaking, and letterpress, Hunter has created an exhibition shaped by expressive texture. Meditations on white supremacy, misinformation, and climate change provoke dialogue about the interconnected, historical truths of the United States. In this exhibition, Hunter uses texture as a vehicle to make space for the uncomfortable reality of changeable autonomy and liberties, while confronting the horrors of violence towards both humans and nature.

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Flora Georgiou writes, "My work is a direct reaction to my inner world, environment and personal traumas. I draw inspiration from the Surrealists and Dadaists–artists that work with the subconscious–raise awareness–symbolism–assemblage of the ordinary and contrary with distortion and the bizarre: a passion for primitivism–shake it all about in my creative combustion in perpetual innovation and revelation."

Elizabeth D’Amico |

Springfield, New Hampshire, USA



Elizabeth D’Amico's Cut-Out page in the Special Edition reflects her deep love of nature. "My concerns about the climate crisis, memories of growing up on a farm, gardening, hiking or simply admiring nature’s beauty and nourishing qualities all influence my work."

Deadline: Sunday, 18 May 2025. Photography and collage have a long history of being in dialogue with one another; however, the intersection of these two mediums is poorly explored. New Orleans Photo Alliance and Kolaj Institute are working together to investigate the intersection of this medium. We are seeking work by artists who collage their own photographs, make photomontages, use a collage-like process in either the composition of photographs or in the darkroom. We are open to any artwork where the artist feels the image speaks to this intersection. In addition to sending images, the artist must provide a brief statement that explains why they feel this artwork is an example of photography and collage.

At Kolaj Institute, our philosophy is that if we bring artists together, explore ideas and concepts, share knowledge, we can stretch and develop as artists. When we bring that knowledge and skill into our communities, we raise the standing of collage and contribute to the civic discourse. Kolaj Institute's Artist Development Program is a collection of three core workshops for self-motivated artists, at any stage in their career, who want to develop and expand their collage-based artist practice and work towards professional goals, particularly in the areas of exhibitions and publishing.

Click on the Read More button to learn more and apply.

Early Deadline to Apply: Saturday, 19 April 2025. At Kolaj Institute, we see the book, not just the gallery, as a place to experience collage. This sentiment has broad implications for how collage artists work and how their work is received by an art world whose orientation is decidedly fixed on the gallery wall. In the Collage Publishing Workshop, artists turn a body of work or a project into a zine, art catalog, monograph, or book. We explore different models of publishing and types of book projects and we walk through the steps and support one another as we create publishing projects and prepare to put them out into the world. This four-week workshop takes place on Saturdays, 17, 24, and 31 May and 7 June 2025, 2-4PM EDT.

Kolaj Fest returns to New Orleans for a gathering of collage artists and art professionals; a multi-day festival and symposium about contemporary collage and its role in art, culture, and society; where the focus is how we celebrate and elevate the status of collage. Presenters will lead panel discussions and explore key curatorial issues. Artists will exhibit artwork, and create special activities and demonstrations. We will meet, network, share community, camaraderie, and fellowship. We will leave armed with new ideas for our artmaking, writing, and curatorial projects, but more importantly, we will leave Kolaj Fest New Orleans prepared to champion this artform in the year to come. Super Early Registration ends 20 April 2025 (Save $75).