Opening Saturday, 12 October 2024, 6-9PM during Second Saturday at Kolaj Institute Gallery

How Place & History Inform Identity in Collage. In Lure of the Local, Lucy Lippart wrote, "When we know where we are, we're in a far better position to understand what other cultural groups are experiencing within a time and place we all share." How do we temporally geolocate ourselves? How does the history of that place inform who we are in that place? How do we bring our own histories into a place that has a history of its own? North American modern life is fundamentally diasporic in nature. So many of us are from somewhere else and yet, where we are and when we are shapes who we are at any given point in time. How do we reconcile disparate identities and nurture a whole sense of self? In the exhibition, "Temporal Geolocation," Paula Mans, T. Owens Union, Candace Caston, and Jeanna Penn draw on history and a sense of place to make collage art that speaks to identity. The exhibition runs 11 October-24 November 2024 at Kolaj Institute. The gallery is open Thursday through Saturday from Noon to 6PM.

Susanna Lakner and Inge Koch at Kultur am Kelterberg in Stuttgart, Germany through 13 October 2024. Susanna Lakner and Inge Koch both work with found objects, paper, and printed materials that they have been collecting for decades. It is not uncommon for them to run into each other at the flea market. Their way of thinking is similar in how they approach found items. They both approach the material in a Dadaist manner and run everything through a mental meat grinder.

Sofia, Bulgaria. Marina Mateeva's work draws inspiration from the fragments of personal history found in forgotten photographs. She deconstructs ordinary settings, blurring the boundaries between imagination and reality in an imaginary surreal realm. Fragments of classical paintings become backdrops, symbols transform into the essence of the human form, and layers of emotion bind it all together. Mateeva's current focus delves into the concept of femininity, exploring the multifaceted aspects of women’s lives and experiences.

Omaha, Nebraska, USA. Although Carol Fettin has been an artist for most of her life, she recently transitioned to working with analog collage. Her materials include found objects, old ephemera, discarded images, paint, scissors, and glue. She prefers to work in the abstract as it presents more of a challenge and allows viewers to interpret her work through their own life experiences. Personal narratives, whether they belong to individuals, communities, or places, have always been important to her. Her art is a reflection of these stories, conveyed through the images she selects and the marks she makes.

Early Deadline to apply: Sunday, 20 October 2024. At Kolaj Institute, we believe there is great value in artists having dedicated, focused time to work on their artwork while being in community with other artists. To that end, we are hosting a Collage Retreat for artists to come to New Orleans and spend a week working at Kolaj Institute Gallery. We invite artists to work on a series of collage artworks, explore and make art about New Orleans as a place, work on a book project, create a collection of collage poetry, prepare art for an exhibition, or use the time to review, organize, and document one’s art practice.

Shawn Theodore at Paradigm Gallery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA through 25 October 2024. In “A Race of Angels”, Shawn Theodore delves into the specific experiences of African American families, capturing a longing for lost photographs, missing heirlooms, and vanished archives. Using a blend of traditional portraiture, found photographs, paint, paper, pencils, and digital manipulation, Theodore creates archetypes representing hypothetical family members, spiritual guardians, and ancestors. These boldly crafted archetypes inhabit an imagined macro-family album, offering a unique perspective on portraiture, connection, and community. Theodore’s work aims to deepen spiritual connections and encourage personal introspection.

Final Deadline to Apply: Thursday, 10 October 2024. Queer Women’s Artist Lab: New Orleans will take as its premise that 21st century queer women’s identity is the culmination of decades of construction and ask: What does it mean to be a queer woman in the 21st century? The goal of the Queer Women’s Artist Lab: New Orleans is to equip artists with tools and strategies for picking up the unfinished work of history and speak to contemporary civic discourse around social, economic, and environmental issues. Through interactive sessions in the Lab and panel discussions, artists will explore their process and practice; present a slideshow of their work; receive supportive, critical, curatorial feedback about their ideas; and discuss contemporary issues.

Early deadline to apply: Sunday, 20 October 2024. In this four-week workshop, artists will turn a body of work or a project into a zine, art catalog, monograph, or book. We will explore different models of publishing and types of book projects. We will walk through the steps and support one another as we create publishing projects and prepare to put them out into the world. Participants will present and receive feedback on page spreads. Presentations will speak to issues around copyright and appropriation, getting the book printed, and launching and marketing the book. Participants will develop a deeper understanding of the role publishing can play in their own art practice. They will finish the workshop with a publishing project or create a detailed plan for one.

Early Deadline to apply: Sunday, 20 October 2024. At Kolaj Institute, we believe there is great value in artists having dedicated, focused time to work on their artwork while being in community with other artists. To that end, we are hosting a Collage Retreat for artists to come to New Orleans and spend a week working at Kolaj Institute Gallery. We invite artists to work on a series of collage artworks, explore and make art about New Orleans as a place, work on a book project, create a collection of collage poetry, prepare art for an exhibition, or use the time to review, organize, and document one’s art practice.

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.

NEXT SESSION: Collage Publishing Workshop

starts Mondays, 11 November 2024

DEADLINE TO APPLY

Sunday, 27 October 2024