Abstract Collage NEW! In-Store Class Feb 15

Abstract Collage NEW! In-Store Class
Sunday, February 15, noon-4pm 
Instructor: Teresa Cribelli
Limit: 6 students. All participants must be 15 years or older.

Class Details:

Collage classes with artist and history professor Teresa Cribelli are about more than collage, and this class is no exception. Teresa was inspired to create it by outsider art, that is, art produced by people who have little or no formal training and who work outside mainstream artistic trends. Collage has historically been practiced by women, people of color, and those without access to a formal education – in other words, outsiders – so it seems particularly fitting to offer this class during Februllage. (Februllage is an annual collaboration between Edinburgh Collage Collective and the Scandinavian Collage Museum. It challenges people around the world to create a collage every day during February using a list of daily prompts.)

One of Teresa’s class objectives is for everyone to realize that they can create beautiful art even without intensive technical training. To emphasize her point, she goes beyond traditional representational imagery to explore the power of shape, color, texture, and composition to evoke emotion and to tell stories without explicit narratives. Collage is a perfect medium to begin with since it’s such an accessible practice. All that’s needed are bits of paper or fabric, glue, and scissors. 

Teresa starts the class by explaining the fundamental principles of abstract art as applied to collage: first, the use of different approaches to composition, including balance, rhythm, and tension; second, how various cutting, tearing, and adhering techniques can create different visual effects; and third, the power of color, shape, and texture to convey mood and create visual interest.

In addition to what you learn while working on your own collages in class, you’ll also find out how to build a rich collection of source material and how to develop a personal “vocabulary” for making compelling abstract compositions. Whether you’re an experienced artist or a curious beginner, this class adds immensely to your creative tool box.

An email will be sent to participants the Monday before the class. Classes with homework may receive pre-class info earlier.  No email? Double check the email address you entered when you registered and your SPAM folder. Due to SPAM filters and inbox settings, we cannot guarantee you will see, read, or open these emails. Two Hands Paperie assumes no responsibility for non-attendance of a class. Contact twohandsclasses@gmail.com with any class questions and see our Class Policies page for more information. 

Class Materials

Please feel free to bring the following optional materials:

• Optional: Teresa provides collage materials, but add to the fun by bringing in a few objects that inspire you, such as old photos, ribbon, scraps of material or paper, thin metal pieces, ephemera, old books, magazines, letters, etc. – anything that catches your eye or speaks to you. The items can be textures or surfaces and not just images.
• Optional: Favorite pair of scissors for fine cutting
• Optional: Craft knife with extra blades if you enjoy using one
• Optional: Apron or wear clothes that could get messy
• Optional: Water and snack for the brief  break

Class Materials Include:

• Collage materials: paper scraps, ephemera, vintage paper, old catalogs, book pages etc
• Packing tape image transfer materials
• Hot press watercolor paper
• Glue sticks
  
• Scissors, rulers, pencils, erasers and other small tools

Class Refund/Cancellation Policy

Cancellations made up to 14 days prior to the first class meeting will be refunded or, at the participant's option, used to pay for another class. Two Hands Paperie will retain a $10 processing fee for EACH class cancelled by a participant. After 14 days, there is no refund or credit. In addition, the fee for a class cancelled within this 14-day timeframe by a participant cannot be transferred to pay for another class. These policies are to ensure that teachers are compensated for their investment in materials and in time spent preparing for the class. We reserve the right to cancel a class if fewer than 3 students enroll 48 hours prior to the scheduled class time. If for any reason Two Hands Paperie cancels a class, students will be called at the phone number on file and refunded the FULL class fee.

Instructor Bio

Art meets history in the striking work of Teresa Cribelli, a native Coloradan who’s a collage artist as well as a college history professor. She says, “Through disassembling and reassembling vintage illustrations, figures, colors, and textures, I reuse historical materials to disrupt and recreate contemporary understandings of these themes.”

Teresa’s work ranges from small-scale collages to large street murals. Internationally, her murals can be seen in São Luís, Brazil, and in Barcelona, Spain. Nationally, they appear in Denver, Colorado, and in both Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, Alabama. The underlying theme is always history. For example, her River City Mural in Tuscaloosa draws upon images and illustrations from vintage books on Alabama to show how the relationship between the Black Warrior River and various groups of inhabitants has changed over time. Her objective? To have viewers think about the river in new ways.

Teresa is active in the international collage community, and was awarded the Doug & Laurie Kanyer Art Collection Purchase Award in 2019 at Kolaj Fest New Orleans. The Kanyers established their collection to support artists and advance a deeper understanding of collage as art. Their criteria for choosing the winners were the overall practice of the artist, the historical value/critical context of the work, and how the work demonstrates a use of the medium. The Kanyers also considered the artist’s broader role in collage to identify artists whose impact goes beyond their immediate community. One of Teresa’s small works is now part of the Kayner’s permanent collection at the Yakima Valley Museum in Oregon.

To sum up, Teresa’s works, which exist at the intersection of history and art, cause viewers to see collage with fresh eyes. To her history and art are inseparable. We doubt any other history professor would have accepted a 3D collage on slavery and emancipation for a student's final!