{"id":13814,"date":"2023-05-08T10:52:49","date_gmt":"2023-05-08T14:52:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/?p=13814"},"modified":"2023-06-05T11:34:54","modified_gmt":"2023-06-05T15:34:54","slug":"exploring-and-healing-place-at-kolaj-fest-new-orleans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/kolaj-fest-new-orleans\/exploring-and-healing-place-at-kolaj-fest-new-orleans\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring and Healing Place at Kolaj Fest New Orleans"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Mending Quilt<\/em> (detail) by mike durkin
36’x68′; fabric glue, thread, paper, marker, fabric, colored pencil; 2023. Courtesy of the artist.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

COLLAGE SYMPOSIUM AT KOLAJ FEST NEW ORLEANS 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exploring and Healing Place<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

with mike durkin, Monica Church, Bettina Homann, and Ann Keeling <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

LEARN MORE<\/a> | REGISTER FOR KOLAJ FEST NEW ORLEANS<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kolaj Fest New Orleans is a multi-day festival and symposium about contemporary collage and its role in art, culture, and society, 7-11 June 2023. Visit the website<\/a> to learn more, see an overview of the program, and register to attend.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do collage artists engage with a place as an explorer and healer? How does the artwork we make activate memory and history? On this panel, four artists share their art practices and speak about how their work engages with place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, mike durkin<\/strong> writes, “The root of my work is ‘Place’ focused. How we occupy space and the place we are currently guiding the way I construct my practice. The environment, the neighborhood, the residents, how they pass time and work, and what stigmas\/connotations are in existence all contribute to the body of my work. Understanding our roots to where we were born, where we live now, and where we hope to live. My work explores the micro and macro versions of place.” durkin’s The Mending Quilt<\/em> project was born out of the need to repair communities and people “The Mending Quilt<\/em> is a collaborative art project exploring the idea of repairing communities through artistic practice and textile-based collage work.” In Philadelphia, the artist guided over sixty participants in a collaboration to make a collage-style quilt. The artist will speak about the impact of the project in a community experiencing houselessness, addiction, and food insecurity. He will also speak about a collaborative collage-style quilt project made at a women\u2019s shelter; using reclaimed fabric as material; and the relationship between art-making, art-therapy, quilting, collage, story-telling, and community building. durkin writes, “A whole person and neighborhood-centered inclusionary experience that welcomes, dissolves stigma, understands barriers, and builds bridges. I seek to understand how neighborhoods work and the individuals that occupy them, what is happening on a day-to-day level, and be sensitive to current stigmas or associations.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dragon<\/em> by Monica Church
7″x8″; colored pencil, collage; 1992. Courtesy of the artist.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Monica Church <\/strong>lives in Poughkeepsie, New York, but in 1992 the artist was living in Hanoi, Vietnam on a research visa. She writes, “At that time, Vietnam was sanctioned by the United States government and US citizens could not travel there. While in the country, I made a series of over thirty collages in my sketchbook called, From the Streets of Hanoi<\/em>. Post-war Vietnam was poor, so finding paper to work with was difficult. There was no litter and the dirt streets were literally swept clean. Eventually, I found Hang Ma Street (Paper Street) in the Old Quarter which sold some of the only paper readily available\u2014Joss Papers. Joss papers–or ghost money–is burned to venerate ancestors. In 1992, I didn\u2019t understand the cultural implications of using these papers in my own works. Naively, they were a solution to a paper source. Joss papers were made of handmade paper and printed by hand–extremely beautiful and thin, perfect for collage. Using them as source material directly connected what I was making to where I was living. This began my practice of making collage based on materials found in situ while traveling. I also used my receipts, toilet paper, plastic bags, lottery tickets, pages from old soviet books and watercolors. I continue to make collages when I travel that are made from litter & papers collected, and have works representing over fifteen countries and many US cities.” On this panel, Church will present the collages she made in Vietnam and lead a conversation about how litter and found material inform artwork. She writes, “Litter picked up from the streets, like cigarette packs, matchbooks, and lottery tickets become collages that reflect specific locales. Do found materials metamorphosize when combined with locally made papers through the process of making a collage? In my practice, I’ve found abstract collages sourced from city streets profoundly reflect a sense of place without using representational imagery.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Die Strickerei (A Knitting Work in Progress)-A Poem of Labor<\/em> by Bettina Homann
14″x8″x.75″; (Alexander Anderson poem, A Song of Labor<\/em>) paper, tape, thread, knitting needles; 2023. Courtesy of the artist.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Bettina Homann <\/strong>from Berlin, Germany and Ann Keeling <\/strong>from Morro Bay, California recently attended Kolaj Institute’s Passing Place Collage Artist Residency in Scotland where they explored the Town of Sanquhar and made art in response to what they found. Both artists used literature as a vehicle to develop a deeper understanding of place. In Die Strickerei<\/em>, Homann knits the lines of railwayman and poet Alexander Anderson’s Song of Labor<\/em> into a sculptural collage that speaks to the uncredited and unfinished labor of the region. Keeling\u2019s series of collages responded to the Sanquhar Post Office, the ghost in the castle, and the town\u2019s war memorial. Her collage, Ode to Black Joan<\/em>, responds to Robert Burns’ poetry writing in the region and her own experience of returning to the lands of her ancestors. The artists will speak about their experience during the residency and how visiting a place informed their art process.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ode to Black Joan: A Place That Feels Like Home<\/em> by Ann Keeling
26.5″x11″; gelli monoprints, found paper, artist photography, matte gel on matte board; 2023. Courtesy of the artist.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

About Kolaj Fest New Orleans<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kolaj Fest New Orleans<\/a> is a multi-day festival and symposium about contemporary collage and its role in art, culture, and society, 7-11 June 2023. Visit the website<\/a> to learn more, see an overview of the program, and register to attend. Kolaj Fest New Orleans would not be possible without the support of the members of Kolaj Institute\u2019s Golden Glue and Silver Scissors Societies<\/a>, <\/em>Kolaj Magazine and Kasini House. <\/em>WEBSITE<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

COLLAGE SYMPOSIUM AT KOLAJ FEST NEW ORLEANS 2023 Exploring and Healing Place with mike durkin, Monica Church, Bettina Homann, and Ann Keeling  LEARN MORE | REGISTER FOR KOLAJ FEST NEW ORLEANS Kolaj Fest New Orleans is a multi-day festival and symposium…<\/p>\n

Read more →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":13824,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/mike-durkin-mending-quilt-detail-1.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2QTD7-3AO","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13635,"url":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/kolaj-fest-new-orleans\/uses-of-the-erotic-workshop-at-kolaj-fest-new-orleans\/","url_meta":{"origin":13814,"position":0},"title":"Uses of the Erotic Workshop at Kolaj Fest New Orleans","author":"Christopher Byrne","date":"25 March 2023","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Tubman by LaVonna Varnado Brown11\"x8.5\"; digital; 2022. Courtesy of the artist. COLLAGE WORKSHOP AT KOLAJ FEST NEW ORLEANS 2023 Uses of the Erotic with LaVonna Varnado Brown LEARN MORE\u00a0|\u00a0REGISTER FOR KOLAJ FEST NEW ORLEANS Kolaj Fest New Orleans is a multi-day festival and symposium about contemporary collage and its role\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Kolaj Fest New Orleans"","block_context":{"text":"Kolaj Fest New Orleans","link":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/category\/kolaj-fest-new-orleans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/lavonna-varnado-brown-tubman.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/lavonna-varnado-brown-tubman.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/lavonna-varnado-brown-tubman.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/lavonna-varnado-brown-tubman.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":18157,"url":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/content\/calls-for-artists\/call-to-artists-collage-art-book-market-at-kolaj-fest-new-orleans-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":13814,"position":1},"title":"Call to Artists: Collage Art & Book Market at Kolaj Fest New Orleans 2026","author":"Christopher Byrne","date":"30 April 2026","format":"gallery","excerpt":"CALL TO ARTISTS AT KOLAJ FEST NEW ORLEANS 2026 Collage Art & Book Market at Kolaj Fest New Orleans 2026 in the Great Hall of the New Orleans Healing Center2374 Saint Claude Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70117 USA Saturday, 13 June 2026Noon-5PM Deadline to Apply: Sunday, 31 May 2026 Part\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Calls for Artists"","block_context":{"text":"Calls for Artists","link":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/category\/content\/calls-for-artists\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Collage-Market-2026-square.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Collage-Market-2026-square.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Collage-Market-2026-square.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Collage-Market-2026-square.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15175,"url":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/kolaj-fest-new-orleans\/scaling-down-at-kolaj-fest-new-orleans-2024\/","url_meta":{"origin":13814,"position":2},"title":"Scaling Down at Kolaj Fest New Orleans 2024","author":"Christopher Byrne","date":"3 May 2024","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Sunflower by Jamie Tara5\"x3\"; sardine tin, paper, beads, dried flowers, faux flowers, stickers, magnet on back; 2023. Courtesy of the artist. 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Kolaj Fest New Orleans is a multi-day festival and symposium about contemporary collage and its\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Events"","block_context":{"text":"Events","link":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/category\/content\/collage-events\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Big-Ass-Collage-5x4-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Big-Ass-Collage-5x4-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Big-Ass-Collage-5x4-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Big-Ass-Collage-5x4-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":18259,"url":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/kolaj-fest-new-orleans\/collage-the-tarot-at-kolaj-fest-new-orleans-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":13814,"position":4},"title":"Collage the Tarot: Kolaj Fest New Orleans Edition","author":"Christopher Byrne","date":"6 May 2026","format":"gallery","excerpt":"HAPPENING AT KOLAJ FEST NEW ORLEANS Collage the Tarot: Kolaj Fest New Orleans Special Edition Wednesday, 10 June 2026, 7-9PMCafe Istanbul, $20 (free for registered participants of Kolaj Fest New Orleans) PURCHASE TICKETS If you are registered for Kolaj Fest New Orleans, please email info@kolajinstitute.org to request a registration code.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Kolaj Fest New Orleans"","block_context":{"text":"Kolaj Fest New Orleans","link":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/category\/kolaj-fest-new-orleans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Collage-the-Tarot-5x4-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Collage-the-Tarot-5x4-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Collage-the-Tarot-5x4-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Collage-the-Tarot-5x4-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15239,"url":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/kolaj-fest-new-orleans\/pop-up-collage-at-kolaj-fest-new-orleans-2024\/","url_meta":{"origin":13814,"position":5},"title":"Pop-Up Collage at Kolaj Fest New Orleans 2024","author":"Christopher Byrne","date":"7 May 2024","format":"gallery","excerpt":"from the \"Reliefs\" series by Catherine Plaisance19.7\"x23.6\"x4\"; inkjet print; 2020-2021. 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