The Collage Artist Goes to Back to School!

In Catherine's class we discussed Betye Saar's assemblage "Ragtime" (2005, 19" x 20" x 2") which references slavery, African-American music and the American Civil War.

Since April, I’ve been volunteering at an elementary school. It’s one of my business goals to research working with children because I’d like to offer workshops for them at schools or through my studio. This year, an acquaintance/teacher friend, Christine, a great collage enthusiast, guided me through the appropriate administrative channels to be able to volunteer at her school. Angel that she is, she put in a great recommendation for me to the principal who sanctioned my presence there. Considerably under-funded in the area of fine arts, Christine assured me that my expertise would be valued by staff members there who were excited to involve artists in their school activities. Another reason I was compelled to volunteer at the school was that I learned that a number of students there came from subsidized housing communities. As a teen I lived in one close to the school for a number of years, I felt this heaven-sent opportunity was a chance to give back a little to my old neighborhood. I hoped the knowledge I passed on through art would one day become useful tools for survival and personal growth for the students. I’ve only spent a handful of days there so far and it’s been a rewarding experience. 

Recently, I gave my first artist talk at the school to teacher Catherine’s grade six class. It was a dream come full circle for me. It doesn’t seem so long ago that I sat mesmerized by the words of a visiting artist at my school. Ever since then, I’ve dreamed of becoming one. Well, here I was finally (!), scared out of my wits about the prospect of giving a talk to a group of 11-year olds – worrying that I might not be cool enough to hold their attention. I worked for a number of days preparing a talk that would be fun, informative as well as interactive. I could have just showed slides on the computer screen to make things easier, but I opted to do a mix; including as many samples (and tools) of collage I could squeeze into the talk. As the students would soon be making their own collages based on their class’s theme of social justice, they were also seriously interested in learning strategies they could use to make their own collages. Their project is an exciting one; they’ll be creating pieces about the kind of “footprint” (legacy) they’d like to leave in the world. Open-minded Catherine sought me out because she felt that collaging was another valuable way of communicating thoughts and knowledge about these issues through images. The students carefully listened and actively participated in my discussion about collage which included a visual analysis of the work “Ragtime”, a collage/ assemblage by African-American artist Betye Saar, as well as a few pieces of my own. I never knew the history of slavery in grade six so I was pleased and astounded by the fact that Catherine’s students had already learned about slavery and the American Civil War. As a result, they were able to help me unlock several key elements of Saar’s art work. One young man even knew that ragtime was a genre of music! In discussing my work, “A Memory of a Photo of My Parents” one young lady beautifully summed up the story of my parents falling out of love – it was so touching. They were impressed by my Lady Gaga textures collage as well as my Michael Jackson one. When I mentioned I had recently done a piece about Marilyn Monroe, my namesake, a little girl in the front row whispered that she liked her too. Their admiration of my work made me feel like a kid again instead of a middle-aged woman! To my absolute delight, they asked dozens of questions. It was so exciting to give this talk. It easily surpassed the one I gave at an academic conference years earlier! Nothing compares to the energy and enthusiasm of kids who are really keen about learning something cool like collage!

I’ll leave you with some interesting questions they raised; they’re so telling of young minds. This ethically diverse group of 24 students was composed of half boys and half girls…

1 ) How long does it take to make a collage?
2 ) How do you make a smooth Modge Podge surface with your paint brush?
3 ) What order do you glue down collage pieces in?
4 ) Have you ever collaged on glass?
5 ) How much did your Michael Jackson collage sell for?
6 ) Was it sad to part with your favourite collages?
7 ) Do you ever make happy collages?
8 ) Do you ever make collages you hate?
9 ) Are your collages actually true stories about your life?

It was a day to remember. As I reflected upon their feedback: I imagined them as future thinkers, innovators, musicians, marketing specialists, critics and perhaps, even a fine artist or two! Thanks to the kids, Catherine and Christine for giving me the opportunity to grow as an artist. Thanks to my husband Kevin who assisted me and listened to hundreds of versions of my talk before class! Lastly thanks, to Elaine Coombs, my favourite tree painter from San Francisco, who came to my rescue with tips on giving artist talks.

Other Related Links:
New York Times article about Betye Saar
Betye Saar Red Time Gallery Tour