When you take a class at Collage-Lab, you open up a world of possibilities!
Miami native Shavawn Simmons makes Georgia her home. It is the perfect location for her approach to organic content creation in the world of mixed media collage. For Shavawn, being in a Southern state with so much history, it lends itself to her constant awareness of Black people in America. Simmons is a self-taught artist who began in 2011 combining vintage papers and ephemera as a hobby during her summers off from teaching high school English classes. Simmons has developed her colorful portfolio of work under the guidance of a series of Master Classes in 2020-2021 with Kelly Schaub of Collage-Lab. Simmons has also shown work in her first exhibit through the Arts Clayton Gallery and B’Mari Art Gallery in Jonesboro, Georgia as well as a second show for Ming Joi’s Graduation in Atlanta, Georgia. Shavawn was just selected to participate in New Orleans Collage Artist Lab: City as Archive. This five-day intensive of workshops, discussions, and collage making designed to foster the integration of history and place into a collage artist’s practice is present by Kolaj Magazine and Kolaj Institute.
We at Collage-Lab could not be more proud of the work that Shavawn has been doing since taking our Master Classes last year.
Follow @artsy5672 on Instagram or visit her website here: https://shavawnreneart.com/
Here’s a shout-out to two members of Collage-Lab’s yearlong Collage Chronicle course – Karen Kuskin and Susan Wakal were recently selected by prestigious jurors for purchase awards in the Doug + Laurie Kanyer Art Collection’s recent call for artists. In March 2022 the Kanyer Art Collection initiated an international open call purchase award with the theme: “Finding Peace in a Time of War, Make Art Not War.” Artists from all over the world submitted to the hashtag #findingpeacecollagebook. An impressive field of collagists submitted to the call and thirteen were selected to enter into the Collection. The Collection’s main mission is to amplify collage and build a historical record.
Not only were Kuskin and Wakal honored by this award, each has taken that momentum to venture into other new art endeavors. Karen Kuskin was recently selected as an Art-O-Mat artist and Susan Wakal is participating in the upcoming Saanich Peninsula Studio Tour and Sale!
Sign up for a class at Collage-Lab.com and open up your own world of collage possibilities!
Check out the Doug + Laurie Kanyer Art Collection here.
Follow Karen Kuskin and Susan Wakal on Instagram!
