This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org.

You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.

with artist & sculptor Liz Lescault

Art Lab : Assemblage and 3D Collage

Art Lab

3D Collage, Assemblage, Shadow Boxes and Sculpture: Expanding the Horizons of Collage

Self-Discovery through Collage

In our May session, we will explore the art of 3D collage and further delve into the possibilities of assemblage, putting together found objects, both manufactured and organic, whole, or bits and pieces. Assemblage combines everyday materials in new and surprising ways. Assemblages are often designed to fit in shadow boxes or other open containers but can also be created as free standing sculpture. Come and make either three dimensional collage or assemblage. (See suggestions for materials below).

Throughout the session we will share our inspirations, the progression of our work and how it relates to our personal experiences. 

 

Art Lab is designed so that anyone, both novices and experienced artists, can join all or just one of the sessions offered even though new material will be presented in each session.

 

Those who attend are encouraged to do whatever they wish to do in the session.  I will toss out ideas but I encourage you make art in any way that suits you.

 

Art Lab is about making art as well as the different ways we experience art and how it affects us. We will integrate movement and playful sharing into our art making experience sharing insights, joys and concerns.

 

You are invited to come to one, some or all of the workshops as the spirit moves you.


Suggested Materials*:

*any collage materials and supplies you may already have will work just as well for this project; the materials suggested below are just some of my favorites.

  • Images or printed materials and photographs from any source, including text
  • Found or everyday objects (some ideas): thread, buttons, string, lace, ribbon, sand, fabric, beads, cotton, feathers, seeds, yarn, old jewelry, broken pieces of ceramic, manufactured objects, organic matter
  • Crescent collage boards: www.dickblick.com/products/crescent-collage-boards/, and/or Ampersand Gessobords or wood panels: DickBlick.com 
  • Boxes, or any open container: candy boxes, drawers, old picture frames, etc.
  • Scissors
    • Suggested: SINGER 00557 4-1/2-Inch ProSeries Detail Scissors with Nano Tip, Teal (Amazon Smile)
  • Glue stick (for standard collage on paper)
    • Suggested: UHU Stic – Clear Glue Stick (Amazon Smile)
  • Elmer’s glue (for standard collage on paper or other flat surfaces)
  • Glue gun and/or Rockler Cyanoacrylate Quick-Set Medium Adhesive for assemblage (Amazon) for assemblage
  • Paints or any other medium you feel is appropriate for your needs

Art Lab will be offered monthly on Thursdays from 5:30 – 7:00pm ET.

Participants are encouraged to drop-in for any session – new themes and projects will be introduced each month.

This hands-on workshop series is for novices and experienced artists.

Upcoming Dates: 

  • May 19

Suggested Donation: $15


About Liz Lescault

Liz Lescault, a visual artist and sculptor, has practiced and taught art for over 40 years. Liz is also a Coordinator of the DC InterPlay Metro Region, is a certified leader and a member of the DC InterPlay Board. She leads Open Gathering days for InterPlay DC and organizes and leads workshops regionally and nationally online and in person. Liz has been leading Art Lab both for Smith Center for the Healing Arts, for the Phillips Collection and for InterPlay internationally.

Formerly, Liz, was a hotline crisis counselor, for various suicide prevention lifelines and The Trevor Project providing help for LGBTQ youth in crisis and the Prince Georges County Homeless Hotline.

Liz has also led InterPlay for elders with chronic illness and cognitive disabilities at Iona Senior Center in Washington DC. 

Liz melds her art, teaching, guidance and personal philosophy with InterPlay wisdom, tools and forms.

B.S., Psychology, Drew University, Madison, NJ

M.Ed., University of Massachusetts at Amherst, British Techniques of Open Education

Studied watercolor at WICE, an international arts and cultural association in Paris, France

https://www.lizlescault.com/home

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org.

You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.

Panel Discussion Featuring Jamecia Muckelvene-Jackson, Kenneth Johnson, Robert Ginyard and Tawny Chatmon. Hosted by Lisa Simms Booth.

A Panel on Prostate Cancer and Life After

Join us for a panel discussion with artist Tawny Chatmon, survivor and advocate, Robert Ginyard, survivor and facilitator of the Gay Men’s Prostate Cancer Healing Circle, Kenneth Johnson, and leader, advocate, coach, and self-styled freelance writer, Jamecia Muckelvene-Jackson. We will discuss the diverse effects of prostate cancer in our lives, culture, bodies and minds. We hope this conversation will help bring awareness to the disease and the importance of regular screening and preventative care.

Suggested Donation: $15

All proceeds benefit the Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery.


About Jamecia Muckelvene-Jackson

Jamecia Muckelvene-Jackson
Jamecia Muckelvene is a leader, advocate, coach, and self-styled freelance writer based in Bowie, Maryland. Jamecia draws inspiration from her family experiences, most poignantly her Army veteran father’s struggle with prostate cancer which later evolved into a rare strain of cancer classified as Sarcomatoid Carcinoma. Her first published work, The Very Awesome Adventures of RuRu & Rudy, was written in collaboration with her sisters and dedicated to their father’s memory. Jamecia’s early years were spent traveling extensively due to her father’s postings in Asia, Europe, and across the U.S., experiences that provided her a unique worldview and continue to inspire her creative pursuits today. Outside of the written word, Jamecia’s passion for advocating on various topics and shedding light on prostate cancer led her to establish a non-profit, Warriors Fighting For His Cure, in 2010. When away from the writing table, she finds herself at the center of her family – with her husband and two children named, naturally, for her parents Pearline & James, and her chosen son and grandson Zayne. 

About Kenneth Johnson

Kenneth Johnson
Kenneth Johnson, of Washington, D.C., is a co-facilitator and founding member of the Healing Circle Supporting Gay Men with Prostate Cancer hosted at the Smith Center since October 2018. Kenneth was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2016 at the age of 50 and treated with surgery and radiation. Before volunteering with the support group, Kenneth volunteered with many LGBTQ+ organizations and community non-profits in Atlanta, GA. Now, when not enjoying his bookclub’s latest selection or trying to keep his heart rate up at the gym, Kenneth can be found enjoying time with his vibrant parents who will soon celebrate their 57th wedding anniversary. Kenneth is nearing the end of a 34-year career in federal service as an information technology analyst and looks forward to hitting the highways to visit family and friends around the country. 

About Robert Ginyard

Robert Ginyard

Robert Ginyard is an entrepreneur, speaker, and prostate cancer survivor. He is the creator of the Shusokumb (shoes, socks, and umbrella) bag – a compartmentalized tote bag designed for women who wear sneakers to work and later change into a pair of heels once they are in the office. The Shusokumb was sold by major retailers, and featured in national newspapers/magazines.  

As a result of his prostate cancer journey, Robert created DiBi DiBi- Dream it. Believe it. Do it. Be it— an awareness campaign and lifestyle brand to encourage people to live out their dreams. Additionally, Robert serves as creator, producer and host of “Intentionally Overheard with Robert Ginyard” — a podcast that highlights stories of people who dared to dream and committed to making their dreams come true.          

Robert is a sought after speaker, and is a frequent guest on local and national radio and television programs. His products/brand have been featured in Redbook, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun, Ebony Magazine.Com, The Dr. Nandi Show, Sirius XM, and many other publications and radio and television news outlets.

As a prostate cancer survivor, Robert has appeared before Congress (The Senate Appropriations Committee) to share his prostate cancer story and advocate for increased funding for prostate cancer research. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of ZERO- The End of Prostate Cancer. Robert has been named as one of Cancer Health Magazine’s 2020 Change Makers – making a difference for others living with cancer.      

Robert lives in Baltimore with his wife, Karen, and their two daughters.

About Tawny Chatmon

Tawny Chatmon

Tawny Chatmon is a Tokyo-born photography based artist residing in Maryland. In 2010, the then commercial photographer’s outlook and relationship with her camera shifted when she began photographing her father’s battle with cancer, consequently documenting the disease unexpectedly taking his life. With her father’s passing, she gradually began to look to her camera less as a device for monetary gain and more as a way for her work to serve a higher vocation.

While the camera remains her primary tool of communication,  the self-taught artist takes a multi-layered approach in her process. She does not restrict herself to following any set of rules and does not subscribe exclusively to traditional photography practices. Her photographs are often digitally intensified by exaggerating the hairstyles of her subjects (who are often her children and other family members), lending them the eyes of someone older and wiser, and elongating their form, drawing inspiration from the Byzantine period to signify importance. Thereafter, she typically combines overlappings of digital collage and illustration. After refining and printing, she frequently experiments with various art practices by hand-embellishing with acrylic paint, 24-karat gold leaf, and materials such as paper, semi-precious stones, glass, and other mixed media. In choosing to frame the achieved iconography in golden antique, repurposed, and contemporary baroque frames, the artist composes a touching counter-narrative that is more than just a photograph, but a new, meaningful compositional expression.

Chatmon suggests that our life experiences and memories are largely responsible for who one ultimately becomes and that “what we are exposed to, what we are taught, and even the toys we play with as children” contributes immensely to shaping us into adulthood. A Black woman and mother of three Black children, she is motivated by “leaving something important behind” to the world her children will grow up in while creating imagery that celebrates and honors the beauty of Black childhood and familial bonds while at times addressing the absence and exclusion of the Black body in Western art.