Black History Month: Deborah Roberts
For Black History Month, I thought I'd share some of the visual and literary artists who inspire me. In no particular order, let's start with:
Artist Deborah Roberts with her work in London. Photo credit: Anna Watson/ Alamy/ The Guardian
Roberts is a collage artist out of Austin, Texas. She's known for creating life-sized and larger-than-life-sized pieces "critiquing perceptions of ideal beauty," as she says in her artist statement. I love her work for so many reasons, but the top two are:
she's a mixed-media collage artist whose work is unmistakably fine art
she talks about race in ways that are simultaneously beautiful and devastating.
Her "Nessun Dorma" series in particular stays with me. It centers around George Stinney Jr., a 14 year old Black child convicted and executed for murder in 1944. Although his conviction was vacated (70 years later) as an unfair trial, he remains the youngest American ever executed by the state.
Every weekday I’ll post a new artist, so stay tuned…
What are you doing on Tuesday and Saturday?
When you think of “Tuesday mornings,” I hope you think of me. More to the point — I hope you’ll join me!
Winter quarter at Kirkland Arts Center was so much fun I’ve agreed to teach “Collage On (AND Off) the Wall” again during Spring quarter.
Sign up and you’ll learn how to unite a variety of colors and textures in small collages as well as assemblages. Never heard of “assemblage?” Register here to find out more about this eight-week class. Can’t commit to all eight? Short on time?
I got you: a three-week intensive class on Saturdays. I’m partnering with North Seattle College Continuing Education to teach “Figurative Collage: All in the Family.” In this class, we’ll focus more on creating artworks that center your favorite aunt, grandpa or another relative.
Class sizes at both venues are limited, so now’s the time to get on it and register. Looking forward to seeing you soon!
The plan for 2022
[dusts off laptop] Hey! Didja miss me?
I missed you… but I had some serious thinking to do about my blog. Not everyone needs a weekly update, so I’m gonna do a few things differently in 2022.
A crowd adds travel stickers to a paper-mache giraffe at the “Walk the Block” fundraiser in October 2021.
You’ll still hear about the big art news: If you follow me on social media, you know I stayed busy with speaking engagements, commissions and media interviews, in the midst of making new work. I’ll keep updating you as things come up.
But not every week: I’m just going to post about said events and shows as they happen, or are scheduled. So you might hear from me on a Wednesday and a Friday, or maybe just on Tuesday. The best way to get details: sign up for newsletter posts on my home page.
When I work with friends and partners: During the first half of 2022, I get to collaborate on a public art project with old and new friends! I’m also leading collage art workshops at the Kirkland Arts Center, as well as North Seattle College in the spring.
A budding collagist adds glue to her piece during Lisa Myers Bulmash’s 2018 collage workshop
First up is my “Collage, Off AND On the Wall” class. Ask me for details: I’m send them directly to your inbox in the next post. Looking forward to 2022 with you!