Assemblage Workshop
Transform discarded objects into a unified work of art! In this full-day workshop, you'll learn the art of assemblage - combining found objects, salvaged materials and everyday ephemera into sculptural compositions that tell a story all their own.
Inspired by artists like Joseph Cornell and the Dadaist and Surrealist traditions that elevated castoff materials into fine art, you'll explore how ordinary objects like rusted hardware, broken jewelry, old keys, game pieces, bottle caps, fabric scraps, and weathered wood can be recontextualized to carry new meaning when placed in relationship to one another.
We'll begin the workshop by sorting through a curated collection of found materials, learning to see potential in the overlooked and discarded. From there, you'll move into the core principles of assemblage: balancing visual weight, creating focal points, building texture through layering, and using repetition and contrast to guide the eye through your composition.
We will learn essential techniques for securing objects of varying weight and material—wood, metal, glass, and paper including adhesive selection, wiring, and mechanical fastening. Discover how to work within a frame, box, or found container to create a cohesive field for your objects, and how to unify disparate materials through paint, patina, or shared color palette.
Whether you're drawn to a nostalgic assemblage built from family odds and ins, an industrial composition of rust and metal, or a whimsical cabinet of curiosities, you'll have the time and guidance to build a piece that reflects your own eye. No experience necessary, just curiosity and a willingness to see the art in the overlooked!
All materials provided, including power tools, a wide selection of found objects, salvaged hardware, wood bases or shadow boxes, adhesives, and finishing supplies. Feel free to bring personal objects or small treasures you'd like to incorporate into your piece.
Leave with a one-of-a-kind sculptural object that transforms unused ordinary objects into a glimmering gem of wonder and inspiration.
CLASS DETAILS
Enrollment Open!
Day:
Sunday
Time:
10:00AM - 6:00PM
Dates:
November 8
Instructor:
Amanda Wander
Tuition:
$170 for members | $180 for non-members
Location:
Yrabedra Studio
Education Center (121 N. Gadsden St.)
Supplies:
Materials included
Meet the Instructor
Amanda Wander
Amanda Wander earned her BA in Studio Art from Florida State University in 2008. She served as Education Director at LeMoyne from 2004 to 2006 and has exhibited her mixed media collages and assemblages at venues such as LeMoyne and the Gadsden Arts Center. With a diverse skill set spanning photography, printmaking, leatherworking, bookbinding, foundry techniques, and graphic design, she has also taught workshops at LeMoyne and the Thomasville Center for the Arts. Wander's artistic philosophy embraces the idea that "more is better"—a belief she applies through the process of "gilding the lily," continually adding layers and complexity to her work. Her recent creations include artist books and small-scale mixed media collages, reflecting her ongoing exploration of texture, materiality, and narrative.
