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Collage Artist Michael Albert at Brattleboro’s Gallery Walk on May 7th!
Brooks Memorial Library will bring guest pop artist & author Michael Albert to Artful Streets at Pliny Park on May 7 from 5-7pm. (Rain location: the Library) Michael will run a pop-up collage art station where everyone is invited to make a collage of an essential word that has great importance to you. These collages will be exhibited together as a community word cloud right there on the wall of Pliny Park for all to see during Gallery Walk. Makers will be able to collect their collages during the following week at the Library. Michael will also be signing and giving away his posters to makers.
Mr. Albert has visited Brooks Memorial Library before with his collage workshop for families & has worked with Library Director Starr LaTronica on a number of occasions over the past 15 years. Creating Text-Based collages using the recognizable fonts from an assortment of iconic consumer brand packages is a theme he has been exploring for close to 20 years.
Albert has been creating art since college at New York University, where he studied business (BPA, 1984-1988). After visiting many of the great museums in NYC and viewing some of the world’s greatest masterpieces of art, he began his own artistic pursuits. His art has evolved from doodles and Pen & Ink to serious wax oil drawings, to the cubist mosaic Cereal box collages he has become known for. In the past two decades, he has been creating large-scale “Epic” collage works on various themes including History, Literature, Religion & Philosophy, Music, Poetry & Lyrics, Botany, Logo Montages, Color Studies, Mathematics & Geography….. Since the publishing of his book, “An Artist’s autobiography titled, “An Artist’s America” (Henry Holt, 2008) Albert has developed a traveling Pop Art Enrichment Program & Hands-On Collage Workshop for kids (school age & up), teens, adults & as a multi-generational event called the “Modern Pop Art Experience” which he has brought to more than 1,000 schools, libraries, museums, art festivals & special events in most of the United States & in Europe. Albert is also the founder/owner of Sir Real, a brand of fruit juice & natural foods www.sirreal.com See below for more information, links & feel free to contact the studio for further inquiry.
Some Links:
Documentary Trailer: Michael Albert American Pop Artist
Smithsonian Artist Interview: Collage Art: Michael Albert
Staff will be on hand to photograph the participants and their art.
Artful Streets invites everyone to be part of the art-making at Gallery Walk, creating inclusive experiences of participatory arts and social engagement. Occupying spaces throughout town Pop-Up Art Stations will feature local artists and cultural organizations, offering activities based on a monthly theme.
May 7th: What’s the Word?
After a long year of separation, we’ll honor and celebrate with words through art, poetry, games and love notes. Write a note to someone or something you’ve missed. Share what you value most in a word. Write a postcard to our beautiful Connecticut River. Or share a poem you wrote this year at the Poetry Open Mic.
Pop-Up Arts Stations
Patio by The River:
Ask The River artists and the Connecticut River Conservancy invite you to come down to the River, learn about her, and hear what she has to say! We’ll have beautiful river-inspired cyanotype postcards for you to write your thoughts and questions on.
Pliny Park:
Brooks Memorial Library hosts artist Michael Albert at Pliny Park and invites you to make a collage of Your Essential Word—one of great importance to you! We’ll display all the collages in a huge Community Word Cloud on the park’s wall during Gallery Walk. What’s YOUR word?
The Museum Lawn:
Encouraging our youth voices, come read a poem you wrote this year or someone else’s at our Poetry Open Mic. Write something new at our Poetry Station and meet local authors—Diana Whitney, Shanta Lee Gander and youth poet Emma Paris. Adults, we invite you to come read your recent poetry, too!
Other What’s the Word? theme tie-ins:
- River Gallery School will have their antique letterpress in operation. Come by to print a message to someone you love.
- Write a letter to someone or something you’ve missed this year at the Hempacurian’s streetside typewriter.
- Poems Around Town—a project by Write Action & The Brattleboro Literary Festival—has placed poems written over the past year into downtown shop and restaurant windows. You will find 50 poems by 35 authors and can pick up a site list to guide you at the DBA Gallery Walk table on Elliot St.
