Scissors snipped and glue sticks clicked as community members explored the paper-based art form of collaging during “Collage Collective” on Oct. 30 at Bloomington Fine Art Supply. The workshop was led by local artist Jennifer Davis.
Attendees of all ages and experience levels were encouraged to experiment with the medium. That’s what shop owner and event coordinator Heather Farmer intended when she launched “Thursdays in Common,” a series of free weekly art programs designed to connect with the Bloomington community.
Davis first approached Farmer about collaborating on the program in January. After a summer recess, the event returned and is now held on the last Thursday of every month led by Davis. Alongside of “Collage Collective,” the shop hosts three other arts related events hosted by other local artists on the remaining Thursdays as part of “Thursdays in Common.”
Farmer said a major focus of the project is inclusivity, specifically welcoming participants of all ages including families, duos or solo participants.
“The idea behind the series is to bring all of our free programming into one place,” Farmer said. “It’s meant to help people easily find our low-barrier, all-ages programs.”
The collage workshop was tailored to a wide range of skills and knowledge, encouraging anyone, from beginners to advanced collage makers, to pick up a glue stick. Each session of “Collage Collective” centers on accessible materials and techniques, making creativity attainable for everybody.
Attendee Mark Nicewonder, a Bloomington community member, said he especially enjoys the events for the sense of mutual collaboration he experiences at each session.
“You can sit down with people you don’t know, and find the things you have in common,” Nicewonder said. “And maybe you can try to incorporate those things into your own collage.”
Another goal of the workshop is to offer a simple but meaningful escape from day-to-day life, giving attendees a chance to set down their phones and connect with community members they might not otherwise have met. The sessions are designed to create a stress-free environment where people of all ages can relax, disconnect from daily pressures and focus on creating something with their hands.
Maureen Langley, a local artist and frequent attendee, said the sessions provide a chance to unwind and be fully present.
“It’s just two hours. I don’t have to think about anything,” Langley said. “I’m just cutting and gluing, and that makes me feel so good.”
Davis began creating collages in 2020 after receiving treatment for opioid addiction. She discovered an unexpected source of healing through collage art while in a detox program in West Palm Beach, Florida.
“Collage became my way to sit and cope with withdrawal,” Davis said. “I made hundreds of them. Every time I felt sick, I sat down and made a collage, it saved my life.”
Wanting to share that healing experience with others, Davis partnered with Farmer to create “Collage Collective”.
Davis will celebrate six years of sobriety in March.
The Singing Hoosiers will perform their first concert of the school year Saturday.
Due to the success of Bloomington Fine Art Supply’s “Thursdays in Common” series, the shop will reintroduce the program under a new name, “Art in Commons.” The revamped series will expand beyond Thursdays, offering community art events of all types such as “Collage Collective” throughout the week on different nights. “Art in Commons” events will begin after the new year.
“We’ve had some new players join the ring,” Farmer said. “We will be calling it ‘Art in Commons’ now because it will be happening much more than just Thursdays now.”
