‘Bring anything that calls to you’ for collage workshop

CORNWALL — If you happen to stop by the Cornwall Library, you may notice some new decor — framed collages and assemblages made of simple, everyday items: scraps of cloth, receipts, envelopes, snippets of text, metal things picked up off the ground.

It’s the work of Roxana Geffen, a mixed-media artist based in Washington, D.C., whose pieces range from large installations to sculptures the size of a quarter. The art on display in Cornwall is part of a show called “Life and the Memory of It,” which debuted at the library on June 30. Each piece, in Geffen’s words, “contains a new world, a landscape pulled into being through my collaboration with materials.”

And visitors will be able to create a new world of their own at a workshop Geffen will host at the library on Saturday, Aug. 5. From 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Geffen will talk about her art and the exhibition, explain the processes behind the work and then lead the group in making their own collages.

“We will be talking about art, playing with materials and making things together. We’ll take a look at the materials for our collages and talk about ways to think about and use them,” Geffen explained. “Then we’ll get to creative problem-solving, answering questions like, ‘How can I get this thing to stick to that thing and have it look just right?’ and ‘Oh no, I just added this red thing and now nothing works — what do I do?’ Finally, we will get to sit back and admire what we’ve all made.”

Paper, glue, needles and thread, scissors and other collage materials will be provided, but Geffen encourages attendees to also bring their own.

“A torn piece of paper in a cool shape, or a label with a funny snippet of text on it, or a piece of smooth, worn metal,” she suggested. “Bring anything that calls to you, even if you aren’t sure yet how to make it work.”

For Geffen, who also teaches classes at George Mason University in Virginia, leading a workshop is a lot like teaching, minus the homework assignments. Both rewarding and challenging, sharing her creative process with a class is a “rare treat:” for an artist who completes most of her work alone in her studio.

“I love seeing how differently everyone’s work turns out to be even though we started at the same place,” she said.

Geffen’s work has been shown around the world, with stops in Virginia, New York City, New Zealand, Los Angeles and D.C. But the Cornwall exhibition and workshop are special for Geffen, as her roots in the town run deep.

“My mother’s family goes way back in the town’s history and I have been going there since I was little. Now that my mother and my step-father live in my great-grandmother’s house on Town Street, my family and I visit as often as we can,” she said.

Those interested in attending the workshop can register at Cornwalllibrary.org. Registration is $25 per person.

Roxana Geffen Photo by Dawn Whitmore

Roxana Geffen Photo by Dawn Whitmore

Roxana Geffen Photo by Dawn Whitmore