Joy & Grief Virtual Collage Residency
A four-week, virtual/online Residency with Kolaj Institute
Sundays, 9, 16, 23 & 30 March 2025, 4-6PM EDT
Early Deadline to Apply: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Final Deadline to Apply: Friday, 28 February 2025
Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis until space is filled. Artists are encouraged to apply well before the deadline. Also, please note, responses may not be sent out until two weeks after the deadline.
"Find a place inside where there's joy, and the joy will burn out the pain." (Joseph Campbell)
Joy and grief: these two deeply human experiences are deeply connected. We don't understand Joy. Philosophers disagree on what it is, how it is in the world, how to achieve it, what its use is. Religions approach Joy in wildly divergent ways. When asked, people will give you their own definition, usually an example from their own life, suggesting Joy is an idiosyncratic state, unique to the individual. Anyone who has laughed at a funeral can tell you that grief is irrational. To quote the 13th century Persian poet Rumi, sometimes you must "Dance, when you’re broken open." Rumi goes on to say, “Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart, so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place. It pulls up the rotten roots, so that new roots hidden beneath have room to grow. Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart, far better things will take their place.” Writers have given us a bounty of self-help books about grief and a vast system (social and cultural) exists to support one experiencing grief, but an equally extensive array of services doesn't exist to support joy. How can collage artists make art about joy and grief?
In this residency, artists will explore joy and grief and how to make artwork about these subjects. The premise of the residency is that artists who successfully make art about joy and grief have a working theory, bring context to their artwork, embrace the dialectic of joy and grief, and share their work with others.
Artwork made during the residency will be included in the exhibition, "Joy & Grief" that will take place 12 April to 31 May 2025 at Kolaj Institute's Gallery in New Orleans and be published in a book that will be released at Kolaj Fest New Orleans.
The residency will be led by Kolaj Institute Director Ric Kasini Kadour who will present and discuss the work of contemporary artists who take on joy and grief. Kadour has written about the relationship between grief and art in the 2018 Hyperallergic article, "What a Year of Grief Taught Me About Monuments and Memorials" and he previously explored this subject in the 2024 residency, Joy as Subject: Mardi Gras, and made the film Joy Is Paper. Kadour will serve as lead curator for the exhibition and contribute an essay to the book that will speak to how artists approach these subjects. He wrote, "To understand the importance of joy, we must consider the inescapable reality of grief."
Artists will hear from New Orleans-based artist Jamie Hughes whose collage installation, Amdalia, explores the loss of her father and mother, in 2024 and 2023 respectively. The artist writes, "Amdalia was born out of grief and trauma, but the collages I created in this period helped me reconnect with the joy, love, and creativity that was the foundation of our Amdal family. This exhibit is my attempt to uplift and honor my family legacy, while still being true to the pain and struggles that are intertwined with our story. The process of analog collage: selecting meaningful pieces, composing them in a new context and framework, and the tactile and emotional experience of assembly, has been extremely therapeutic for me, enabling me to both hold on to the memories and let go of the pain. The exhibit is a collection of those works intertwined with meaningful pieces of my family story, essentially a collage of my grief. While Amdalia is extremely personal, I hope that viewers may be inspired to reconcile dichotomies within their own families and find healing in their own creative processes."
Artists will also hear from Michigan-based artist Ray Maseman, who is engaged in a project that uses text from the Book of Lamentations as prompts for a collage series. He wrote, "My current work explores and embodies grief as a normal, healthy, and integral, yet difficult and disheartening facet of human existence. The choice of collage for this exploration is intentional. The elements of chance and serendipity inherent in collage mirror the sometimes unpredictable pathways of grief. At the same time, the playfulness of collage allows for being surprised by joy."
Both Hughes and Maseman will have work in the "Joy & Grief" exhibition.
OUTCOME
Artwork made during the residency will be included in the exhibition, "Joy & Grief", that will take place 12 April to 31 May 2025 at Kolaj Institute's Gallery in New Orleans and be published in a book that will be released at Kolaj Fest New Orleans.
Artists will end the residency with a deeper understanding of how to speak to subjects of joy and grief in their artist practice.
WHO IS THIS FOR?
Collage Artist Residencies are intended for self-motivated artists, at any stage in their career, who want to develop their practice by exploring a topic or working method and collaborating with others to produce a final product. Residencies are open to any artist over the age of 21 from anywhere in the world.
COST
The cost for the Joy & Grief Residency is $500 USD. A limited number of grants is available to offset the workshop fee and reduce barriers to participation in the program, particularly for those artists coming from places in the world that face historic economic disadvantages.
WORKSHOP LOGISTICS
Dates: 9-30 March 2025
SESSION DATES: Sundays, 9, 16, 23 & 30 March 2025, 4-6PM EDT.
Artists are expected to attend all scheduled sessions and complete assignments. By participation in the residency, artists grant Kolaj Institute, Kolaj Magazine, and Maison Kasini permission to publish the images online and in book form and in the promotion of the project and book. Any original collages made during the residency remain the property of the individual artists with all rights retained.
APPLICATION PROCESS
The submission process asks applicants for:
• Contact information
• Artist Bio (50-250 words)
• Statement of Artist Practice (50-300 words)
• 5-7 images of artwork
• Asks questions about your work and needs
QUESTIONS
If you have questions, send an email.
A five-day, in-person collage artist residency in New Orleans
at Kolaj Institute Gallery in New Orleans
8-12 April 2025, with two preliminary virtual sessions on 2 and 6 April 2025
Early Deadline to Apply: Friday, 28 February 2025
Final Deadline to Apply: Friday, 15 March 2025
Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis until space is filled. Artists are encouraged to apply well before the deadline. Also, please note, responses may not be sent out until two weeks after the deadline.
Since 2022, Kolaj Institute has explored the intersection of poetry and collage throughout its history. In Kolaj 32, Rod T. Boyer’s article “Mind the Gap: Collision and Context in Haiku and Collage“ compares the disjunction that occurs in haiku with a similar phenomenon in collage. Since then, we organized a series of residencies to explore the intersection of poetry and collage. The artists heard from guest speakers Kevin Sampsell, Renée Reizman, Rod T. Boyer, and the Poetry Foundation’s Fred Sasaki and were challenged to create page spreads to be included in PoetryXCollage, a printed journal of artwork and writing at the intersection of poetry and collage. We are interested in found poetry, blackout poetry, collage poems, haikus, centos, response collages, response poems, word scrambles, concrete poetry, scatter collage poems, and other poems and artwork that inhabit this world. To date, seven volumes of PoetryXCollage have been published.
To support artists working at the intersection of poetry and collage, Kolaj Institute is organizing an in-person artist residency at Kolaj Institute Gallery. The residency will coincide with the New Orleans Poetry Festival. From 10AM on Tuesday, 8 April to 2PM on Saturday, 12 April, artists will have 24-hour access to the gallery, studio, and material library where they can work in community to make collage poetry. In daily meetings, artists will share work and get feedback from one another. Prior to the residency, artists will meet virtually where Kolaj Institute Director Ric Kasini Kadour will make presentations on the history of the project, artist practice, and the ecosystem of Poetry & Collage. Through in person discussions, artists will explore how the art they make at the intersection of poetry and collage exists on the printed page and on the wall of a gallery. At noon, on Saturday, 12 April, artists will be invited to present their work and at 6PM, artists are invited to the opening of the exhibition, “Joy & Grief” at Kolaj Institute Gallery. By participating in the New Orleans Poetry Festival, we hope artists will connect with poets, editors, and publishers.
OUTCOME
After the Residency, artists will be invited to submit work for the PoetryXCollage journal and for an exhibition on Poetry & Collage at Kolaj Fest New Orleans 2025.
Artists will explore how the art they make at the intersection of poetry and collage exists on the printed page and on the wall of a gallery. By participating in the New Orleans Poetry Festival, we hope artists will connect with poets, editors, and publishers.
WHO IS THIS FOR?
Collage Artist Residencies are intended for self-motivated artists, at any stage in their career, who want to develop their practice by exploring the intersection of poetry and collage while working in community with others. Residencies are open to any artist over the age of 21 from anywhere in the world.
COST
The cost of the residency is $750 per artist. A limited number of grants is available to offset the workshop fee and reduce barriers to participation in the program, particularly for those artists coming from places in the world that face historic economic disadvantages. Follow the link in the How to Apply section above to learn more.
Travel to and from New Orleans, accommodations in New Orleans, and all meals are the responsibility of the artist. Financial aid is not available to offset the expense of travel, accommodation, or meals.
RESIDENCY LOGISTICS
Wednesday, 2 April: History of Kolaj Institute's Poetry & Collage Project, Preparing for New Orleans, & Introductions
Sunday, 6 April: Artist Practice & The ecosystem of Poetry & Collage
Tuesday, 8 April, 10AM Orientation at Kolaj Institute and Poetry/Collage Making
Wednesday, 9 April: Poetry/Collage Making, Noon to 2PM Discussion
Thursday, 10 April: Poetry/Collage Making & NOLA Poetry Festival Opening Night at 7PM
Friday, 11 April: Poetry/Collage Making & NOLA Poetry Festival
Saturday, 12 April: Noon to 2PM: Presentation & Discussion of works. 6PM to 9PM: Opening of the exhibition, Joy & Grief.
QUESTIONS
If you have questions, send an email.
PoetryXCollage Open Submission
PoetryXCollage is a printed journal of artwork and writing that operates at the intersection of poetry and collage. We are interested in found poetry, blackout poetry, collage poems, haikus, centos, response collages, response poems, word scrambles, concrete poetry, scatter collage poems, and other poems and artwork that inhabit this world.
Each issue presents six movements of work by artists and curators. Page spreads are meant to be free zones of thinking where the contributor has chosen all elements of the layout: font, image place, composition, etc.
Artists and writers interested in submitting should prepare 3-5 page spreads for consideration. Page spreads must conform to exact specifications and include a general artist narrative and a short page spread narrative. We strongly suggest reviewing a copy of PoetryXCollage prior to submitting. We also recommend downloading the PoetryXCollage Specs Doc pdf and reviewing its contents. You can download this Transparent PNG Template to make sure your submission is the correct size and accounts for the bleed and gutter.
Learn more about the PoetryXCollage project on Kolaj Institute's website HERE.
Questions? Send an email.
Kolaj Magazine‘s Artist Directory is a tool for organizing and cataloguing artists who work in the medium of collage. Its audience includes the general public as well as independent curators, art venues, and writers.
What Is the Kolaj Magazine Artist Directory?
Kolaj Magazine Artist Directory is a membership-based directory and advertising program. The editorial staff of Kolaj Magazine uses the Artist Directory to select artists to feature in the publication and to select artists for various curatorial projects and the Artist Directory exists as a public resource for those interested in collage as a medium and is designed to put interested parties in direct contact with artists. Members of the Artist Directory are permitted and encouraged to refer to their Listing when responding to Calls to Artists as a way of facilitating their response. The Kolaj Magazine Artist Directory is the primary online gateway of the Kolaj Institute Artist Archive and is used to organize online information about artist members. We offer members an option for an Artist Advertisement in the printed magazine.
Sign-Up Options
OPTION 1: ONLINE ONLY
The cost of a 12-month membership to the online Kolaj Magazine Artist Directory is $30.00.
OPTION 2: ONLINE & PRINT EDITION
The print edition of Kolaj Magazine features a directory of collage artists. (see example here) Listings are paid advertisements that feature an image as well as the name; city, state, & country; and website or email of the artist. The listings appear in a box that is 3.7 inches wide and 3 inches tall. After you select and send the images to be featured, Kolaj staff will prepare the listing and send you a digital proof if requested. The cost is $60 per issue (or four issues for $160) and includes a 12-month membership to the online directory.
Sign-Up Process
The registration process will ask you for:
Artist Bio
Artist Statement
3-5 images & captions
Collage Books is Kolaj Magazine’s tool for organizing, documenting, and cataloguing books in which collage plays an important role. Our audience includes readers and collectors of collage books as well as curators, art venues, and writers.
We seek submissions of collage-related titles. We take a broad view of collage books and include trade editions, art criticism, coffee table books, ‘zines, artist books, catalogues, literary endeavours that feature collage.
We accept submissions from traditional publishers, small presses, and individual artists and writers.
Inclusion in the directory is at the discretion of the publisher. If you are interested in advertising in the “Collage Books” section of the print magazine, send us an email for details.
Take a look at some of the Directory pages before submitting so you can see how they are laid out and what information is needed for submission.
Sign-Up Process
The registration process will ask you for:
Title and author information
Publisher information
Book Details
An announcement or press release
3-5 images & captions
Review Copy
If you wish to submit a review copy, you can mail the book to:
CANADA
Kolaj Magazine
c/o Maison Kasini
PO Box 247 Station C
Montreal, Quebec H2L 4K1
UNITED STATES
Kolaj Magazine
c/o Kasini House
PO Box 1025
Burlington, VT 05402
Collage communities are collectives, meet-ups, ongoing collaborative projects, and groups whose focus and mission involves collage as a medium or genre in some way.
The International Directory of Collage Communities is a survey of artist groups who are coming together around collage. The directory exists online as a searchable website. Kolaj Institute publishes a printed directory that features and highlights communities every two years.
By documenting and mapping these communities, Kolaj Institute works to develop a picture of the collage movement: how collage artists are working together, how they are diffusing collage, and what challenges they face mobilizing an art community.
Kolaj Institute invites active collage communities to submit to the directory. The editorial staff of Kolaj Magazine uses the Directory to select communities to feature in the publication and for various curatorial projects.
The primary purpose of database is be a resource to people seeking information about Vermont contemporary art. Its audience includes the general public as well as independent curators, art venues, and writers.
Art presenters use the Artist Database to select artwork for their venues. Artists may also use the database to market, promote, and sell their work.
Kasini House uses the database to select artists for various projects such as artist portfolios in the Vermont Art Guide. Kasini House also uses the database to select artists for Kasini House Art Cards.
Kasini House promotes the Artist Database as a resource to independent curators and writers looking for artists for various projects, particularly those people interested in writing about and curating exhibitions of Vermont contemporary art.
The cost of a 12-month membership to the online Vermont Art Guide Artist Database is $20.00.
SIGN-UP PROCESS
The registration process will ask you for:
Artist Bio
Artist Statement
3-5 images & captions
Kasini House routinely promotes exhibitions in Kolaj Magazine and on its website. The purpose of this tool is to facilitate the submission of exhibition announcements.
Please note, this is optional. You are welcome to submit exhibition announcements and press releases via email.
Email Kolaj Magazine
In order to promote your exhibition, we will need at least one image of artwork in the exhibition and a caption of the artwork. Do not send posters, images of the exhibition postcard, or images with watermarks.
Materials will be reviewed by magazine staff. Please note, submission does not guarantee that we will promote or review an exhibition. You will be contacted for further information, if necessary.
Collage in Motion is a project of Kolaj Institute that explores collage and the moving image, a broad, loosely defined category that includes animations, film cut-ups, collage film, stop-motion, animated GIFs, documentaries about collage artists, and other forms of media in which collage--as medium or genre--is present. We see our role as not one of defining "collage in motion" but as one of asking what "collage in motion" can be. The project manifests as articles in Kolaj Magazine, an online directory, workshops, residencies, and screenings. Artists with practice of Collage in Motion are encouraged to submit to the online directory.
Kolaj Institute's Collage in Motion Directory is a tool for organizing and cataloguing artists who work in the medium of motion collage. Kolaj Institute uses the Directory to curate the Collage in Motion screening that takes place at Kolaj Fest New Orleans. The Directory's audience includes the general public as well as independent curators, art venues, and writers.
The mission of the Directory is to create more visibility, community, and historical understanding of the medium, and to create a future traveling program of screenings and opportunities. We hope to inspire more still image collage artists to explore motion in their work and that we find each other in an increasingly digital world.
Before submitting, take a moment to view a few examples from the Directory so that you can see how your information will be translated to the page.
Kolaj Magazine is an internationally-oriented art magazine dedicated to contemporary collage, published by Kolaj Institute. WEBSITE
Kolaj Fest New Orleans is a multi-day festival and symposium, 25-29 June 2025. Our mission is to create a platform that allows us to explore critical issues around collage: how it is curated and presented, its role in contemporary art, and the tensions between collage as a medium, a genre, a community, and a movement.
Our goal is to create an event that attracts a variety of people working in various capacities, such as art professionals at museums, galleries, and centers as well as academics, writers, and artists. The general public will be invited to join us for gallery visits, evening presentations, and collage making.
Before proceeding, please read the complete Call for Artists, Papers, and Projects on Kolaj Magazine's website. This article contains specific information about what we are looking for, the expectations of presenters, and the information we will ask you to provide.
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION: Only apply to be a presenter if you plan on attending Kolaj Fest New Orleans in person. If you answer no to the question, "If accepted, will you attend Kolaj Fest New Orleans, 25-29 June 2025?", your submission will not be reviewed and will be rejected. Presenters are responsible for their own travel to, accommodations at, and registration for the event. Limited resources are available to assist those presenters in need and only after their presentation submission has been accepted.
If you are accepted as a presenter, you are expected to register for and pay the registration fee for Kolaj Fest New Orleans.
If you cannot attend Kolaj Fest New Orleans, consider submitting to Kolaj Magazine another way. MORE INFO
Note: Members of the Kolaj Magazine Artist Directory will be able to simply refer to their listing in the directory.
The early deadline to submit is Sunday, 23 February 2025. If you want to lead a panel or project, it is important that you apply by this date. We will review your submission and may update the Call to seek additional panelists or project collaborators.
The final deadline to submit is Sunday, 16 March 2025. Submissions will be reviewed on an ongoing basis. We will notify Submitters via email no later than Wednesday, 16 April 2025.
About Kolaj Fest New Orleans WEBSITE
Register for Kolaj Fest New Orleans WEBSITE
NOTE FOR PANEL AND GROUP PROJECT SUBMISSIONS
If you are submitting a panel or project that involves other people and for which you are the lead, each additional person must submit. Please include a list of names in your submission.
However, subsequent submitters (non-leads) should not simply resend the original panel proposal. They should simply refer to your submission and focus on their role. For example, in response to the question, "How would you like to participate in Kolaj Fest New Orleans?", non-leads may simply put something like: "I want to be on Jane's panel. See Jane's submission."
If you are submitting because you are participating in a panel or project of which someone else is the lead submitter, simply refer to your lead's submission and focus on your role on the panel or in the project. For example, in response to the question, "How would you like to participate in Kolaj Fest New Orleans?", you may simply put: "I want to be on Jane's panel. See Jane's submission."
If you are interested in additional people joining your panel or project, let us know in the "How would you like to participate in Kolaj Fest New Orleans?" section. If accepted, you are required to make sure the additional people you recruit submit to the Call to Artists before the deadline and are prepared to register for and attend Kolaj Fest New Orleans.
World Collage Day is an international celebration of collage on Saturday, 10 May 2025. Kolaj Institute and Kolaj Magazine invite you to submit events taking place on that day that celebrate collage. Before submitting an event or project, we encourage you to visit the WORLD COLLAGE DAY WEBSITE and familiarize yourself with the event and history.
DEADLINE TO SUBMIT: Sunday, 20 April 2025.
Organize World Collage Day Event or Project
One of the many remarkable things about collage is its ability to extend across borders and barriers and to involve people regardless of skill level. Professional artists at the top of their game sit side by side with members of the general public who are picking up scissors for the first time. This is unique in an art world that often trades on hierarchy and status. The collage community is generous and kind and welcoming. It is one of our greatest strengths. World Collage Day is one day we show the world how we do that.
We encourage everyone thinking about a World Collage Day event or project to take responsibility for educating themselves about the needs of their community. We encourage you to follow guidelines set out by health officials and be mindful that these may evolve and change over time.
If in-person gatherings are safe and possible in your community, we invite artists, art centers, museums, galleries, schools, and communities to celebrate World Collage Day by hosting events and projects that bring communities together. Ideas include collage making meet-ups, docent-led tours of collage in a museum or gallery, activities for kids, slideshows or talks that appreciate collage’s role in contemporary art and art history, exhibitions of collage, and more. Consider a project that manifests the spirit of World Collage Day in a safe and responsible way. This may take the shape of a Window Exhibition, sharing Collage Starter Packs for your neighbors, or organizing an online Collage Happy Hour. To get inspired, check out past events and projects from previous years.
In February 2021, Kolaj Institute hosted a forum, "How-to World Collage Day." You can watch it HERE. In February 2023, we hosted another Kolaj LIVE Online forum, “Get Ready for World Collage Day 2023.” You can watch it HERE. Both of these videos are great ways to familiarize yourself with the event and learn how other artists have organized events in the past. On Saturday, 1 March 2025 at 4PM EST, we are hosting "Get Ready for World Collage Day 2025". Visit the World Collage Day site for more information.
Now is the time to plan and whatever you decide to do, we want to hear about it. After you submit your event, we will announce your event on the World Collage Day website and through our social media. We invite people to come together around collage in their own communities and to connect to the world digitally using the hashtag #WorldCollageDay.
Tips for Submitting an Event or Project
Give the project a name. Write 3-5 sentences about your project and make or find 1-2 images that represent what you are doing. (Note: We don't mean posters. These should be images of artwork free of texts and watermarks and a minimum of 700 pixels wide.) Use this form to share texts and images with us. We will announce your event on the WORLD COLLAGE DAY WEBSITE and through our social media. When we receive your event, we will email with some helpful tips and other resources.
Step One: Find a Space
If you don't have your own space, reach out to a partner who does. These can be galleries, libraries, cafes, bars, museums, or community centers. Work with the space to determine a time on May 11th, 2024 to hold the event.
Step Two: Define an Activity
Ideas include collage making meet-ups, docent-led tours of collage in a museum or gallery, activities for kids, slideshows or talks that appreciate collage's role in contemporary art & art history, exhibitions of collage, and more. Visit the Past World Collage Day Events section on the World Collage Day page for ideas.
Step Three: Submit Your Event
This is a helpful tool that gathers all the information we need to promote your event on our end. The form asks you for Event Title, Start & End Time, Organization name, the Name of the Venue name and address, contact information for the venue, and minimum of 3-7 sentences about what will happen there.
IMPORTANT: We also ask that you submit images of artwork that we can use to promote the event. Do not send posters or postcards, only artwork free of texts and watermarks and a minimum of 700 pixels wide.
We will announce your event on the WORLD COLLAGE DAY WEBSITE and through our social media. When we receive your event, we will email with some helpful tips and other resources.
Step Four: Promote your event locally
Submit a calendar listing to local newspaper, radio, and television outlets. Announce the event online and through social media and ask other people to share it. Consider drafting a press release and sending it to the media with a request that they report on the event.
Step Five: Enjoy World Collage Day, 10 May 2025
Take lots of pictures and post them to social media using the hashtag #worldcollageday.
ABOUT KOLAJ
Kolaj Institute is a 501c3 Non-profit organization registered in the State of Louisiana, USA that supports artists, curators, and writers who seek to study, document, & disseminate ideas that deepen our understanding of collage as a medium, a genre, a community, and a 21st century movement. We operate a number of initiatives meant to bring together community, investigate critical issues, and raise collage’s standing in the art world.
Kolaj Magazine is an internationally-oriented art magazine dedicated to contemporary collage.
We use Submittable to help organize information coming in about World Collage Day events. There is no cost to use the service, but you are required to create an account in order to submit information. Submittable uses the email address you provide as your user name to keep track of submissions and not as a tool to Spam you or sell your info to a third party. Once you have created an account or logged in, the form will appear.