Artwork by Teresa Cribelli.
Collage: Outsider Art
Whether using paper or fabric, collage has long been practiced by women, people of color, and those without access to a formal art education. In this course students will examine the history of collage as an outsider art – how women and people of color used material at hand (paper and fabric scraps, for example) to create visual expressions that resonate powerfully today. Students will be asked to channel the spirit of these artists (many of whom remain unidentified) in creating their own works of art from the materials of daily life. The instructor will bring her expertise in history and collage to aid students in their exploration of this vibrant and accessible art form.
What to Expect: The first three class sessions will include visits to the galleries to provide students with inspiration in ways to think about collage. Each class session will include a discussion of different collage techniques and approaches to collage in addition to work time. Students are encouraged to practice their “collage eye” outside of class and will be given the opportunity to share their experiences with the instructor and/or the class. Students will be provided with a collage starter kit and will be given guidance in looking for additional materials to add to their collage collection.
Creative Classes are taught in a studio art environment and offer an opportunity to learn from professional creatives through traditional and experimental approaches. Each class is uniquely designed by a creative educator for an adult audience, designed to help you learn a new skill or expand your own creative practice. Explore the Summer/Fall 2025 class schedule.
About the Educator
Teresa Cribelli started her art career in the archive; inspired by the historical documents she used in her academic research in Brazil, she became interested in the ways that collage can bring the past and the present together. While living in Brazil she was also inspired by the wheat paste street art of Rio de Janeiro. Part of Rio’s vibrant street art culture, wheat paste posters (graphic art printed on paper and pasted to walls) became a type of open-air collective collage she watched for on her daily commute. Inspired by the outsider artists who make street art, she began collecting and then experimenting with vintage papers to make her own collages. Bringing her training as a historian to her practice (she taught Latin American History at the University of Alabama for 11 years) Teresa uses her small-scale analog collages to make visual statements about power, gender, and the environment told through the lens of history. Her work has been shown at Kolaj Fest in New Orleans and Paperworkers Local in Birmingham, Alabama among other venues. Her pieces are held in private collections and in the Doug and Laurie Kanyer Art Collection. Street art pieces based on her collages can be seen in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, Alabama; Denver, Colorado; Barcelona, Spain; and São Luís, Brazil.
