Portraits as Poems Workshop Series

Portraits as Poems Workshop Series
Led by Nicole Combeau
Presented in partnership with Locust Projects

Apply here by September 5, 2023

Using poetry, bookmaking, and photography, Portraits as Poems focuses on exploring the art of poetic portraiture. In three sessions, students learn about contemporary portrait photographers, experiment with book-making techniques, and collect ephemera, images, & objects to create a book portrait of someone dear to them.

• The series spans three consecutive Saturdays and culminates with a small exhibition at Locust Projects on Oct 18th.
• Dates: Sept 30th, Oct 7th, and Oct 14th | 10 am - 4 pm.
• If selected, admission is $150 for each participant and must be paid in full by Friday, September 15th. A select number of scholarships are available.

Participants are expected to have a working camera (all formats welcome,
as long as you are able to produce material during the duration of the
program with it), access to a computer, and archival imagery to work
with.

This course is intended for people interested in exploring photography, poetry, and storytelling through book arts. We’ll work in a group-based setting; with the intention of learning from each other, exploring & sharing our practices, and experimenting with alternative ways to create a portrait. Participants are invited to think of someone dear to them who they would like to create a portrait of in advance of beginning the series—and begin collecting ephemera, images, and objects that represent this person.

Throughout the series, we'll focus on learning techniques to bring this material together, participate in critiques, learn book structures, study contemporary photographers and artists, and finalize our experience by creating a small book portrait of our chosen person. Participants can expect homework assignments that will support them in expanding their projects, their artistic practices, and their critical eye. Lunch and parking will be provided during the duration of the classes.

Nicole Combeau is a multi-disciplinary artist, educator, and photographer based in Miami, Florida. Working between practices such as bookmaking, portrait photography, expressive dance, education, and poetry, Nicole focuses on witnessing life and piecing it together through art.