A Celebration of Women Through Symbolic Portraits  

A mixed-media workshop 

Transform, explore, revisit, select, design, discover, construct, interpret 

In this workshop, we will explore artistic ways to honor women who have left indelible marks on our lives.  

Each participant will create a unique mixed-media construction incorporating selected artifacts, memorabilia, and art materials, using a handbag as the structure. You are invited to expand the meaning of “handbag” to include a tote, a clutch, a briefcase, a knapsack, or a traveling cosmetic bag. (Do you remember cosmetic suitcases?)  

With guided instruction, these bags will be designed and collaged in a meaningful way, utilizing metaphor, text, and visual symbols. After the workshop, we will have the opportunity to reflect as a group on our work and share the symbolic portraits of the women you’ve chosen as subjects. 

Getting Started: Beginning and Preparing 

You need not be an “artist” to create something meaningful. However, the materials you bring are important and will help shape your project. 

BEFORE the first workshop:  

1. Select a woman who has in some way shaped who you are. (This may be the easiest—or hardest—step.)  
2. Once you’ve selected the person, complete this first exercise: 

Visualize the woman you’ve selected. Take 90 seconds to free-associate words that come to mind when you think about her. Jot down ten of those words—nouns or verbs—that stand out as most descriptive of her.   

Look back over your list and circle the five words that stand out to you. 

3. Looking at your list, do you see connections and/or contradictions? Is there a metaphor that emerges? Is there a theme you can draw out to help you get started?   Themes might include courage, survival, success and loss, non-conformity, perseverance, benevolence, and community.  Some of these words may help guide you to a theme for your piece. 
4. Move from theme to visual metaphor.  Some examples of metaphor, each rich with association, include:  

Metaphor of a gardener for someone who plants seeds to beautify the terrain, who patiently cares for and tends to her seeds to encourage nourishment and growth. 

This metaphor could also apply to people involved in environmental activism, community building, and civic engagement. 

A metaphor that encompasses the value of tikkun olam—a person who exemplifies philanthropic action. Among those visual metaphors might be a branching tree, or a hand, or a doctor’s bag filled with remedies for repair of body, soul, and world. 

A metaphor for what an impactful teacher gave you. Is this metaphor a doorway? A window, a mirror? Was the teacher’s impact in the arts? Or was her impact more practical instruction developing skills that have served you in your life? Will your piece include sewing notions, kitchen items, a toolbox, a check book? What symbolic objects convey those skills to you?   

Materials  

For the first workshop, participants should bring in:  

1. The bag. This bag will become the container for the art piece you will be creating. Remember, “the bag” could be a tote, a knapsack, a briefcase, a clutch, a briefcase, a knapsack, a traveling cosmetic suitcase, etc.   
2. The ideas. Bring in your brainstorming notes about the nouns or verbs that describe the woman you are focusing on, along with your thoughts about the metaphor and symbols you may want to use.  
3. Materials. Materials can include: 

• Photographs: Bring in a collection of black and white copies of photos, so as not to damage the originals. 
• Images from a magazine or the internet to reinforce your theme 
• Three-dimensional objects, e.g., costume jewelry, watches, pins, buttons, knitting needles, lace or denim, wallets, eyeglasses, credit cards, playing cards, Mah Jong tiles, recipes, lines of poetry, maps, passports, fabric, picture frames, doll house furniture, etc. What items would enhance your symbolic portrait? 
• Keep in mind the items you select must be small enough to fit in or on the bag and its design. 
• More. Bring in more than you think you may need. The list is limitless. In addition to what you bring, varied art materials will be provided in the workshops.  

We’re so excited to meet you to get started on this creative endeavor.