Now more than ever, we need opportunities not only to make art but to make art together. My proposal for Camp Minted 2026 centers on the communal spirit of collaboration, connection, and co-creation. These experiences emphasize that art is not about ownership of a single piece, but about contributing to something larger—where what one person creates can inspire and become part of someone else’s work. Each experience can stand alone as a single workshop or be designed as a two-part journey that builds from one session into the next.
The first session is a Botanical & Gelli Plate Monoprinting workshop. Participants create an array of monoprints, stencils, and textures on Gelli plates.
Gelli plates are flexible, reusable printing surfaces that, when paired with acrylic paints, can produce beautiful textures, layered impressions, and vibrant stenciled designs. They are playful, fast, and endlessly versatile, making them ideal for sparking creativity in a group setting. In this workshop, participants work in pairs or small groups, sharing a set of plates and rotating roles: one person may cut stencils, another inks and prints, while another experiments with color and layering. Botanicals, handmade stencils, and textures are shared across tables so that no one creation is owned by a single person. Instead, each piece becomes part of a greater whole, echoing the studio environment I first experienced at RISD, where inspiration flows freely from one artist to another. What I cut might spark your next print; what you print might inspire my next move.
The second session extends this collaborative spirit even further through a final collage-making session. During this time, everyone gathers for a session where the only materials available are those created by others.
This could culminate in either individual collages or larger pieces made collectively across tables. The result is a powerful reminder that nothing in art is created in isolation; the group’s collective efforts become the foundation for new works.
Art becomes most powerful when it connects us—to ourselves, to each other, and to the moment. These workshops embody that philosophy, offering Camp Minted participants a truly collaborative creative experience that is not just about making, but about making together. I would love to bring this spirit of collaboration and creativity to Camp Minted 2026.
