By Coral Gables Gazette staff
What happens when you let intuition take the lead? This Saturday, July 26, artist Carol Jazzar invites participants to find out, guiding a three-hour creative session at the Coral Gables Museum that’s as much about self-discovery as it is about scissors and glue.
From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Creating Collage with Carol Jazzar offers a playful and accessible introduction to collage-making for artists and non-artists alike. The workshop is part of an ongoing series presented in collaboration with The Things Lab, a multidisciplinary initiative that supports experimental artistic practice.
Carol Jazzar, a French-Lebanese interdisciplinary artist based in El Portal, has spent more than a decade developing a collage method that prioritizes process over perfection. The goal isn’t a flawless final product—but rather an experience of spontaneity, curiosity, and transformation.
A guided path to the unexpected
“No art background is required,” the promotional materials emphasize—and they mean it. All materials will be provided, and translation services are available in Spanish and French. The tone is welcoming, and the process is deliberately open-ended. Participants will be led through a series of intuitive exercises using paper, found images, and chance arrangements, with Jazzar’s method intentionally structured to subvert expectations.
The only real requirement: a willingness to experiment.
That ethos echoes Jazzar’s own creative journey. She began making collages in 2012 as a personal practice—one grounded in introspection and what she calls “inner exploration.” In 2023, she published All (W-hole) of Me: Healing Through Art, The Art of Deconstructing and Recreating Oneself, a richly layered book that features her collage work alongside contributions from Lacanian psychoanalyst Karina Tenenbaum, art historian Tami Katz-Freiman, and Hinduism scholar M. Keely Sutton. The book reflects Jazzar’s belief that creativity is a vehicle for both self-analysis and healing, and the workshop brings that philosophy to life in tactile, communal form.
A space to create—and connect
Set inside the Coral Gables Museum at 285 Aragon Avenue, the workshop blends artistic freedom with collective engagement. While each participant creates their own collage, the shared energy of the room—cutting, arranging, layering—invites conversation and connection. It’s an environment where first-timers sit comfortably alongside seasoned artists, united by the unpredictability of the process.
Jazzar, who previously operated a gallery out of her own home, has always favored unconventional formats. Her work often explores fragmented identities, memory, and reconstruction—making collage a natural medium. She brings a calm but provocative presence to her teaching, encouraging participants to relinquish control in favor of discovery.
The workshop also fits into a broader cultural moment: collage, once dismissed as secondary or decorative, has emerged as a serious medium in contemporary art circles. The rise of zine culture, analog nostalgia, and a renewed interest in found materials has brought the form new relevance—and audiences hungry for hands-on creativity are responding.
How to participate
Creating Collage with Carol Jazzar takes place Saturday, July 26 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Coral Gables Museum. Registration is open on the museum’s website, and all materials are provided. Tickets for the event range from $41.93-$80.25. Translation services in Spanish and French will be available.
To learn more or register, visit the Coral Gables Museum’s event page or call (305) 603-8067 for details.
The workshop is presented in partnership with The Things Lab and is supported in part by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor, and the Board of County Commissioners.
Whether you’re curious about collage, eager to reconnect with your creativity, or just looking for a welcoming space to try something new, this Saturday’s workshop may be exactly the kind of artistic detour you didn’t know you needed.
