Sustainable Art Community Project - Monarch Butterfly Mosaic Workshop
Free sustainable art workshop using upcycled objects to craft large monarch butterfly mosaics for the community. For individuals aged 60+
Location
Willie B Johnson Senior Center
12225 Willowdell Drive Dallas, TX 75243About this event
Get involved in a sustainable art project crafting vibrant monarch butterfly mosaics using upcycled materials, led by local artist Breanna Cooke.
Bring your bottle caps, buttons, and other small, circular objects and together we'll sort materials, plan the monarch wing design, and glue down the pieces. The finished mosaics will be showcased in the community.
This workshop is hosted at the Willie B. Johnson Senior Center, where programs are exclusively for individuals aged 60 and above. The Senior Center is attached to the Willie B. Johnson Recreation Center.
Each 2-hour workshop is a standalone class, so you can pick the date that suits your schedule. Be aware that this is a collective endeavor; you won't be crafting a personal mosaic to take home. Instead, each group adds their creative touch to the same shared mosaics, building up details and layers of upcycled objects.
Over the 8-week series, we aim to create two to four finished butterfly mosaics for donation to a community-focused organization, like a local community garden. Join us in turning recycled materials into captivating art that leaves a colorful impact on our shared spaces!
This workshop is brought to you for free by a grant from:
City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture
As part of the grant requirements, we collect your demographic information (age, ethnicity, district) on the registration form. This helps the Office of Arts and Culture understand the participant demographics so we can continue to offer programs that meet the needs of the community.
You will need to know your City of Dallas Residential District to complete registration.
Click here to search for your address on this City of Dallas City Info Map
Click here to search on this static City Council Map graphic (please be patient, sometimes it loads slowly).
Bring Your Upcycled and Found Objects!
You are welcome to bring objects for us to use in the mosaics. Items must be:
- Clean
- Round
- Colors orange, yellow, red, black, or white.
Examples of upcycled objects you can bring are:
- Clothing buttons
- Bottle caps (plastic or metal)
- Roller skate, skateboard, inline skate wheels
About the Artist
Breanna Cooke is a Dallas-based visual artist known for her fusion of graphic design, body painting and fine art. With a background in Studio Art, she seamlessly translates her crisp style and vibrant designs from skin, to printed apparel, to murals and more. Beyond aesthetics, Breanna's art draws inspiration from her volunteer work in climate advocacy, as seen in her climate "artivism" collections, which encompass environmental activism messages through body painting, prints, stickers, and activewear. Her work is a dynamic blend of creativity, advocacy, and color.
Check out more of her work:
Connect with Breanna
Frequently asked questions
Workshops kick off with a brief presentation on the monarch butterfly migration through North Texas and information on sustainability and recycling concepts related to the project. The we jump in to active engagement in sorting materials, planning the mosaics, and gluing the pieces in place.
No, the mosaics will be donated to a community-focused organization. You won't be taking a mosaic home, but you can apply the skills you learn to create one on your own. Additionally, any upcycled objects you contribute will be glued into the art and cannot be returned to you.
Absolutely! You are welcome to stop by during the class to drop off any objects for us to use. You will be asked to register your name when you drop off so we can help the Senior Center and City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture understand how many people have contributed to this workshop.
Since this is a hands-on art workshop, please wear clothing you don’t mind getting messy. We will be using some high strength glues that may not be easy to get out of certain fabrics.
All supplies are provided. However, you are invited to bring upcycled and found objects for us to use in the workshop. Please bring clean, round objects in the colors of orange, yellow, red, black, or white. Examples are: clothing buttons, ottle caps (plastic or metal), roller skate wheels.
The workshop is hosted at the Willie B. Johnson Senior Center. Programs at this facility are reserved for individuals who are 60+.
Yes, there is a large, free parking lot at the Willie B. Johnson Senior Center. The lot is shared with the rec center in the adjoining building.
Organized by
Breanna Cooke is a Dallas-based artist who is known for her award-winning body paint and costume creations. To see more of her work, visit www.breannacooke.com.