In "Collective Specimen", participants become creature engineers, working together to invent and construct one giant hybrid organism using collage. Images of animals, plants, machines, landscapes, and textures are cut, recombined, and layered to create a spectacular creature that could never exist in the natural world, but feels strangely alive. Working on a single large sheet, the group must negotiate scale, form, and composition together. The creature grows piece by piece through bold choices, playful risk-taking, and collective imagination. Rather than aiming for perfection, the focus is on experimentation, visible layering, and the thrill of building something unexpected with others. By the end of the session, the lab will have produced a massive collaborative specimen, part artwork, part mythological being, and entirely the result of many minds working together. WORKSHOP FOCUS ·Large-scale collage experimentation through cutting, layering, and recombining images, objects, environments, and textures to generate unexpected visual combinations. ·Collective storytelling through imagining the creature’s origins, environment, and abilities as the artwork evolves. ·Creative risk-taking and improvisation by encouraging bold choices and playful experimentation rather than perfection. ·Shared authorship from producing a single collaborative artwork shaped by many contributors. All materials included. M. Florine Démosthène is a Haitian-American contemporary artist known for her striking mixed-media collages, paintings, and installations that explore identity, spirituality, migration, and the experiences of Black women. Raised between Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and New York, Démosthène creates dreamlike figures using materials such as Mylar, ink, and glitter, blending influences from Haitian culture, mythology, and the African diaspora. Her work has been exhibited internationally and is held in major collections, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Teaching Artist: M. Florine Démosthène Date: September 15th, 2026 Day of the Week: Tuesday Duration: 1-Day workshop Time: 12PM - 3PM Suggested age range: 16+ Member Price* per session: $120 Price per session: $144 *please note: to unlock member price, members must sign in to account In need of financial assistance? Learn more about our stipend opportunity and apply! The Susan Cooley-Gilliom Artist in Residence and Teaching Program is generously offered in partnership with the Placer County Foundation.