MEET VISITING ARTIST: courtney marie

Some artists make things. courtney marie makes things happen.

We're thrilled to announce that this August we're bringing in writer, artist, and community organizer courtney marie from Denton, Texas, for two hands-on workshops centered around collage and zine-making, two art forms with a long, scrappy history of putting creativity directly into people's hands. No gallery required, no permission needed, no expensive supplies. Just paper, scissors, glue, and something to say.

A WRITER FIRST (but never just a writer)

courtney marie is the author of two poetry collections: don't get your hopes up (2018, Thoughtcrime Press), and songs we used to dance to (2022, Goliad Media). Their work has appeared in literary journals like Nat Brut, The Boiler, and Thimble Literary Magazine, but also in basements and museums, street corners, bars, and art galleries in cities all over the country.

That's the thing about courtney marie's practice: the page is just the starting point. They treat text as an art medium and a performance object, something to be typed, cut, pasted, mailed, read aloud, and handed to strangers. One of they're longest-running projects, reminders, involves sending small, hand-typed slips of paper with encouraging and thought-provoking words to friends, acquaintances, and total strangers. courtney marie describes themselves as forever writing letters and sending snail mail in an attempt to connect with the outside world.

If that doesn't tell you exactly what kind of workshop leader courtney marie is going to be, we don't know what will.

THE SPIDERWEB SALON STORY

In 2012, courtney marie co-founded Spiderweb Salon, a Denton-based collective of artists and writers that has since become one of North Texas's most beloved creative institutions (the Dallas Observer named it Best Literary Art Group in 2016). Over the past decade-plus, the collective has hosted hundreds of showcases, published dozens upon dozens of zines, run weekly workshops on everything from puppetry to watercolor, exhibited at the Dallas Museum of Art, put poetry on community radio, launched a literary podcast, and raised thousands of dollars for local nonprofits and causes.

They've also launched a mental health initiative that helps artists access therapy and peer support, because courtney marie's vision of an arts community has always been about taking care of the people in it, not just the art they make.

What sets Spiderweb apart, courtney marie has said, is that nobody's trying to be the best at anything, they're creating because it's fun, because it builds community, and because exploring your boundaries as an artist is the whole point.

ABOUT THE WORKSHOPS

Collage and zines are the perfect entry points into DIY art-making. You don't need to consider yourself "an artist." You don't need experience. Zines, self-published, photocopied, passed hand to hand, have carried the voices of poets, punks, organizers, and dreamers for decades, and collage asks nothing of you except a willingness to play.

courtney marie has led countless workshops through Spiderweb Salon and beyond, and their approach is exactly what you'd hope: welcoming, a little weird, deeply sincere, and focused on connection over perfection.

Workshop 1: Artist Trading Cards: Collage & Correspondence Workshop:

08/06 | 4-7pm | Learn More

Workshop 2: Zine Making Workshop: 

08/09 | 12-3pm | Learn More

COME MAKE SOMETHING WITH US

Whether you're a lifelong maker or someone who hasn't picked up a glue stick since grade school, these workshops are for you. Bring a friend, bring your curiosity, and get ready to cut some stuff up.

This visiting artist program was made possible in part by a community grant from the Princeton Rotary. We're grateful for their continued support of the arts in our community.