San Francisco Collage Collective

The collective was formed in 2006 when Matt Gonzalez, Robin Savinar and Albert Herter began making art together. It is a loose-knit group of artists from a variety of disciplines and varying degrees of formal art training, who occasionally gather together to make collage and montage works. The primary idea is to democratize art by inviting anyone to participate.

Although as many as 75 artists have worked with the collective at some point, those who contributed works to the group’s first show were: Aimee Friberg, Albert Herter, Bernice Yeung, David Sloane, Esteban Ortega Brown, Francis Mill, Javier Arbona, Jim Dorenkott, Matt Gonzalez, Matt Springman, Matt Sullivan, Rob Reger, Robin Savinar, and Stephanie Brown.

The Collage Collective’s first show Before My Rushing Heart — New Works by the San Francisco Collage Collective opened at the ArtHouse in McAllen, Texas (Mayra Brown, gallery director). It ran from February through April 2008 and was favorably reviewed by Nancy Moyer in The Monitor on March 7, 2008

Javier Arbona

The McAllen ArtHouse show travelled to Saltillo, Mexico where it was shown at the Coahuila state capitol, opening October 7, 2008. The show Collages de San Francisco, Cal., USA was organized by Inez de Leon and was favorably reviewed in El Diario de Coahuila and El Universal in Mexico City.

Robin Savinar & Lizzy Coon

The Collage Collective’s third show Defiant Optimism was curated by Aimee Friberg and opened at Gallery Extraña in Berkeley, California on November 7, 2008. Artist showing with the collective for the first time included Lawrence Jordan, Winston Smith, Richard Stutting and Rance Brown.

Three early silent films by Larry Jordan were screened at the opening with piano accompaniment by Rob Reger.

Aimee Friberg, David Sloane and Rob Reger

The Collage Collective’s fourth show I Said It with a Brick opened at Kaleidoscope in San Francisco, California on December 3, 2009. Artist showing with the collective for the first time included Theophilus Brown, Glenna Putt, Felix Macnee, Meredith Davies, Jason West, Rachel Hoiem, Charles Gonzalez, Stacy Bellew, Ben Andrews, Lizzy Coon, Ron Stutz and Marja Heppener.

Lizzy Coon (in the background), Meredith Davies & two unidentified woman at Kaleidoscope

Theophilus Brown at Kaleidoscope.

On September 8, 2010 a show featuring five members of the collective, FIVE From Folsom Street, opened at Smith Andersen Editions in Palo Alto, California (Paula Kirkeby, gallery director). The show’s allusion to Folsom Street is a reference to the location of Gustavo Rivera’s  studio in San Francisco where these artists have worked together.

Gustavo Rivera, Glenna Putt, Kathryn Kain, Theophilus Brown, & Matt Gonzalez at Smith Andersen Editions in Palo Alto, September 11, 2010. Photograph by Paul Williams.

Matt Gonzalez collaging, September 26, 2010. Photograph by H. Brown.

The Collage Collective’s sixth show Paper, Scissors, Glue: Bay Area Collage (Karen Imperial, gallery owner) ran from May 1 to May 31, 2011 at Bryant Street Gallery in Palo Alto, California. Aung Aung Taik, Tracy Adams, Rod Ciferri, and Kim Frohsin all showed with the collective for the first time along with Matt Springman, Gustavo Rivera, and Matt Gonzalez.

Kim Frohsin collage.

The Collage Collective’s seventh show Ekstasis was at the WestSide Art House in San Francisco and opened October 21, 2011 (Scott Silverberg, gallery director).

Exhibiting with the Collective for the first time were Jean Oppermann, Danielle Rathbun, Roberta Scott, Larry Strong, Mark van Proyen, Stephanie Vernier, Karen Imperial, Tony Hall, Chuck Gonzalez, and Joe Engler.

The Collective’s eighth show Lux & Textura: Explorations Beyond the Surface ran from March 23 to April 28, 2013 at a.Muse Gallery in San Francisco. Exhibiting with the Collective for the first time were: Bobby Coleman, Lisa Rybovich Cralle, Joe Engler, Karen Imperial, Erik Litzen, Mark Van Proyen, and David Steele. The show was curated by Danielle Rathbun.

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SF Collage Collective — Exhibition history

1. McAllen Art House, McAllen, Texas, 2008

2. Coahuila State Capital, Saltillo, Mexico, 2008

3. Gallery Extraña, Berkeley, California, 2008

4. Kaleidoscope, San Francisco, California, 2009

5. Smith Andersen Editions, Palo Alto, California, 2010

6. Bryant Street Gallery, Palo Alto, California, 2011

7. Westside Art House, San Francisco, California, 2011

8. a.Muse Gallery, San Francisco, California, 2013

Remix Workshop @ Incline Gallery, San Francisco

Facilitated by members of the San Francisco Collage Collective (Danielle Rathbun, Kathryn Kain, Matt Gonzalez, & Matt Springman)

Sunday, March 1—10:00am-12:00pm

Explore the potential of everyday ephemera—Muni tickets, receipts, candy wrappers—as the starting point for a new art project. Inspired by Matt Gonzalez and the San Francisco Collage Collective, we’ll be remixing old objects into our own unique works of art. Bring your own scraps, or sort through some of ours. Open for all ages, donations greatly appreciated.