Kutztown University 87th Annual Art Education Conference

In this workshop students will learn the basics of sewing books by creating a series of simple sewn structures. Beginning with a single signature pamphlet, students will learn how to select, fold, and sew paper.. Building on that simple structure, we will bind two-signature pamphlets, explore different types of covers, and address the relationship between bindings and hand embroidery. Students will leave the workshop with four completed book structures in a folded slipcase and the basic knowledge to start sewing simple books on their own. Samples of zines and artists’ books will be available for students to read and handle. 

Amanda D'Amico is a book artist working under the imprint Tiny Revolutionary Press in Philadelphia, PA. She taught in the MFA Book Arts/Printmaking Program at the University of the Arts, Tyler School of Art at Temple University, and Moore College of Art and Design. D’Amico has taught workshops at Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, and the Paper Book Intensive. She served on the Boards of the College Book Art Association, the Philadelphia Center for the Book, and the Soapbox: Community Print Shop and Zine Library. Her work has been widely exhibited and collected. 

This workshop teaches participants to create a tangible artwork using provided natural materials (leaves, petals). A brief overview introduces artists using botanicals as part of their artwork and the collection and pressing of botanicals using botanical specimen guidelines. The hands-on process will include sketching at small scale, cut-paper compositions at full scale, selecting leaves (both pre-cut and raw) and cutting them for their selected composition, and finally glue-down. The skills learned will allow participants to create future works using their own yard or garden, a favorite spot they visit, or locations visited on vacation. 

Delaney DeMott interest in textiles is rooted in their ability to narrate, mark lineage, and to live with and hold us. Through the mending and weaving of generational stories, I make and tend to textiles that keep history. My work honors, expands, and reimagines the stories of my kin. Mending is generational storytelling, tracing the stitches where choice and values intersect. Looking toward the future, unflinching scrawlings from my child’s imagination surround my tapestry loom. The drawings prompt me to play and improvise. My weavings are the synthesis of what I have learned from the past, while holding the hand of the future. 

This workshop teaches participants to create a tangible artwork using provided natural materials (leaves, petals). A brief overview introduces artists using botanicals as part of their artwork and the collection and pressing of botanicals using botanical specimen guidelines. The hands-on process will include sketching at small scale, cut-paper compositions at full scale, selecting leaves (both pre-cut and raw) and cutting them for their selected composition, and finally glue-down. The skills learned will allow participants to create future works using their own yard or garden, a favorite spot they visit, or locations visited on vacation. 

Jody Graff I am a multimedia visual artist living and working in Philadelphia, PA, and formerly a Graphic Design Associate Professor and consultant. I create work driven by my joy, curiosity, and awe of nature—a synthesis of art, design, environmental science, culture, and craft. My work exists at two scales in distinct materials: original botanical artwork created with hand-cut leaves, and super-sized prints of the original artwork on outdoor textiles that are then finished in the form of 2-sided narrative quilts, allowing the viewer to see and appreciate details and structures of botanicals in an intimate and contextualized way. 

Mindful Collaging: The Vessel Within Participants will explore the possibilities of mindful art-making while creating a collage within the shape of a vessel. The workshop will begin with a brief introduction to my own work and the ideas behind mindful collage practice. I will then guide participants through a short grounding exercise before we begin the process of hunting and gathering images. After gathering materials, participants will cut, arrange, and intuitively select images to create a collage within the outline of a vessel provided for them. We will then use rubber cement to affix the images and complete our collages. If time allows, we will end with a brief opportunity to share and reflect on our finished work. 

Melanie Linder I am a professional illustrator and graphic designer whose distinctive artistic voice blends digital illustration, pen and ink, acrylic paint, gold leaf, and collage to create joyful, soulful artwork that brightens spaces and leaves a lasting impact. My work has been featured in Oprah’s Favorite Things, Best of Etsy, Fab.com, Creative Gardens, and Creative Ideas. I’m currently so excited to have a painting on view in the Awe of Birds exhibit at the Bellefonte Art Museum in State College, and my illustrations can be found on the labels of the most delicious Valley Milkhouse cheeses. In addition to creating paintings, prints and hand-drawn logos, I’ve been teaching workshops from my Kutztown studio, including art therapy–inspired practices, open collage nights, and digital illustration. Recently, I earned my Art Therapy Practitioner Certificate, furthering my commitment to mindful art-making and community care. I hope to support young and old in Berks County through the healing power of creativity. 

In the past year, I’ve completed 6 collaborative painting projects that have worked with K-4 students (a new experience). Both the educators and the students involved in these projects have taught me many new processes and techniques that, while appropriate for those ages, can also be used in all my work. I’ll share my experiences about these recent works and also talk through any questions you may have on collaborative projects for your classroom, school, and community. 

Michael L. Miller is an artist and educator, whose journey began at Kutztown University, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Design. Returning to Kutztown for his teaching certification, he devoted 28 years as an art teacher in Berks County Public schools, working with students across both elementary and high school levels. Over the past two decades, Miller has been a driving force in community engagement, collaborating with numerous organizations to bring public art projects to life. Today, Miller imparts his passion for art and community through Berks Community Murals, where he directs a collaborative public art studio that unites thousands of individuals of all ages in the creation of transformative public art projects. 

Painting Beyond Reality: Using Color, Symbolism, and Imagination to Inspire Creative Expression In this three-hour hands-on workshop, internationally recognized artist Rigo Peralta guides participants through a creative painting experience that combines observation, imagination, and personal storytelling. Participants will explore expressive techniques using color, symbolism, composition, and layered painting methods while creating an original artwork. Peralta will demonstrate practical strategies that encourage creativity, artistic confidence, and critical thinking in the classroom. Designed for art educators of all levels, this workshop offers adaptable, classroom-ready techniques that inspire students to develop their own artistic voice. Attendees will leave with a completed painting and fresh instructional ideas. 

Rigo Peralta is an internationally recognized Dominican-American contemporary artist celebrated for his vibrant visual language that merges surrealism, abstraction, and Caribbean cultural heritage. Born in San José de las Matas, Dominican Republic, and based in Pennsylvania, Peralta has exhibited extensively throughout the United States and internationally. His paintings explore identity, memory, migration, and the human experience through bold color, symbolic imagery, and dynamic compositions. In addition to his studio practice, he is a dedicated arts educator and curator committed to fostering creativity and cultural dialogue. Peralta’s work is featured in private, corporate, and public collections, earning widespread critical acclaim. 

 

Build animal faces and monsters with paper and other cheap available materials. Whether it’s Halloween, cosplay, superhero work, law enforcement, black-ops, or terrorism, it is always good to have the easiest, best fitting and most beautiful form of identity deception. I only approve of some of these activities. Fun at home ideas. 

Frederick Wright Jones is from Boyertown, Pennsylvania. Jones received an MFA in Sculpture and Emerging Practices at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Jones has exhibited at the Axel Springer Haus, the Burchfield Penney Art Center, Cabin Contemporary, Cedar Crest College, Franconia Sculpture Park and the SUNY Buffalo Art Dept. Gallery. Jones is currently an Associate Professor at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

Participants will explore Junk Food Appliqué, a project designed to engage students in discussions about visual culture and identity. Using felt and embroidery thread, attendees will learn sewing techniques to slowly and mindfully craft “junk food” replicas that reflect the cultural significance of and personal connections to everyday packaged goods. 

CJ Matz is a high school visual arts educator and mixed-media artist based in the  Lehigh Valley. He serves as President of the Pennsylvania Art Education Association  and as Secondary Division Commissioner for the National Art Education  Association's Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Commission. CJ earned both his B.S.  and M.Ed. in Art Education from Kutztown University. Before teaching at the  secondary level, he worked as an elementary and middle school art educator, case  manager, counselor, and mental health worker. He has also collaborated with Davis  Publications as a textbook contributor, consultant, and professional development  facilitator. 

Come play with natural materials and historically rich techniques with a contemporary twist! This workshop will offer a hands-on opportunity to create a wet felted fabric collage that leans into the beauty of the natural world. Through the process of felting—pressure, hot water, soap, and agitation—you will discover a new take on layering and image making. Come focus on process-based design activities while taking the time for your intuitive creative play. 

Kris Tuerk 2024 Retired Kutztown Middle School Art Teacher. KU Alum— BS Art Ed-84, BFA Textiles-94, MEd Art Ed-2019; PAEA Outstanding Middle Level Art Educator 2012; PAEA Outstanding Visual Arts Community 2019-2024. Proprietor-Kris Tuerk Creative Arts Institute- 1984-Present. Will re-open Winter of 2026 after a 25 year hiatus. 

Lean to texture, emboss, cut and form thin gauge tin or aluminum. Using chasing tools; designs, text, and patterns can be transferred and hammered into the metal. These techniques are quick and easily replicated in the classroom to make ornaments or small sculptures.

Jonathan Wahl Trained as a jeweler and a sculptor, Wahl's artwork ranges from drawing and sculpture to decorative art. It is often conceptually linked to historical movements and political commentary. Wahl's work is in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the MFA Boston, the Houston Museum of Fine Art, The New York Historical Society and the Museum of Arts and Design in NYC. It has been featured or reviewed in New York Times, Art in America, The New Yorker, Architectural Digest, Oprah Magazine, W Jewelry, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Metalsmith Magazine, Harper's Bazaar, the Aventurine Advocate and The Antiques Magazine.