Mystic Makers: Art, Imagination & the Hidden Worlds (Family Art Workshop)

Mystic Makers with dama returns to the PRS Library :: Art, Imagination and the Hidden Worlds.

Sunday AUGUST 30th

3pm (3-5 year olds) & 4:30pm (6-12yolds)

Assemblage & the Art of Betye Saar

Step into the world of memory, magic, and found objects! Join us for a special family art workshop inspired by Betye Saar, the pioneering Los Angeles artist whose assemblage boxes transform everyday objects, old photographs, buttons, beads, feathers, keys, and trinkets, into powerful stories about identity, spirituality, ancestry, and imagination.

Betye Saar has spent decades collecting discarded and found objects from flea markets, family albums, and her own travels, layering them inside boxes, windows, and frames to create small worlds charged with meaning. In this workshop, families will explore her techniques and themes before building their own assemblage boxes to take home.

Participants will:

Learn about Betye Saar's practice and artistic legacy, and her role in the LA art scene and the Black Arts Movement

Explore how everyday and found objects can hold personal and symbolic meaning

Look closely at examples of Saar's work

Design and build an original assemblage box using a curated selection of found objects, vintage ephemera, natural materials, and decorative trims

Reflect on memory, storytelling, and imagination through hands-on making

Bring your own memories (optional): Just like Betye Saar, who often incorporated personal and family objects into her work, you're welcome to bring small personal items to include in your assemblage box, like old photographs, small trinkets, buttons, jewelry pieces, postcards, or other meaningful found objects. Please note: items will be glued into your finished piece.

No art experience necessary. This workshop is designed for makers of all ages and skill levels to explore assemblage in a relaxed, playful, and meaningful way.

Materials Provided: All art supplies, printed symbols, artist cards, and a take-home "Mystic Maker" activity.

Session Times:

Ages 3–5: 3PM–4PM

Ages 6–12: 4:30PM–6PM

About the artist & inspiration:

Betye Saar (1926 - 2026) is an American artist known for her assemblage works exploring themes of African American identity, spirituality, ancestry, and the mystical. Working primarily with found and discarded objects, Saar has been a major influence on generations of artists working in mixed media and assemblage.

This event is not affiliated with or endorsed by Betye Saar. It is an educational, artist-inspired workshop created for community art learning.

About the teacher:

dama (Amanda Maciel Antunes) is a Brazilian, self-taught multidisciplinary artist based in Los Angeles and a librarian at the Philosophical Research Society, where she founded and hosts the Surrealist Study Group, a monthly gathering centered on women artists and writers who looked beyond the visible world for inspiration. Her own transdisciplinary practice spans painting, writing, sound, and durational performance, and is rooted in memory, ritual, mythology and the spiritual undercurrents that connect generations of women artists and mystics.

Through Mystic Makers, dama invites children and families into that same sense of wonder, guiding them to discover that art can be a doorway to dreams, symbols, and hidden worlds of wisdom.

Ticket price: Sliding scale $35-$45 (in person event only)

Please email [email protected] or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions.

ACCESSIBILITY

PRS wants all guests to be able to enjoy our events safely and comfortably. If you require any accessibility accommodation, please reach out to [email protected] before showtime and we will be happy to assist you.

REFUND POLICIES

All sales are final. There are no refunds for PRS events , except in the event of a medical emergency, including but not limited to a positive COVID-19 test. Ticket exchanges may be granted on a case by case basis, pending circumstances.

In the event that PRS is forced to cancel an event entirely, tickets will be refunded or vouchers offered for a rescheduled event.

PARKING

Limited parking is available onsite at PRS in both the front lot (entry from Los Feliz Blvd. when heading east) and back lot (entry from first alley way, off Griffith Park Blvd. from intersection with Los Feliz Blvd.), as well as street parking on Griffith Park Blvd. and (after 7 PM) on Los Feliz Blvd. We encourage attendees to consider carpooling, walking or biking to events if possible, and please be considerate of our Los Feliz neighbors when parking.

PRS EVENT POLICIES

• We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.
• Events are subject to change without notice, including guest speakers and/or performers.
• We encourage you to arrive at least 30 min. before the scheduled event start time to find parking, enjoy the Bookstore and take your seats.
• Please turn off all mobile devices before the show. Talking and texting are not allowed during the events.
• No filming, audio recording or mobile phone recording of events, screenings, concerts or other programs by audience members is allowed without permission.
• There is no smoking permitted on PRS grounds.
• We strongly encourage guests to wear masks to PRS events to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
• PRS allows Service Animals into the facility under ADA and state guidelines. For further details please visit www.ADA.gov. No animals permitted whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support, under ADA guidelines and CA Health Code.
• Please do not bring outside food or drink into PRS events.
• Weapons are strictly prohibited at PRS events.