Mix of traditional and non-traditional materials make up pieces at 'The Art of Collage' exhibition

LAKELAND, Fla. - Artists blend traditional and non-traditional art materials to create their work at the Depot Arts District's "The Art of Collage" exhibition. 

"The idea behind it is that we're bringing together pieces of art that wouldn't necessarily come together any other way," artist Mary Correa said. 

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Correa used the exhibition to shine a light on her latest collection of work focusing on the idea of migration. 

"I've been thinking about all the life forms that migrate over time, the most obvious one being birds," Correa said. "I was able to find this vintage book of birds that kind of spoke to me."

The vintage book helped her create a pair of pieces. One of them incorporates a real, small branch. 

"Collage is one of my loves because I can really take everything that I do," Correa said. 

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Artist Bethany Soto created a piece that focuses on mental health titled "Tethered." It features a main central character surrounded by a group of others.  Some are connected. Some are not. 

"We don't know if the people are coming, or if they're going. They're looking towards the figure. These are all the different things that ground me on top of wearing lots of hats, right?" Soto said. "Closer people that we don't have heartstrings for, but a lot of that is that self-isolation. Am I a burden? Am I giving anyone a hard time? Have I locked them out when I could be asking them for help? So, it's those things that kind of tether and tie us."

Soto's piece is tied to her booth at the Depot Arts District called "The Hobby Spiral". She uses art to support the wellness studio's non-clinical mental health support. 

What they're saying:

Both artists say the exhibition pushed them to try and share something new, sometimes a challenge for many artists. 

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"I think of approachability," Soto said. "Someone might look at a collage and think, Oh wow, I could do that. I could try something like this. So, I think it kind of breaks that idea that collage has to be this."