By Tyra Jackson

The Selma Times-Journal

A workshop this weekend will give children the chance to learn the art of quilting, using paper as their canvases.

The Selma Art Guild will present its Kids Collage Workshop on Feb. 21 at its gallery located at 508 Selma Ave.

The event will begin at 1 p.m. and end at 3 p.m. Only 16 total 8 to 10-year-olds will be able to participate. The cost to attend is $5.

The Selma Art Guild is trying to provide more kid-friendly events.

“We thought this was a great opportunity to start,” said former Selma Art Guild director Jo Pate.

“We thought the children could do a couple of quilt squares that would suggest Selma or unity.”

The quilt squares will be constructed of paper rather than fabric because paper is much easier to work with.

The squares will be placed on a cardboard background, where children can color, paint or cut out images for the background. It will all be done with glue and different kinds of paper.

While there, students will be able to view an actual quilt to get a feel of how a quilt is designed.

“They will be able to see what a quilt looks like, and what a design looks like. That will help them in the concept,” Pate said.

Pate said the event was targeted to third through fifth graders because they are at an age for working with paper.

“They will learn one aspect of art because a collage is art,” she said. “It’s not a paint medium or pastel. It’s taking a fabric art form and transferring it into a paper art form. It really develops aspects of their thought processes and creativity you don’t get with the standard school curriculum.”

Along with an art lesson, the workshop will allow participants to learn more about the history that took place in Selma. Another Art Guild member, Jo Taylor, said kids will enjoy the workshop.

“They’ll get to create a piece of art they can take home,” she said. “They’ll create a piece of art that will be carried across the bridge on Unity Sunday.”