The Englewood Center for the Arts is hosting its World Collage Day event on Saturday, May 9, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and it’s shaping up to be much more than your typical art gathering.
Englewood REVIEW sat down with Erik Groff from the Center to talk about what makes this event special and to hear more about what the Center is all about.
World Collage Day is an international event, but Erik admits he only heard about it recently. “Beverly Gordon, who teaches collage at the Venice Art Center, brought it up to me,” he says. “We were talking about her possibly running a workshop here, and she asked if I knew about it. I didn’t. She introduced me to the Kolaj Institute, which is a global hub for collage artists. She told me, ‘You can actually register to host a World Collage Day event.’ May 9. I thought, perfect. We haven’t hosted a big public event yet. This is our chance.”
That’s how it started. The Englewood Center for the Arts has been busy renovating, getting the space ready. Erik saw World Collage Day as the perfect way to open the doors and invite the community in. “It just fits what we want to do,” he says. “Beverly will run a few guided sessions throughout the day. People can drop in casually or stay for a more in-depth, hands-on experience. It’s family-friendly, open to all ages. Grab a snack, look around the gallery, cut up some magazines, and have fun.”
Erik’s philosophy for the gallery is simple: bring your creativity and don’t hold back. “The whole idea here is to be a community-centered gallery. If you can fit your project in the door, we’ll make it work. I always try to say yes. No arbitrary limits on size or content. Artists need that freedom to create.”
For 15 years, Erik ran the galleries at the Englewood Art Center, which gave him a genuine sense of the local art scene and its people. But things changed when Ringling College abruptly ended its involvement with the Art Center. It hit the community hard. “It was a shock for a lot of us,” Erik recalls. “But I grew up in this field. My parents were artists. I’ve seen these cycles before; boards or bureaucracies can push out what art is really about. When that happened, folks worried and grieved. But I knew what to do. I just got to work.”
Building something new has meant learning new skills, especially now that he’s on his own. “I’m hoping the right people come in, that I can put together a new management team, get the admin side up and running. My real strengths are in presenting work and building relationships with artists. I haven’t run my own gallery in 15 years, so in some ways, it feels like starting over. But I’m doing it to honor the people who built the original art center, mentors and friends, and to keep Englewood’s creative spirit alive. That’s our mission, just like before: classes, cultural events, monthly community shows. It’s what we always did.”
Erik cares deeply about collaboration, too. “The Hermitage, for instance. I really respect what they do and was close with the old management there, spending a lot of time on-site. I’m excited to see how they’ll evolve, especially since they’re genuinely local now, which changes the dynamic for the better.”
For Erik, the Center’s role isn’t about pushing one way of teaching or making art. “I’m not really tied to any single medium. My job is to help other artists, especially those who want to teach, get the chance to share their work. That’s how this thing grows. I set this up as an LLC since I didn’t have the administrative staff to run a nonprofit. Before, we had solid funding at the old place. Now, it’s more of a classic art center challenge: keep the lights on, pay the rent. Compared to everything else that’s happened, that feels manageable.”
He sees his own role as someone who fades into the background, supporting others. “Honestly, I want the gallery to be messy, lived-in. People should use the space: painting, making things, creating energy. Not some sterile white cube where you’re scared to touch the walls. I’d rather be fixing stuff, cleaning up after workshops, knowing the place is alive. Kind of like a grown-up romper room. I want to stay behind the scenes and let the community shine.”
He’s also looking for fresh faces to help, especially at the front desk. “I’d love to find someone to manage things so I can focus on building and fixing, like I used to. At the old art center, we had this great team at the desk. They handled the administration and were the friendly faces everyone saw, while I got to focus on the art installations and spaces. It was a dream team. That’s why I stuck around for so long.”
The vision for Englewood goes beyond this one center. Erik points out all the local groups and projects. The Mangrove Clay Collective just opened; there’re the Arts Alliance, and the old art center is coming back. “My hope is to collaborate with everyone, not compete. When we unify, Englewood’s arts community gets stronger. We can coordinate events, support each other, and actually build something that lasts.”
His invitation is clear: “Come join us for a drop-in collage event. Cut, layer, assemble, and use these simple tools to express yourself. That’s what art is about, and that’s what we want to celebrate together.”
