DELI SHIRTS

This hands-on art workshop invites participants to explore the colorful, chaotic, and often surreal advertising language of local bodegas and corner delis. From hand-painted sandwich signs to overflowing platters of imagined abundance, these visuals are iconic markers of neighborhood life. Students will take inspiration from these hyperbolic food displays to create whimsical collage compositions that remix everyday snacks, menu items, and deli typography into surreal foodscapes.

Participants will be guided through the process of collecting visual references, sketching ideas, and cutting and assembling mixed-media collages that push the boundaries of logic and taste. The goal is to celebrate the humor, abundance, and fantasy found in familiar commercial language while embracing collage as a tool for visual play and cultural storytelling.

Once their compositions are finalized, students will learn how to prepare their work for transfer and transformation. Collages will be digitized and adapted into press-on heat transfers, allowing each participant to apply their unique image to a T-shirt. By the end of the workshop, each student will leave with a one-of-a-kind wearable artwork that blends local culture, satire, and personal creativity.

PLEASE NOTE this class requires learners to bring their own tshirts for printing. ​
THIS CLASS IS AVAILABLE IN PERSON
​AT ABRONS ARTS CENTER:
466 Grand Street, NY, NY

MONDAYS 6-8 PM
OCTOBER 20 - November 10 , 2025
4 sessions +
culminating share out on Wednesday, Nov 12th
Sliding scale tuition: 
$45, $120, $220, or $320
+ $30 non-refundable registration fee

INSTRUCTOR

Mauricio Cortes is a Mexican-American artist and educator based in New York, with a focus on art education, decolonizing art history, and children’s storytelling. As a parent to a five-year-old who loves stories and imaginative play, he is especially interested in how creativity and technology can support playful, collaborative learning. He currently chairs the Visual Arts Program at the Berkeley Carroll School in Brooklyn, where he leads a team of eight teachers, instructs 100 students each year, and manages the school’s artist-in-residence program.  
www.mcortesortega.com IG: @mco_nyc
Image credit:  Deli Signage of Little Papa & Son BK, NY, 11225, photo and digital collage by Mauricio Cortes
This program is supported through a Cultural Development Fund grant from the New York Department of Cultural Affairs.
Our classes are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.