Upcoming events.
Artist statement
I make gods out of garbage.
Egg cartons, plastic bottles, coffee trays, cardboard tubes, packing foam, tin cans, old toys, buttons and magazines are my materials. I think of the process as rebirth. Things that were headed for the landfill become masks, dioramas and sculptures, a whole cast of characters with their own stories. Looking for the materials is part of the work. It is a treasure hunt, and I never know what I’ll find.
This show began in San Miguel de Allende in January 2020, when I spent half the month in the markets and galleries, awed by the colorful masks. Then Covid arrived, and I asked myself what I could make that would keep me from going crazy. I started making masks.
Masks are one of the oldest tools we have. Every culture has used them for ritual, teaching, theater, dance and storytelling. You can hide behind a mask and become something bigger, stranger and more powerful. I feel honored to carry that on.
For Upcycled Pantheon, the gallery becomes a market: masks, dioramas and sculptures to look at, and smaller pieces to take home. I studied folklore and mythology, and I love the idea that gods and spirits can be built from egg cartons.
My influences are Latin American masks, mid-century American folk art, children’s drawings, Red Grooms, Robert Rauschenberg and Betye Saar. I want to capture the innocence of childhood, fantasy, folklore and the wit of Dada.
UPCYCLED PANTHEON: ALEKA CORWIN SOLO SHOW
Masks, dioramas, and sculptures made from what the rest of us throw away
Los Angeles, CA, October 2026: Shoebox Projects presents Upcycled Pantheon, a solo exhibition by Los Angeles artist Aleka Corwin, running December 13, 2026 through January 2, 2027. The opening reception is Sunday, December 13, from 3 to 5 PM at [gallery address].
Corwin builds a cast of characters, gods, and tiny worlds entirely from discarded materials: paper maché, cardboard, egg cartons, plastic bottles, coffee trays, packing foam, toys, buttons, fabric, and magazines. She describes her process as one of rebirth, giving objects that were headed for the landfill a second life as ceremonial faces and imagined places.
The masks trace back to January 2020, when Corwin spent half the month in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and was struck by the colorful masks in the markets and galleries. Lockdown arrived two months later, and she began making her own. For this exhibition she turns the gallery into a market, with a decorated tree and smaller, more affordable pieces for holiday gift giving.
Corwin’s influences include Latin American masks, mid-century American folk art, children’s drawings, and the artists Red Grooms, Robert Rauschenberg, and Betye Saar. She says her goal is to capture the innocence of childhood, fantasies, folklore, and the wit of Dada.
“It is a treasure hunt for hidden gems with which I engage my imagination,” Corwin says of her materials.
Related events
Opening reception: Sunday, December 13, 3 to 5 PM
Artist talk on Zoom: Thursday, December 17, 6 PM (recorded for those who can’t attend live)
The gallery is open by appointment through January 2. Contact [email/phone] to schedule a visit
About the artist
Aleka Corwin grew up in New York City, the child of an artist and a scholar. She earned a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, studied printmaking at Atelier 17 in Paris, and served in the Peace Corps in Togo, West Africa. She completed her M.A. at Goddard College while studying with Judy Chicago at the Feminist Studio Workshop in Los Angeles, as part of its first year. She has worked as a set decorator for film and television, and made masks, puppets, and props for theatrical productions around the world. Corwin has attended artist residencies since 2018, including in Italy, and has been invited several times to present her lectures on inspiration and creativity. She teaches parent and child art classes as well as adult workshops, including “Making Art from Recycled Materials,” around Los Angeles. She lives in Los Angeles.
About Shoebox Projects
Shoebox Projects is an exhibition and project space at the Brewery Arts Complex in Los Angeles, run by artist and curator Kristine Schomaker. It is part of Shoebox Arts, which Schomaker founded in 2014 to help artists gain visibility and build sustainable careers. The space hosts solo and group exhibitions, residencies, and curatorial projects, with a focus on artists whose work deserves more attention than the usual channels give it. Shoebox Arts supports artists across the country through mentorship, professional development, and community. shoeboxarts.com | @shoeboxarts.la
National Arts Drive
The National Arts Drive is an online & offline grassroots movement and fundraising campaign to bring awareness and financial support to local artists on a national scale.
On June 20, 2020, artists in select cities across the U.S, Canada and Mexico are encouraged to display, perform and showcase their creativity from driveways, balconies, windows, stoops, front lawns, or participating local small businesses (where applicable and safe) during a three-hour period.
Community supporters are invited to drive their city blocks and suburban streets to see, hear, and support the artists, performers, musicians, and designers living in their community from a safe distance.
The driving experience will be paired with a mobile website and interactive map where drivers can engage with the artist and support them from a distance through three main avenues:
Like, follow and share their work via social media
Donate directly to artists through their chosen mobile paysite
Visit a participating artist's online store or website for a future purchase
There is no charge for artists to participate or to be listed on The National Arts Drive map.
Though we are encouraging Drivers to support artists as they approach installations and performances, there is no cost to the community drivers to engage with the experience.
RSVP and Driver Information
About the artist
Aleka Corwin grew up in New York City, the child of an artist and a scholar. She earned a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, studied printmaking at Atelier 17 in Paris, and served in the Peace Corps in Togo, West Africa. She completed her M.A. at Goddard College while studying with Judy Chicago at the Feminist Studio Workshop in Los Angeles, as part of its first year. She has worked as a set decorator for film and television, and made masks, puppets, and props for theatrical productions around the world. Corwin has attended artist residencies since 2018, including in Italy, and has been invited several times to present her lectures on inspiration and creativity. She teaches parent and child art classes as well as adult workshops, including “Making Art from Recycled Materials,” around Los Angeles. She lives in Los Angeles.
Artist statement
I make gods out of garbage.
Egg cartons, plastic bottles, coffee trays, cardboard tubes, packing foam, tin cans, old toys, buttons and magazines are my materials. I think of the process as rebirth. Things that were headed for the landfill become masks, dioramas and sculptures, a whole cast of characters with their own stories. Looking for the materials is part of the work. It is a treasure hunt, and I never know what I’ll find.
This show began in San Miguel de Allende in January 2020, when I spent half the month in the markets and galleries, awed by the colorful masks. Then Covid arrived, and I asked myself what I could make that would keep me from going crazy. I started making masks.
Masks are one of the oldest tools we have. Every culture has used them for ritual, teaching, theater, dance and storytelling. You can hide behind a mask and become something bigger, stranger and more powerful. I feel honored to carry that on.
For Upcycled Pantheon, the gallery becomes a market: masks, dioramas and sculptures to look at, and smaller pieces to take home. I studied folklore and mythology, and I love the idea that gods and spirits can be built from egg cartons.
My influences are Latin American masks, mid-century American folk art, children’s drawings, Red Grooms, Robert Rauschenberg and Betye Saar. I want to capture the innocence of childhood, fantasy, folklore and the wit of Dada.
UPCYCLED PANTHEON: ALEKA CORWIN SOLO SHOW
Masks, dioramas, and sculptures made from what the rest of us throw away
Los Angeles, CA, October 2026: Shoebox Projects presents Upcycled Pantheon, a solo exhibition by Los Angeles artist Aleka Corwin, running December 13, 2026 through January 2, 2027. The opening reception is Sunday, December 13, from 3 to 5 PM at [gallery address].
Corwin builds a cast of characters, gods, and tiny worlds entirely from discarded materials: paper maché, cardboard, egg cartons, plastic bottles, coffee trays, packing foam, toys, buttons, fabric, and magazines. She describes her process as one of rebirth, giving objects that were headed for the landfill a second life as ceremonial faces and imagined places.
The masks trace back to January 2020, when Corwin spent half the month in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and was struck by the colorful masks in the markets and galleries. Lockdown arrived two months later, and she began making her own. For this exhibition she turns the gallery into a market, with a decorated tree and smaller, more affordable pieces for holiday gift giving.
Corwin’s influences include Latin American masks, mid-century American folk art, children’s drawings, and the artists Red Grooms, Robert Rauschenberg, and Betye Saar. She says her goal is to capture the innocence of childhood, fantasies, folklore, and the wit of Dada.
“It is a treasure hunt for hidden gems with which I engage my imagination,” Corwin says of her materials.
Related events
Opening reception: Sunday, December 13, 3 to 5 PM
Artist talk on Zoom: Thursday, December 17, 6 PM (recorded for those who can’t attend live)
The gallery is open by appointment through January 2. Contact [email/phone] to schedule a visit.