MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Art Council of Greater Morgantown hosted a workshop of, “The Modern Pop Experience” at The Co-Op on Pleasant Street this Friday.

Workshop attendees creating collages out of food boxes.

The Modern Pop Experience is a traveling workshop held by New York-native artist and author, Michael Albert. Albert is best known for his signature art style, “cerealism” where old cereal boxes are recycled into new, innovative art pieces.

Michael Albert has been an artist for over thirty-five years, starting with sketches and drawings before he developed a concept like cerealism. Originally, Albert had worked as a food salesman and distributor although his passion was always art. He began this journey collaging with materials he had at work, his office and his home that he realized he didn’t need anymore.

One of Michael Albert’s collage pieces titled, “Map of the USA”, where country and state names are placed in their geological positions. Can you find West Virginia?

“Every chance I had, I was trying to create and keep that dream alive. Making collages out of old labels and pamphlets was really the beginning of it,” Albert said in an interview with 12 News. “I became obsessed with the idea of using iconic images from our consumer culture in my work. Every day I would cut up one or more cereal boxes and, in the end, over a three-year time, I cut up over 700 cereal boxes.”

Albert said that the art form has only grown to be a success it is because of its simplicity and accessibility, as cereal boxes are a “universal material.” Michael Albert has traveled through almost all parts of West Virginia, demonstrating his workshop in over fifty libraries across the state.

Materials used to create collages.

“I never would’ve imagined when I first started making art that it would turn into this opportunity to travel around and make art with other people and it’s just great,” Albert said.

12 News spoke with Sophia, an eight-year-old workshop attendee, who was thrilled to be a part of the experience, “Today I made a notebook for Mr. Michael to tell him thank you for coming and doing this, it’s awesome. It’s super cool and I just love to make art, it’s fun because, heck, you could take a marker and scribble and you can call it art!”

The Art Council of Greater Morgantown has plenty more fun and engaging events just like this one, coming up over the summer.

A few more of Michael Albert’s collage pieces you can find on his website.