Family Dinner Project- July – Family Photo Frames
Amilia Amaki, American, July 8, 1949
Amaki’s art captures the lives of African women of the Diaspora through media from everyday life (photography, quilts, buttons, boxes and household items). Her work redefines the lives of past and present African American heroines and heroes and contrasts their depiction in the mainstream media. She has published a number of articles including “Art: The Paul Jones Collection in Art” and Everyday Life: The Paul Jones Collection, an exhibition catalog by the Marietta-Cobb Museum of Art, Marietta, Georgia in 1999.
Amaki holds memberships in the College of Art Association, American Association of University Professors, Emory University Alumni Board of Governors, Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, High Museum of Art, Georgia Museum of Art, and Spelman College Museum of Fine Arts. Her solo works, Amalia Amaki: Boxes, Buttons and Blues have also been on exhibition at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C.
Amaki splits her time in Atlanta, Georgia and Newark, Delaware.




To begin your project, we must first gather materials.
- photo
- picture frame
- glue
- buttons, beads, charms, glitter, whatever you want to make your frame pop!
Now that we have our supplies, it’s time to assemble.
- Add your photo in the picture frame
- Gather your supplies and begin to visualize what you want to add to your frame to help bring the story of the photo onto the frame.
- Think about color, shapes, or even the objects themselves and how they can add to your photos story.
- Once you have your plan, you can begin to add glue to your frame and objects. You may need to use tools like a paint brush or toothpick to get glue onto the right places.
- You can even glue things directly to the glass of the picture to blend the frame and the photo together into one cohesive piece.
- Let the glue dry, and you have your masterpiece!
Last step…
- Share! Post your projects on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #qacfamilydinnerproject for your chance to win a $40 gift certificate to use towards classes and workshops at the Art Center! Winner will be drawn June 30!
*SAFETY NOTE: All children under 15 should be accompanied by an adult. Be sure that you read all product directions before use and follow all safety directions listed. When use of hazardous fumes, example: spray paint, use outside or in a well-ventilated space.
**SAFETY PRO-TIP: When using hot glue, if hot glue gets onto your skin DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PULL IT OFF WHILE THE GLUE IS STILL HOT, this will only spread the glue and cause more harm. DO Run area under cool water until glue has cooled or the glue pops off. There will still be a burn, but the injury will be limited. Use burn cream if necessary. Seek medical attention when needed.