Handmade Paper: Wisconsin Roots

April 15 – June 30, 2013

For almost 50 years, Wisconsin has been a remarkable leader in the field of book arts and has played a vital role in the resurgence of handmade paper.  This exhibit showcases examples of artists’ books that contain handmade paper made by artists with Wisconsin roots.  These artists (pioneers, teachers, students, and practitioners) have all been inspired by the craft and artistic possibilities of paper. Featured artists include Walter Hamady, Jim Escalante, Mary Hark, and Joe Wilfer as well as many others who form a long papermaking lineage.  The ingredients that are used in these books vary widely, from used clothing, donated UW-Madison hospital sheets, flax, cotton, and linen to bird’s nests and iris leaves.  The exhibit is part of the multi-part exhibition Text Support: A Library Exhibit About Papercurrently on view in the Department of Special Collections, Memorial Library.  Another component to Text Support is the pop-up exhibition, Paper Engineering, located in the wall cases on the 2nd floor, Memorial Library.

This exhibit was curated by Lyn Korenic and Tracy Honn.

Image:  Mary Hark.  Tactile Study for Driftless Reveries (2012).