Our thoughts are with the incredible paper maker and artist Bridget O’Malley as she recovers from spinal surgery. Please consider supporting her through her recovery via the GoFundMe page set up by Bridget’s Cave Paper Co-Founder and Hand Papermaking, Inc. Co-Founder Amanda Degener. Details at GoFundMe.com/bridget-omalleys-medical-bills.
Helen Hiebert launched a podcast series this year, interviewing paper artists. Featured artists to date include Bridget O’Malley, Eden Marek, Andrea Peterson, Tim Barrett, Tatiana Ginsburg, and Catherine Nash. The interviews are accessible at www.helenhiebertstudio.com.
Danielle Myers’ Petrichorpaper is moving to the countryside and will be offering artist residencies starting in Summer 2017. See all the details and help support the project at
A new stamp just issued by the US Postal Service features quilled paper artwork by Yulia Brodskaya. The Winter 2005 issue of Hand Papermaking elaborated on paper filigree (another name for quilling) with an amazing filigree portrait on the front cover. The process involves rolling and shaping narrow strips of paper, laying them on their edges, and gluing them in place to form intricate designs. The origin of the name “quilling” is obscure, but it might have come from the first tool used to create the paper curls, the base of a feather or quill.
Columbia College Chicago announces the expansion of the Papermaker’s Garden, located at 754 S. Wabash Avenue. The 18-bed garden and tree plantings transforms a gravel lot into an urban garden while showcasing natural, sustainably grown fibers for papermaking. The Papermaker’s Garden features a variety of plants grown to be used as papermaking fiber and art material in the Center for Book & Paper Arts studios. For more information, visit http://www.colum.edu/Academics/Interarts/research/papermakers-garden.php.