The survey development was based on the response to a test survey distributed to subscribers of Hand Papermaking in early 1987. The final survey was distributed in May, 1987, to about 1000 of the 4,000 or more universities and colleges in the United States. Two hundred forty nine surveys were returned for a 25% response rate. The responses reported here are drawn only from those schools answering 'yes' to the question: "Does your institution offer instruction in hand papermaking?" Surveys from schools answering 'no' to this question have also been analyzed, revealing that many of them do, in fact, offer papermaking or have plans to do so: 21 reported offering papermaking as part of another class and 9 announced future plans to offer classes in the field. About half of the schools offering papermaking are universities, two-fifths are four year colleges, and the rest are junior colleges or art and craft schools. Of these schools, two-thirds are public institutions. A majority of the institutions offering papermaking have a total student body of less than 10,000. Almost exclusively, papermaking is affiliated with another department. Table x shows the breakdown of affiliations for most programs. Areas of affiliation reported by fewer than three respondents include: art education, visual arts, textiles, crafts, display design, book arts, and 3-D design. While about half of the programs offer no degree in papermaking, a third offer a Bachelor of Fine Art and slightly fewer offer the Master of Fine Art. A few institutions offer only a minor in papermaking, but most of those offering degrees accept the discipline as a major. The level of instruction in papermaking is varied across schools. While many offer a general introduction, there is often a reliance on independent study in place of planned intermediate and advanced courses. In addition, the different levels of instruction are sometimes compressed into a single class. Most of the programs offer paper either once or twice per school year and only on a few occasions is it a required class. The subject matter treated in these classes covers a broad range. Table y shows a tally of the major subjects covered in the various programs, based on a list printed in the questionaire. Other areas covered, as written in by survey respondents, include: spray techniques, vacuum forming, lamination, pulp chemistry, deep relief embossments, sculpture, visual books, natural fibers, photographic techniques, watermarking, internal and external sizing, and pulp beating. While a majority of respondents reported using a text in their classes, there was a fairly broad range of choice. Books by Bernie Toale and Jules Heller were reported by the most schools, with those by Dard Hunter, Vance Studley, Lilian Bell, and Tim Barrett rounding out the main list. Texts by Sherill Cunning, Elaine Koretsky, and Sukey Hughes were also mentioned by a few schools.(1) Despite the variety of texts being used and the fact that only some of the schools use them, there was no strong feeling that a college text book in papermaking is needed. A vast majority of the programs reported using cotton rag or half-stuff in their classes, but the other fibers used varied a great deal. Table z shows the frequency of use of various fibers. From the perspective of orientation, few programs surveyed focused exlcusively on papermaking as a craft but a third suggested they give equal emphasis to both fine art and craft rather than just a fine art perspective. The amount of student involvement in these programs suggests a growth in interest over earlier years. There is about a three-way split in numbers of students in papermaking at the undergraduate level, between those schools with fewer than ten per year, those with ten to twenty, and those with more than twenty. Of these, eight schools had three or fewer students majoring in paper, with about the same number of minors. Seven schools had three or fewer students pursuing paper as a minor. Forty one schools reported having one or more student in the field at the graduate level. The staffing of these various programs suggests a commitment on the part of the reporting institutions to their papermaking programs. Many of the programs have either a full or associate professor teaching the courses, some schools having more than one instructor available in papermaking. As evidence of the relative youth of the field as a formal discipline, many of the instructors report being self-taught in the field, often as working artists, although a vast majority of those reporting had an MFA. Questions about space, budget, and equipment for the papermaking facilities tended to underscore the strong affiliation of paper programs with other departments. More than two-thirds of the programs reported sharing a space not specifically designed for papermaking with another program or class. There was a wide range of available space, fairly evenly spread across programs up to 2000 square feet; only three programs exceeded this amount of space. Budgets for paper are typically low, with almost all programs receiving less than $400 annually. That fifteen programs received more than $400 and six of those more than $800 per year is encouraging for the future of papermaking programs as independent entities. Equipment, similarly, varies among the schools, although about half own Hollander beaters. Table aa shows a breakdown of the kinds of equipment available. There is evidence that eventually hand papermaking will gain a secure place in the arts and that many schools will have it as an area of study. Experience shows that papermaking has a very broad appeal, not only to the student of fine art. Students in other areas, such as art education, graphic design, photography, and art history, have found a need for this knowledge. Even more encouragement comes from some unexpected sectors: library sciences and museum studies, as well as anthropology, geology, and history. Hand papermaking as a serious endeavor has a much broader scope of use than initially expected. Readers who are interested in similar pursuits may find support in this article. While the bulk of the survey results presented here are of a general nature, we are in the process of undertaking further research into programs from which we have received indication of strong hand papermaking programs. We plan to publish this information in the near future.(2) Papermaking at UIUC is evolving into an essential component of a complete arts program. The hand papermaking courses offered were initiated in 1981 under the auspices of the sculpture department by Professor Frank Gallo. The first six semesters were taught in rather primitive facilities, before equipment had been purchased. Pulp for the paper classes was processed at Professor Gallo's own studio. At the University of Illinois efforts are ultimately pointed toward the nurturing and growth of handmade paper through learning, teaching, and participating. The paper studio at the UIUC operates in 1800 square feet of space. There are eight vats, a 2 lb. Valley beater, a 30 ton hydraulic press, and equipment for drying sheets. With the aid of University grants and the support of the School of Art and Design, improvements are continually made to available equipment. The average enrollment in papermaking classes per semester at UIUC is twenty students. Introductory, intermediate, and advanced courses are available, as is independent study. Many undergraduates and graduates have chosen to focus in papermaking over the years. Currently there are two MFA candidates and three undergraduates "majoring" in handmade paper. Three students to date have received the Master of Fine Arts degree for their work in handmade paper and the courses continue to increase in popularity. Students in the introductory course are required to complete projects in watermarking, color/sheet manipulation, cast paper, bookbinding, and a final art work drawing from any of these. Each student is also encouraged to develop a theme or body of work in the course to maintain focus. Due to the present restrictions of the University, Frank Gallo's own studio, Editions in Cast Paper, continues to be supplementarily involved in the education of advanced papermaking students, by providing space, equipment, and often employment. Editions in Cast Paper is currently developing an apprenticeship program for papermakers, providing scholarship and training. This liaison with Editions in Cast Paper's professional level of activity has been a strong draw for the student wishing to pursue papermaking at the graduate level. The course offering in paper at UIUC has grown logically from an introduction of handmade paper for the general campus population to a more serious involvement with papermaking as an area of specialization. The natural development of the courses has caused papermaking to outgrow its current space and affiliation with the sculpture program. It has become increasingly difficult to achieve the level of professionalism sought after in an institution of this size and caliber or by serious educators and artists. As papermaking has very broad applications, it is not so easily aligned with another area of study, such as sculpture; it truly is a specialization unto itself and the current affiliation with the sculpture department is restricting. The decision to write a program proposal for papermaking at UIUC is based on the belief that hand papermaking requires the status of an independent program within the department of Art & Design in order that it attain its full potential as an area of serious study and research. The survey results presented here affirm this belief, revealing a healthy amount of activity in the field at both the undergraduate and the graduate level in the US. Notes: 1) For those unfamiliar with the papermaking literature, further information for these texts follows: Timothy Barrett, Japanese Papermaking: Tradition, Tools and Techniques, Weatherhill, New York & Tokyo, 1983. Lilian Bell, Plant Fibers for Papermaking, Liliaceae Press, McMinnville, OR, 1984. Sherril Cunning, Handmade Paper: A Practical Guide to Oriental and Western Papermaking, 1987. Jules Heller, Papermaking, Watson Guptill, New York, 1978. Sukey Hughes, Washi, Kodansha, Tokyo, 1981. Dard Hunter, Papermaking, Dover, New York, 1978. Elaine Koretsky, Color for the Hand Papermaker, Carriage House Press, Brookline, MA, 1983. Vance Studley, The Art & Craft of Handmade Paper, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1977. Bernie Toale, The Art & Craft of Handmade Paper, Davis, Worcester, MA, 1983. 2) If you are involved in a papermaking program and would like to be included in our statistics and on the list of places where paper may be studied, please mail a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) to the following address: Carol Herd / Editions in Cast Paper / 1101 N. High Cross / Urbana, IL 61801. If you would like the full tabulated results of the survey from which this article is drawn, please send a separate SASE to the same address. Be sure to indicate whether you are interested in the earlier results or in participating in further surveys.
