Artist gains insight in handmade paper in unique WIST course

Artist gains insight in handmade paper in unique WIST course

Lindsey Hoffman, WIST laboratory and papermaking project specialist, shreds cattail fibers for a small pulp cook as students in the handmade paper class observe. From left, Steve Meyer, Ann Meyer, Stevie Meyer and Hoffman.

Hands-on papermaking education at WIST took a new turn recently when hands-on became handmade. After fielding an inquiry from Ann Meyer, an artist in West Bend, Wisconsin, the institute created a one-day course in handmade paper and provided it exclusively to Meyer and her family.

Meyer has been admitted to an artist-in-residence program at a cattle station in central Australia, and that spurred new interest in papermaking. The station, Curtin Springs, makes paper from local, native plants and offers workshops and residencies for artists in papermaking artwork. Meyer will be there in July and August.

"I'm more interested in paper that I can do my ink drawings on, but the fact that the paper [at the cattle station] is made from natural grasses that are grown there is a very interesting component of the artwork itself," Meyer said.

Meyer found WIST's hands-on courses with an online search, but realized those classes were geared toward commercial papermaking. She contacted WIST to discuss possibilities for instruction on papermaking on a much smaller scale. "I knew that when I got to Australia I was going to be involved in paper making, but I wanted to make sure that I was making something that was archival quality, so I was looking for true papermaking experts as opposed to simply a craft-type of class," Meyer said.

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Seats still available in April 5-6 Hands-On Papermaking Course

This is WIST's course for papermaking professionals, with two days of instruction featuring a blend of classroom and hands-on experience. This course is designed for anyone who needs the basics, transferred from another industry, is new to operations, does maintenance, or supervises employees.

Small class sizes allow ample opportunity for your questions and discussion. In the hands-on segment each afternoon, you'll perform operations on the university's Fourdrinier pilot paper machine, working in small groups under guidance of UW-Stevens Point faculty and staff.

See more details and register online now

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