Category: Paper Is People Workshops

with Hannah Chalew
Saturday, June 24; 10am–4pm CT

Explore ways to make art that allow you to connect and collaborate with your environment in this in-person workshop. Learn to make water-based ink with a range of materials from your neighborhood—rusty nails, soil, oak galls, remnants of morning coffee or tea, etc.–and come away with new inks and an understanding of how to find specific colors in your landscape and how to ethically harvest materials to make art. Different materials require different methods of curing, but most materials will be simmered on a stovetop, ground down, and combined with binding materials, such as gum arabic, to hold it together. Participants are invited to bring ink-making materials to experiment with; we will also take a walk through MCBA’s neighborhood and gather ingredients to “ink-periment” with! Ink made in the workshop can be used for watercolor.

Wear clothing that can get dirty and shoes that can get wet (i.e. rubber boots, garden clogs, etc.).

Hannah Chalew’s art is part of Paper Is People, an exhibition co-curated by Tia Blassingame and Stephanie Sauer, which offers a new definition of paper­ within a global and decolonial framework. The exhibition is on view in MCBA’s Main Gallery April 14 through August 12, with a reception on Thursday, June 22.

All skill levels welcome
Certificate: 6 hours, Category B, C or D

$168/participant (10% discount for MCBA members) + $50 materials fee
$84 for BIPOC/Financial scholarship participants (10% discount for MCBA members) + $50 materials fee
MCBA offers two scholarship types for workshops—Financial Hardship Scholarships and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Scholarships—to honor equity and increase access and artistic opportunities for those who have historically been underrepresented in the book arts. For individuals to whom these scholarships do not apply, register at the Adult rate and, if you are able, consider making a donation when registering to support MCBA’s efforts to make scholarships available.

This workshop is being presented as part of Paper Is People, an exhibition co-curated by the teaching artists, Tia Blassingame and Stephanie Sauer, which offers a new definition of paper­ within a global and decolonial framework. The exhibition is on view in MCBA’s Main Gallery April 14 through August 12, with a reception on Thursday, June 22.

Paper Is People is made possible in part with the support of funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Center for Craft.

Registration for this workshop has closed.

with Tia Blassingame and Stephanie Sauer
Saturday, June 24; 10am–4pm CT

In this in-person workshop, create a series of sculptural stories incorporating collage and hand papermaking. During the papermaking process, participants will embed their original stories and poems or compose new collage stories with found texts. The resulting narrative sculptures are fun to read and handle, and easy to display and share. This in-person workshop is perfect for papermaking novices and initiates alike.

Please wear clothing/shoes fit for wet work (e.g. rain boots, clogs, water resistant shoes).  Participants need to return to pick up their paper on Saturday, 7/1 or later in The Shop at MCBA to allow the wet sheets of paper time to dry while pressed flat for a few days.

Please note that papermaking is a wet and physical process that involves repeated lifting and bending. Accommodations can be made for individuals with specific needs (please share these when registering) and we encourage all abilities to participate in ways that feel safe and comfortable.

Some experience helpful but not required
Certificate: 6 hours, Category B, C or D

$8/participant; if this presents a barrier, please reach out to workshops@mnbookarts.org to register free of charge

This workshop is being presented as part of Paper Is People, an exhibition co-curated by the teaching artists, Tia Blassingame and Stephanie Sauer, which offers a new definition of paper­ within a global and decolonial framework. The exhibition is on view in MCBA’s Main Gallery April 14 through August 12, with a reception on Thursday, June 22.

Paper Is People is made possible in part with the support of funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Center for Craft.

Registration for this workshop has closed.

with Veronica Pham
Saturday, June 17; 10am–4pm and Sunday, June 18; 1–4pm CT

Traditional papermaking in Vietnam dates back seventeen centuries; however, colonization, war, and rapid industrialization have rendered this ancient craft nearly extinct. Learn traditional Vietnamese papermaking techniques using the liềm seo (bamboo woven screen) and khung seo (two-part bamboo frame) in this in-person workshop. Various local plants like hemp, invasive bamboo, mulberry, and prairie grass will be used to showcase differences in fiber length and strength in sheet formation.

Instruction will cover fiber preparation, hand beating, sheet formation, pressing, and drying using traditional equipment. We will work in various sizes—9 x 12 inches, 12 x 18 inches, and 20 x 30 inches—and everyone will have a chance to build their own stack of giấy (paper) with local fibers.

Participants will gain valuable knowledge on traditional Vietnamese papermaking techniques and be able continue their practice in their own studios!

Please wear clothing/shoes fit for wet work (e.g. rain boots, clogs, water resistant shoes). 

Participants need to return to pick up their paper on Saturday, 6/24 or later in The Shop at MCBA to allow the wet sheets of paper time to dry while pressed flat for a few days.

Please note that papermaking is a wet and physical process that involves repeated lifting and bending. Accommodations can be made for individuals with specific needs (please share these when registering) and we encourage all abilities to participate in ways that feel safe and comfortable.

All skill levels welcome

Certificate: 9 hours, Category A, B or D; fulfills Core papermaking requirement

$25/participant (10% discount for MCBA members)
$10 for BIPOC/Financial scholarship participants (10% discount for MCBA members)
MCBA offers two scholarship types for workshops—Financial Hardship Scholarships and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Scholarships—to honor equity and increase access and artistic opportunities for those who have historically been underrepresented in the book arts. For individuals to whom these scholarships do not apply, register at the Adult rate and, if you are able, consider making a donation when registering to support MCBA’s efforts to make scholarships available.

Registration for this workshop has closed.

with Radha Pandey
Saturday, June 3; 10:30am–12pm CT

Learn about Indo-Islamic papermaking (a papermaking tradition with both Indian and Islamic influences) and its role in the history of papermaking. Watch a demonstration of the papermaking process and surface finishing techniques like dyeing, sizing, and burnishing on traditionally-made papers. The teaching artist will share handouts detailing the process and its history, as well as suggested supplies and materials should you wish to pursue this style of papermaking at home, and readings to further your knowledge of the craft.

Radha Pandey’s art is part of Paper Is People, an exhibition co-curated by Tia Blassingame and Stephanie Sauer, which offers a new definition of paper­ within a global and decolonial framework. The exhibition is on view in MCBA’s Main Gallery April 14 through August 12, with a reception on Thursday, June 22.

Certificate: 1.5 hours, Category B or C

$25/participant (10% discount for MCBA members)
$10 for BIPOC/Financial scholarship participants (10% discount for MCBA members)
MCBA offers two scholarship types for workshops—Financial Hardship Scholarships and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Scholarships—to honor equity and increase access and artistic opportunities for those who have historically been underrepresented in the book arts. For individuals to whom these scholarships do not apply, register at the Adult rate and, if you are able, consider making a donation when registering to support MCBA’s efforts to make scholarships available.

Registration for this workshop has closed.