Friday, September 12; 12–1:30pm, Open Book Back Parking Lot (behind Open Book near MCBA's Bindery Entrance)
Paper Plains invites the public to create paper from regionally-harvested, invasive plants. This drop-in style papermaking event is open to the public, and presented as part of the North American Hand Papermakers Conference, taking place at Minnesota Center for Book Arts.
Paper Plains artists will demonstrate techniques to participants and engage in a dialogue about the history of invasive plants in Minnesota. The paper that participants make is unique, embedded with native prairie seeds, and carries a little piece of the Great Plains. Whether it hangs on the fridge or gets planted in the garden, handmade paper will grow the arts in your community. This activity is accessible for people of all ages and abilities.
Local artists Anna Haglin and James Kleiner started Paper Plains in 2019 thanks to a rural arts grant. They customized a build-your-own-trailer kit to fold down into wheelchair accessible work tables, and devised a method for participants to make and take their own paper in less than ten minutes. Their pulp is made from invasive grass and contains native prairie seeds. Participants learn about prairie ecology and restorative justice through papermaking. Paper Plains currently hosts about 15–25 events per year throughout Minnesota. Both conference attendees and members of the public can make their own sheet of seed paper and learn about the tools, workflow, pricing structure, and research that has allowed Paper Plains to teach over 100 workshops in diverse rural and urban settings.
North American Hand Papermakers is an organization that brings together people interested in hand papermaking, to encourage sharing of practical, historical, and artistic knowledge about the craft. Learn more about the full conference here.