A heartfelt thank you to the enthusiastic members of the Chicago Calligraphy Collective and everyone who made the Artists Book House event so meaningful! I’m deeply grateful for the CCC’s talent and generosity in creating the Weathergram outreach. It was so wonderful to see art bringing people together, creating new friendships, and sharing stories. Here’s to more moments like this filled with creativity and connection!
What an incredibly collaborative spirit embraced the day of papermaking, storytelling, and art. All ages came together, sharing a magical experience where everyone, young and young at heart, contributed to the collective creation.
The Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago is hosting Treewhispers June 3 – July 14, 2024.
Wander through the enchanting “forest” of the Spotlight Studio, surrounded by thousands of stories, artworks, poems, and handmade paper rounds that celebrate the majesty of trees. You will be captivated by the profound beauty, collaborative spirit, and meaningful connections that fill this vibrant space.
Look what showed up on my doorstep! Over 1100 celebrated handmade paper rounds — 35 “trees” created over many months by the Kaligrafos calligraphy Guild of Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex members.
In December when the proposed gallery closed and the pandemic hit, creatives Tom & Brenda Burns, Trish Manche, Rick Garlington, Monica & Rick Winters, Betty Barna, and Sherry Barber sprung into action to display and video their work in a natural setting near Whitewright, TX.
It’s incredibly perfect and ever-so beautiful!
In gratitude for their journey—time, expertise and venture, I’ve captured some images below.
For the entire video scroll on the Events Page and enjoy!
It’s a remarkable community.
Treewhispers at The Grange Insurance Audubon Center in the Nature x 4 Exhibition on view through Feb 26th.
Delighted and honored to share the opening of Treewhispers at The Grange Insurance Audubon Center in the Nature x 4 Exhibition this past Thursday night—on view through Feb 26th.
Gratitude to Sandy Presosky Libertini and Leigh Ann Galarus Miller for the invitation to the exhibition, their papermaking ventures, and assists —as well as to Melissa Vogley Woods and Amanda Love for assistance in aerial installation optics.
The Nature x 4 Exhibition also features the “2022 Audubon Photography Awards”, “Feathered Portraits” photography exhibition by Donna Winters, and sound/meditation “It Sounds Like Love” by Cadine Navarro. It’s a wonderful collection of nature! Don’t miss it!
You are invited to a special preview
from 6-8pm, Thursday, January 5th
RSVP at this link
In anticipation and celebration of the upcoming 2023 exhibition at Grange Insurance Audubon in Columbus, Ohio I’m combing the archives to honor the commensalistic relationship of birds and trees.
Art and handmade paper/Anonymous
In anticipation and celebration of the upcoming 2023 exhibition at Audubon, I’m combing the archives to honor the commensalistic relationship of birds and trees.
Handmade paper, story and art aby Carol Kimball, 2019/2020, The Calligraphy Guild of Columbus
You are invited to a special preview
from 6-8pm, Thursday, January 5th
RSVP at this link
The Art at Audubon series at the center showcases:
Please be sure to RSVP by 5 pm, Wednesday, January 4th.
For questions, please contact Sandy Libertini at sandy.libertini@audubon.org
We hope to see you there!
Hosted by Evanstonmade and sponsored by Artist Book House, Treewhispers along with a multitude of artists, creatives and visionaries illuminate the space at 921 Church St., Evanston, IL .
Lisa Degliantoni, Founder and Executive Director of Evanstonmade along with her Co-Directors Kathy Halper and Liz Cramer, launched the massive transformation of a former Urban Outfitters building into an energetic artist exchange and vibrant community outreach at seemingly a moment’s notice in early November. Now knowing the “trio of force” I understand their unparalleled dedication and drive, and the possibilities they employ.
Thanks to the sponsorship and eager assist by ABH Board Member, Jamie Thome the “growing of the forest” took shape in a timely manner. Janice Kiska, Cori Paulsrud and Michael Sweirz also gratefully stepped in for the final touches.
Installing and seeing the work in a new venue never ceases to amaze and delight me. On the handmade paper rounds I see the stories and art of those who shared them 20 years ago reverberate with those bound together only a week prior. These all feel like friends to me—friends bound with a common interest, passion and love for trees.
Enjoy the Treewhispers installation and a multitude of happenings until December 19, 2021.
Day two installation with skilled technicians sensitive to the work!
Click on the link LYCEECHICAGO.ORG to see the students at work. Thanks Amanda Love for introducing the project, Andrea Peterson for your papermaking instruction, and all the students, teachers and helpers for participating. Great job and beautiful work!
I wanted to share an incredible project relating to trees entitled “Seasons Rewound”—and the artists who created it, Barbara Pankratz and Barbara Johnston, both from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
They described it as a book five feet tall with an open back page spread that is 7 feet across. They used paper called weed block that they were able to purchase in 25 feet rolls, 3 feet across. They built all the pages then drew, painted and cut. There are three layers, the background layer, the tree layer then a little layer in the front with seven openings. The covers are matt board covered with painted canvas.
They mentioned that they spent one day a week for three years working on it. As they said it really was all about the process—they were not really concerned about the end product and they both felt the book literally made itself.
It was a wonderful collaboration. In their words: “The natural world is at the heart of everything we both do creatively. This oversize book was our attempt to represent a deep emotional and sensory connection to the changing seasons and to communicate our “larger-than-life” enthusiasm for the stunning visual experience this constant cycle affords.”
The beautiful tree-lined walk through the Regenstein Center leads to the Joutras Gallery where Treewhispers awaits. It’s simply beautiful—a space singing the stories, art and poetry from hundreds of people around the world honoring their connection to trees. The exhibit opened January 14th and continues through April 8th. Plan a visit and a stroll outside as well—the Garden is incredible in the winter!
©Chicago Botanic Garden 2012
Many thanks to the Chicago Botanic Garden—and very special thank you to Dawn Bennett who was instrumental in bringing it to fruition.
Artist, Debra Ketchum Jircik did a papermaking residency at Woodland Progressive School in Minocqua, Wisconsin. With Debra at the helm students explored the art and craft of papermaking, making rounds for Treewhispers. Here you can see them in progress—beating Kozo by hand, forming the rounds and creatively weighting the boards to press out the water. The students also developed a creative display in the school before sending them off to the project. Great job everyone!
Have you ever climbed a tree? Do you have a favorite tree or a magical path through the woods?
Join the Treewhispers forest of stories by sending your handmade paper rounds with your tree story/art/poetry. Your submission will be included in the upcoming exhibition Bridge and Joutras Galleries in the Regenstein Center at the Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Illinois, January 14 through April 8, 2012 as well as all future exhibitions.
How have trees inspired and informed you?
Spending an afternoon at the Evanston Art Center talking with Pamela Paulsrud, I was encouraged to send a tree story to Treewhispers. I have planted trees, saved trees that were blown over by the wind and rescued trees from the construction guy’s saw, but I am sending a picture of the Painted Trees in the Forest of Oma, as a Unique Tree Moment!
The trees were painted by Basque artist Agustin Ibarrola, and the Forest of Oma is in the Basque Country of Northern Spain, some place between Bilbao and San Sebastian. Google maps had it pinpointed exactly, and all we had to do was drive to a little village and then it would be 4 kilometers or more up the mountain. Google maps did not mention that it was a footpath, closed to car traffic. The climb was worth it—a stunning mountain top vista, and deep in the pine forest, many trees had been painted by a magical hand—rainbow colors, figures, symbols, it was a most unusual art work in a beautiful setting.
Augstin Ibarrola’s works can be found in Google Images. He has traveled around Spain painting trees, rocks, just about anything in a remote and special location, and his dedicated followers delight in traveling to each place, photographing the work and posting it as proof of their visit.
Photo and text contributed by Sara Drower, Wilmette, IL
A rich collection of the late Marilyn Sward’s artwork is soon to be exhibited at the Columbia College Chicago Center for the Book and Paper entitled Speaking in Paper. Mark your calendars for the quickly approaching opening reception, on June 9 from 5:30-8:30pm.
Opening Reception
Wednesday, June 9th, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Exhibition: June 9 – August 21, 2010
Gallery Hours: Mon. – Sat. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Center for Book and Paper Arts
1104 S. Wabash, 2nd floor
Chicago, IL
Click here for more on this exhibition and related workshops and programs.
Marilyn always loved a crowd. Bring a friend and please feel free to forward this to anyone you think might be interested.
It’s always a great day when handmade paper rounds arrive in the mailbox.
An envelope showed up in February from Lani Schuster—she included a note reminding me that we were introduced by Cecile Webster at the Columbia College Book and Paper Alumni Exhibit, About Time. (It’s all about connections, you know…) Lani shared that the piece she exhibited there was inspired by Treewhispers. It was a tree cross-section with an outer ring made of folios to represent the self-healing process a tree truck undergoes when it loses a limb.
Her contributed round as seen here, was inspired by the sight of plastic bags entangled in tree branches—a sight that really irritates her—and me, quite frankly. While Treewhipers invitation is for handmade paper, this is one out of the box that I simply must include.
One of the last exhibits that I saw with my mom before she graduated from this life, was one that we happen to stroll through at the Sioux City Art Center. An artist rendered graphite images of delicate fly-away plastic bags tangled in tree branches, barbed wire fences—where ever they happened to be captured. With this image—the time, the winds, the sounds, the place—were all documented. I wish I could remember the artist’s name. It was a fascinating exhibit. Although I too despise the plastic floating in the environment, I can’t help but think of those precious moments that I shared with my mom—observing another’s observations of the world—just as it was. It’s about connections, you know…
Photo by Pamela Paulsrud
Photo by Pamela Paulsrud
