video by Evan Zott

About

This is a culmination of works based in hand-papermaking, using paper pulp I made out of an invasive grass that grows in both the greater Detroit area and in Grand Marais, Minnesota (and collected in both places). This material is, like the memories I hold, the common thread between these two places for me: one I call home now, and one my mother's family called home for many years. I went on to visit Grand Marais often with my mother until her grandparents passed away when I was in my teens. It is a place that holds magical memories for me -- the mythic kind that only children can create.

These works are a collection of reflections in paper created during and following my residency at Talking Dolls, when I drove to Grand Marais to visit remembered outdoor spaces and collect this grass to make paper. This was done in the midst of a time when I could not actually see my mother due to the covid pandemic. With vaccines on the rise, we hope to reunite soon... but at the time of this opening, it will have been over a year and four months since we were last together.

Gratitudes

To Griffin Davis, my husband, for helping me fabricate all of the steel components in this show. Not only this, but he has helped me do some of the more physically difficult parts of papermaking that I have found harder to do since becoming pregnant with our child. Thank you for being a collaborator.

To Zofia Pietrowicz, for traveling to Grand Marais with me, being the most wonderful pandemic company, helping me design the vinyl and show cards for this show, and keeping me company during the making of much of the paper that is in this show. This list of gratitudes for you I have is endless.

To Meg Heeres, for generously letting me use your Hollander beater to process the plant fibers I needed to make the various papers I’ve used over the last year. Without access to this tool or your wealth of knowledge, I would have had to find another medium altogether!

To Chel Anderson, a plant ecologist and botanist in the North Shore of Minnesota who helped me to select Reed Canary Grass for this project — and even helped me find it on our trip to Minnesota.

To Ruth Pszwaro at the Grand Marais Artist Colony for connecting me with Chel, and for welcoming me for a visit to the Colony when we were in Grand Marais. I was so sad not to be able to come for the residency this year due to the pandemic, but I am grateful to you nonetheless. I look forward to the rescheduled residency in 2022!

To my colleagues at The Roeper School for your amazing support of my practice. I never thought I could have my cake and eat it too — teach full time, which I love dearly, AND maintain a rich art practice. Thank you.

To Talking Dolls for the space to work, the opportunity to show my work, and for the wonderful conversations. This residency experience has been an incredibly meaningful one.