BY OUR OWN LABOR
The History and Contemporary Field of Hand Papermaking

July through December 2024
JCBA Book Arts Gallery & Lobby

For many centuries, prior to the invention of machine-made paper in 1799, all paper was made by hand, by a skilled craftsperson. Today hundreds of artists, craftspeople, historians, conservators, and others make and utilize handmade papers. For our Summer and Fall exhibition we have assembled various paper artifacts, specimens, materials, books, works of art, equipment, and other pieces into a narrative of paper’s long history, from a ubiquitous utilitarian handmade commodity to a diverse realm of artistic experimentation and development. We invite you to come and gain a greater appreciation for the material that has made our world: paper.

By Our Own Labor: The History and Contemporary Field of Hand Papermaking, opens July 9th and runs until December. The exhibition features books and works by the following artists, authors, craftspeople, and historians: Cathleen Baker, Timothy Barrett, Shannon Brock, Michelle Burgess, Kathryn & Howard Clark, Claudia Cohen, Don Cortese, Melissa Jay Craig, Amanda Degener, William Goyen, Walter Hamady, Sarah Horowitz, Dard Hunter & Dard Hunter II, Bill Kelly, Katie MacGregor, Floyd Alonzo McClure, Radha Pandey, Count Harry Kessler’s Cranach Press, Steve Miller, Henry Morris, Amy Richard, Tanya Schmoller, Asao Shimura, Ingrid Schindall, Peter & Donna Thomas, Thomas Keith & Harriet Ramsey Tindale, D. R. Wakefield, Robert Walp, among others. The exhibition was curated by our Studio Coordinator, Daniel Zaccardi.

Did you know you can book a fascinating one-hour artists' books presentation at FAU Libraries' Jaffe Center for Book Arts? And did you know that summer is the very best time of year to do so? Parking is a breeze while the vast majority of our university students are off on summer adventures. That makes JCBA a perfect summer adventure for you and your book club, art club, social group... gather anywhere from 8 to 24 people and we'd love to show you what JCBA is all about. You'll never look at books the same way again. Email JCBA Director John Cutrone (jcutrone@fau.edu) to learn more and schedule your visit!

REAL MAIL FRIDAYS

Every Friday (unless we have to cancel for other virtual events)
2 to 5 PM Eastern
From Wherever You Are, via Zoom

ZOOM LINK & PASSWORD

Here is the link and password for our virtual Real Mail Fridays letter writing socials:
https://fau-edu.zoom.us/j/82597798220?pwd=cmVUbWYyQjJGUVVialJHWjhFdTZVdz09

(And in case you need it, the Meeting ID is 825 9779 8220 and the passcode is Kh51f6.)

Dear Friends,

We've built such a wonderful global community since we began beaming Real Mail Fridays out to the world through our weekly online JCBA Zoom socials, and it is truly humbling and heartwarming to see friends join us each week and new folks, too, from all corners of this vast planet. In that spirit, we have no plans to end our weekly Zoom version of Real Mali Fridays.

Amy Richard's Gallery Talk

Papermaker Amy Richard offered a gallery talk via JCBA Zoom in April. The recording of her talk is available here and at JCBA's Vimeo Channel.