Papermaking in the Snow

We have started on what will be the final leg of our ten-year project traveling the country as wandering book artists, and our first stop in Moscow has really tested our mettle as book artists, and by that I mean what I say.

Doug Richards Potlach music instructor

The University of Idaho is in Moscow, Idaho, where there has been a show of our artists’ books on display in the special collections library since August. We arrived in town the first week of October to see the show and provide some programming for the library.

Peter and Donna with UI Librarian Ben Hunter

That’s where we were tested: the first thing did was meet with Potlach High School music classes to sing some of our books arts folk songs and talk about our careers as book artists.

Next we spoke at UI to a graduate seminar where we were asked to discuss how being book artists has informed our avocation as musicians.

Following that we gave a gallery talk/lecture in the library about the work in the show, and then finally we met with a evening class of art education students, teaching accordion binding structures they could use with students in the classroom using materials on hand. Whew!

Then the next day when we were demonstrating papermaking in the library courtyard it started to snow. 

Ever make paper standing outside in the snow? We’ll tell you one thing, the water is cold!