Confluence: Twelve Collaborations - Exhibition at Morgan Conservatory

Exoskeleton by Pam McKee and Kyle Holland

This unique exhibition pairs twelve highly accomplished American papermakers with printmakers, calligraphers, and surface designers of their choosing to generate collaborative pieces that range from prints to books and every medium in between, allowing these pairings to foster the production of unique art forms borne out of the creative efforts of both artists.

“For over two thousand years, handmade paper has been used primarily as a substrate for the transmission of information in text form, for visual images, and for furniture,” said Tom Balbo, Artistic Director of the Morgan Conservatory. “This show speaks to the nature of handmade paper and its ability to be an art form by highlighting multiple techniques and traditions as well as variances of scale.” Balbo added, “Each pairing had the challenge of incorporating both the papermaker’s and the artist’s individual sense of the craft to create inventive works that best demonstrate a melding of the two minds. We hope the exhibition showcases many, if not all, forms that handmade paper can take in this digital age, where the craft of papermaking is having a genuine resurgence.”

Confluence: Twelve Collaborations opens Friday, August 12th through Friday, September 16th at the Morgan – 1754 E. 47th St., Cleveland, OH 44103. The opening night reception starts at 6:30 p.m. For additional viewing hours and information visit morganconservatory.org.

About The Morgan Conservatory
The Morgan Conservatory is the largest arts center in the United States dedicated to every facet of papermaking, book arts and letterpress printing and to cultivating the talents of established and emerging artists. An international destination that is free and open to the public, the Morgan Conservatory is a working studio, gallery and gathering place for the community, educational hub and purveyor of some of the finest handmade papers in the world.

Since opening to the public in 2008, the Morgan Art of Papermaking Conservatory and Educational Foundation has been a rising star in the Cleveland arts community and the papermaking world. The Morgan Conservatory’s 15,000-square-foot converted industrial space is home to professional and aspiring artists dedicated to the ancient art of papermaking, book arts and letterpress printing. The Morgan Conservatory has been transformed into an art facility with studios, an 85 foot double-wall gallery, as well as a space for community events, and a unique kozo garden was installed to grow fiber for specialized papers.