2008 Biennial Paper Everywhere Activities by Mary Erickson

2008 Biennial: Paper Everywhere Activities by Mary Erickson Ph. D with art teacher Karla Primosch

Where Does Paper Come From? Look around you right now. What do you see that is made of paper?

There was a time, ages ago, when people did not have paper. They drew on cave walls and made marks on stones, wood, cloth, bark, animal skins and other surfaces. Ancient Egyptians made an early kind of paper from a plant called papyrus, from which the word paper comes. About 2000 years ago, the Chinese invented paper as we know it. Today, paper is made mostly from wood, but also from a wide variety of other fibers, including, cotton, flax, and rice.

Papers can vary a great deal in thickness (weight) and surface texture.

Which of these papers do you think is thinnest? Thickest?

Which of these papers do you think is smoothest? Roughest?

As people grow more and more concerned about preserving precious natural resources, they have found an alternative to making paper directly from wood, cotton, rice, and other natural fibers. Many people save paper to be collected and remade into new paper.

Many businesses, organizations, and schools collect old paper to be recycled into new.

The Tempe Library does its part by selling old books at very low prices rather than throwing them away.

Tempe’s Pyle Adult Recreation Center saves resources by setting aside a place where people can bring in used books and magazines and where other people can borrow them.

Artists are inspired by paper in many ways. Handmade paper by Eldon Katter Artists also do interesting things with paper and recycled materials.

Fausto Fernandez Stephen Johnson Sarah Kriehn Tempe Center for the Arts “Biennial: Paper” exhibition features Arizona artists who work with paper.