Opening Reception:
September 2, 2005 from 6-9pm

Entries were juried by Chicago artist and educator, Melissa Jay Craig, who holds an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she was a Merit Scholar and an Anna Louise Raymond Fellow. She has taught at Artists’ Book Works, the Newberry Library, The School of the Art Institute, Loyola University, Pyramid Atlantic and in many other schools and art centers around the country.

In her juror statement Ms. Craig comments: "I enjoyed the opportunity to view the many excellent entries, regardless of the source of the paper. I chose what I felt were the best examples of the range of work before me: collage, mixed media, sculpture, installation and many, many artists' books. The works that is included appealed to me for their wit, resonance or beauty and their well-considered conception and execution. I ended up wishing I had a much larger gallery to fill."

The exhibition opens on September 2nd with an artist reception from 6 - 9 pm at Woman Made Gallery.

Exhibiting Artists: Barbara Barnes Allen, Sibylla Benatova, Ilse Bolle, Nichol Brinkman, Rose Camastro-Pritchett, Rose Ann Chasman, Susanne Clawson, Jenn Dierdorf, Eileen Downes, April Flanders, Mary Gaynier, Michèle Guichard, Karen Hanmer, Barbara Harman, Laura C. Hewitt, Lois James, Kathy Kadlubowski, Linda Lemon, Beili Liu, Crystal McCann, Anne Q. McKeown, Monika Meler, Susan Metcalf, Betsy R. Miraglia, Hanne Niederhausen, Leah Oates, Linnea Paskow, Anna Plesset, Elizabeth Rhoads Read, Sally Rose, Lisa Switalski, Jennifer Weigel, Ellie Winberg, Jia Zhang

Image: 'Powder Circles’ wax paper and flour, 6’ diameter by Beili Liu

Melissa Jay Craig’s interesting work, '...a Memoir' as pictured here, is composed on the outside of cast and hand shaped unbeaten kozo with walnut dye and acrylic stain. The intricate sculpture includes text which is on internally sized semi-translucent abaca; sumi ink calligraphy overdyed with acrylic stain, methylcellulose and walnut dye; sewn to flax- wrapped hemp cords with inserts of shaped walnut dyed kozo at tail, and inserts of shaped walnut dyed and acrylic stained kozo with tiny attached acrylic stained abaca pages with sepia calligraphy at head; various linen threads and cords.

Artwork from the Paperwork Invitational will be on exhibit through September 29, 2005.

(Image: '... Memoir' - mixed media, handmade paper, 72 x 14 x 26” by Melissa Jay Craig)

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"I draw upon nature and utilize the simplest of materials. These pieces exude recesses, secret hiding places that pull one in for shelter. My work involves varying texture and illusive lights interspersed with minute details, concentrating on the forcefulness of dark areas and the contrast between spaces. My philosoophy is to immerse myself in textures and tones to express the intensity of emotions."

Exhibiting Paper Artists:
Wanrudee Buranakorn, Sandra Golbert, Elizabeth Rhoads Read, Zareen Sirajullah, Rachel Slick

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Initiated by Catherine Trzybinski the project invites individuals to express their idea about peace, through drawing and writing, hand papermaking and bookmaking. Since the inception of OBPP in 2003, over 1000 individuals have contributed a page to the book and it has grown to be over two football fields in length. The pages contain writings in English, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Japanese, German and many more languages, as well as illustrations in pen and ink, pencil and brush and hand carved stamps.

Be a co-creator and create your own page while chapters of the Peace Book are on display. For more information visit www.openbookpeaceproject.org

Woman Made Gallery is supported in part by grants from the Illinois Arts Council a state agency, by a CityArts Program II grant from the City of Chicago, Department of Cultural Affairs, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Polk Bros Foundation and by the generosity of its members and contributors.

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Woman Made Gallery is a tax-exempt, not for profit organization founded in 1992. Its goal is to support women in the arts by providing opportunities, awareness, and advocacy. It specifically accomplishes this through monthly thematic exhibitions which raise public awareness and recognition of women's cultural contributions.