Paper is a substance most of us take for granted, but that is not true for artists who are papermakers. For them, paper is a versatile medium that can be shaped into an array of art forms. The community is invited to see and learn more about these beautiful art creations at the Guild of Papermakers’ exhibition, “Paper Awareness PDQ!,” at Montgomery County Community College’s Fine Arts Center Gallery, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell from May 21 through June 29.

A mingle-with-the-artists reception will be held on Sunday, June 2, at 1 p.m. Both the exhibition and the reception are free and open to the public – everyone is welcome.

This exhibition exemplifies the many voices of paper as an art form, from 2D to 3D pieces, pure-paper creations to mixed media works, and paper arts small and large.  Organized in a few short weeks (PDQ!), the aim of this exhibition is to increase appreciation of the artistic and creative possibilities of this simple material.  

The Guild traces its history back to North America’s first paper mill in Historic Rittenhouse Town (Germantown, Philadelphia), which gave birth to a strong community of artists working in and with handmade paper. In 1991, these artists, who had been taking a variety of papermaking workshops at this beautiful, historic setting, gathered together to form the Guild of Papermakers. 

The Guild’s mission is to promote papermaking as an art form through exhibitions and public education, and to provide artistic and technical support among its members. With a cohesive membership of 60-80 people, it offers support, inspiration, and idea-sharing between both newcomers and seasoned papermakers within the community.  The Guild holds member exhibitions throughout the tri-state area, hosts workshops with guest artists, and organizes educational field trips to professional papermakers, book arts fairs, paper mills, and binderies. 

For more information about the exhibition, contact Galleries Director Patrick Rodgers at 215-619-7349 or  prodgers@mc3.edu. In addition, like and follow us on Facebook for details about upcoming performances and art exhibitions.

The Fine Arts Center Gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Special weekend hours for this exhibition run from 10 a.m. -3 p.m. on Saturdays from June 1-29. Parking is available in the lot at the DeKalb Pike entrance.