Our 2022 Artists-In-Residence Are Starting Off With A Bang!

The Morgan Conservatory are pleased to welcome 14 artists into our studios throughout the remainder of this year. Beginning March 1st, we had our artists in our studios. First up is Paula Damm, who has been learning and processes Eastern papermaking techniques. Hear

what Paula has to say about her residency, “I have always been drawn to thread and string as a medium for the creation of structures. When I was introduced to papermaking at the Morgan, I found myself cutting and twisting some of my classroom experiments into strips which I began to incorporate into my weaving. Then I learned about kozo - caring for it in the garden at the Morgan beginning in the Summer of 2021 - stripping and scraping it after harvest at the November 2021 harvest, I found myself fantasizing about making thread from the kozo paper. I am drawn to making thread using kozo but humbly realize that there is no way for me to even come close to the masters who have spent their lives turning paper into a thread called Shifu. I approach this project as a learning path - to make thread/fabric/garment using my background and borrowing in a very basic fashion some of the techniques I have read about from those who make Shifu. Being able to add paper thread to my work, in whatever rudimentary form, will significantly enhance my ability to express the art I create - always making threads to connect us while honoring the world-changing work that flows from the hands of women”. Make sure you are following us on Instagram to keep up with what Paula has been working on under our Instagram Highlight “AIR 2022”.

Next in our studios we have Nancy Halbrooks.

She will be working in our Artlab and bindery to work on her residency projects. Which she will be combining many skills like marbling, box making, and collaging. Hear what she has to say about her art pracrtice here, “From the beginning of the Covid pandemic my artwork took new directions that I would not have imagined before. I started to make boxes based on a workshop that I took through the Morgan Paper Conservatory on French Cartonnage. After making several Icosahedron boxes, a multi faceted open form made from one piece of book board, I expanded into new forms. Crayon Boxes, Nesting Boxes and Box with a Twist. But the Icosahedron form continues to be my favorite. I began marbling three years ago. The work began to move away from creating patterns into making prints from marbling. This is a form of painting on a sized surface and pulling a print from the surface. The application of multiple layers of marbling on one paper is a new direction. And most recently I have begun creating collages. The collage process has been in turn influenced by what I have learned through the box making and includes decorative and marbled papers. The process of creating the collages is intuitive. The work overall is becoming more and more process oriented. This time of pandemic has allowed me to stretch into new subject matter and expanded my skills, techniques and processes. I think of this new practice as a form of solace. It has been a way to share gifts, a way to distract myself from worry and to bring

pleasure to others. It in return has brought me calm and a spiritual practice of creating.” We look forward to welcoming Karen Beckwith at the end of this month in our print studio!

Intrigued by their art practice? The Morgan Conservatory will be hosting our first artist talk of the year with Paula and Nancy April, 1st @ 5pm. Both artists will be talking in depth about their time with us and their practices, as well as answering any burning questions the audience may have. This artist talk will be in-person in our gallery. This event is free, but we are asking interested individuals to RSVP on our website, which you can do here.

We can’t for all the talent to unfold at the Morgan this year. Our Artist Residencies are made possible by generous support from the Windgate Foundation, we can't thank you enough! Make sure you are following us on social media to stay up top date on all things AIR.