Rags to Riches: 25 Years of Paper Art By Dieu Donne Papermill

April 2, 2002 – June 30, 2002

Thirty-eight artists who have made art at the Dieu Donne Papermill in New York City were selected to celebrate its 25th anniversary with an exciting exhibition beginning its national tour at the Kresge Art Museum. Among these artists were Chuck Close, Lesley Dill, Jim Dine, Robert Gober, Christy Rupp, Sandy Skoglund, and Richard Tuttle.

Since its founding in 1976, more than 500 artists have worked at this unique not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping artists make art in handmade paper and to exploring its potential. To this end, Lynda Benglis, Alan Shields, and Michelle Stuart, who have worked with paper for many years, were commissioned to execute collaborative, exploratory projects with the studio. These projects were a core focus of this colorful and unusual exhibition, in which many of the 80-plus pieces are three-dimensional works that hang or stand in the round. The guiding principle of the artistic selection was that the artwork be created in the paper, not simply applied to it like a print.

Tours of “Rags to Riches” included a paper making activity and investigation of innovative use of handmade paper by artists.