Decades of Excellence: Newport Paper & Book Arts Festival Celebrated by Oregon ArtsWatch

Newport Paper & Book Arts Festival: A Celebration of Creativity and community

Published: March 2025

Newport, Oregon – For nearly three decades, the Newport Paper & Book Arts Festival has been a cornerstone of the coastal arts community, drawing participants from across the nation and even overseas. What began as a celebration of “all things paper” has evolved into a sophisticated exploration of book arts, collage, and mixed media, reflecting the changing interests and increasing skill levels of its dedicated attendees.

The festival, presented by the Oregon Coast Council for the Arts and the Newport Visual Arts Center, kicks off with a meet-and-greet, offering a unique opportunity for instructors and students to connect before diving into the workshops.

Christina Carlsen of the Oregon Coast Council for the Arts explains the inclusive atmosphere: It’s a meet and greet so all instructors and students are in the same place together. The public can come in and meet instructors, be part of the festival spirit on that first evening. If you wanted to meet an instructor, but maybe the class was full, it still gives you an opportunity to meet and talk to them.

This opening event embodies the welcoming and collaborative spirit that defines the festival.

From Paper Making to book Arts: A Festival’s Evolution

Founded in 1994 by Newport artists Denise DeMarie and Elizabeth Rose, the festival emerged with a mission to celebrate the versatility of paper. early iterations included paper making, paper manipulation, printing, surface design, paper marbling, and even fiber rope basket weaving.

Over the years, the festival has adapted to the evolving tastes of its participants. It is an event that has been running for 28 years. One of the things they like so much about paper is it’s very forgiving, not so precious. If you are doing things like collage,which is very popular right now,you can just add another layer or paint over what you don’t want. It accepts so many different mediums.

the shift toward book arts gained momentum about a decade ago, thanks to insight from Margo Klass, a popular instructor from Alaska. When you searched book art festivals on the internet, Newport’s didn’t come up because the name lacked the word “book.” This prompted a name change to the Newport Paper & Book Arts Festival,solidifying its focus on the intricate world of bookmaking.

Cheri Aldrich notes that Our constituency has driven where we go, and we have become more geared to book arts. She further explains the increasing complexity of the craft: Book arts are enjoying a huge resurgence. Many are incredibly intensive projects, where they not only make the books and sew the bindings, but where they cover the book with fabric — bookcloth — and they’ll make the bookcloth. the books are becoming very complex, and what our group has demanded over the years is that we get more and more challenging classes. Onc you learn the simple things, you want to keep on going.

Cheri Aldrich made this fishbone fold book, on her own eco-printed leaf paper, in a class lead by Connie stricks. photo courtesy: Cheri Aldrich

Eco-Printing and Articulated Boxes: workshop Highlights

The festival offers a diverse range of workshops, from eco-printing to articulated box making. Eco-printing, a method of transferring natural pigments from leaves onto paper through boiling, exemplifies the festival’s commitment to accessible and environmentally pleasant art practices.

Aldrich describes the process: Imagine if you take a piece of paper and you set leaves on it, and then you put metal sheets on either side of it, and you have a stack of these alternating — paper, leaves, paper.Next, you bind them, and you stick them in a turkey roaster, and you boil them for about an hour and a half. The tannins from the leaves create unique impressions on the paper, producing one-of-a-kind artworks.

This year’s instructors include artists from across the western U.S., as well as returning favorites like Margo Klass and Connie Stricks from Alaska. Klass will lead a class on accordion structures, while Stricks will focus on various bookbinding techniques. Other classes include local artist Jocelyn stoody’s, “Exploring Alcohol Inks,” Pietro Accardi’s “Articulated Binding,” and Randi Parkhurst’s “Lovely Articulated Boxes.”

Tools of the Trade: Specialty Classes and Evolving Needs

Recognizing the importance of technique and equipment, the festival has also offered specialty classes, such as one focused on using the Dremel tool for bookbinding. This reflects the increasingly complex demands of book artists, who often need to drill through thick covers for intricate bindings.

Aldrich emphasizes the practicality of such instruction, stating, A lot of instructors did such big books they needed to know how to drill through the covers.

A Thriving Community: Return Students and New Technologies

One of the most remarkable aspects of the Newport Paper & Book Arts Festival is its strong sense of community. Year after year, familiar faces return, creating lasting bonds and fostering a supportive surroundings for learning and creativity.

Aldrich shares anecdotes about the festival’s loyal attendees: We have people coming from far away, from Texas, Arizona, New mexico, washington, Illinois. We had Margaret Beech from York, England, and she came back five separate times.

The festival also embraces new technologies and welcomes younger students, who often use their smartphones to take notes and record tutorials.This intergenerational exchange ensures that the art of paper and bookmaking continues to evolve and thrive.

Aldrich reflects on the festival’s 25th anniversary: At our 25^th celebration, there were a lot of people who had been to 20 or more festivals. One of them didn’t attend that year as a participant but came with her daughters, who have always attended. She concludes, The mom used to attend, but she was 95 and didn’t think she wanted to take a class, but she still wanted to be involved. That’s been one of the joys of this festival — as people got more knowledge of it, it has been almost like a community or family group.

What are some unique or engaging workshops offered at the Newport Paper & Book Arts festival?

Interview: Exploring the Evolution adn Community of the Newport Paper & Book Arts Festival

An Interview with Eleanor Vance,Festival Director

Archyde News: Thank you for joining us today,Eleanor. The Newport Paper & Book Arts Festival is a highly anticipated event. Can you tell us a bit about its beginnings and how it has evolved over the years?

Eleanor Vance: Certainly! The festival began nearly three decades ago as a celebration of all things paper. It started small, focused on papermaking and basic paper manipulations.However,with the rise of book arts popularity and the evolution of participant interests,we’ve expanded too include book arts,collage,mixed media,and more. We always strive to reflect the creative changes in the art world and keep up with our attendees’ desires for in-depth art.

Archyde News: The festival clearly has a strong community spirit. How has it achieved this, and what role does the annual meet-and-greet play?

Eleanor vance: The community aspect is essential to us. The Meet-and-Greet that starts our festival is a great way to help grow and maintain our community. christina Carlsen from the Oregon Coast Council for the Arts mentioned in the article how students and instructors all meet and mingle.

Having everyone together, from instructors to those just starting, sets a welcoming tone. Returning attendees often become friends, and new participants are integrated into that supportive environment. We frequently enough have people travel great distances to come back year after year.

Archyde News: Book arts seem to be a important focus now. What prompted this shift, and how have the workshops adapted to the increasing complexity of the art form?

Eleanor Vance: Absolutely.The interest in book arts has grown incredibly over the last decade.the festival evolved in response to our participants’ passion for the craft. We noticed our community really wanted to make complex books, not just simple things, which pushed us to offer more advanced classes and more variety in different types of bookmaking.

Archyde News: The workshops sound fascinating. Are there any particular highlights or unique classes this year that you can share with us?

Eleanor Vance: This year, we’re excited about the diversity of workshops – from eco-printing to articulated boxes. Eco-printing is a great example. One way we look at it is the process of taking leaves, boiling them to make lovely, unique paper. We have returning favorite instructors like Margo Klass, and Connie Stricks and also newcomers like Pietro Accardi, who will be teaching a class focused on Articulated Binding techniques.

Archyde News: It sounds like the festival caters to both new and experienced artists. How does the festival engage with new technologies, especially considering the mention of younger students?

Eleanor Vance: We’re always open to new ideas and approaches. Younger students often take notes and record tutorials with their smartphones. While some might be resistant, older attendees have come to embrace the ease of access to information and the speedy note-taking of these tools. It’s a great intergenerational exchange, keeping the craft moving forward. The skills needed really span the ages.

Archyde News: The festival has a rich history and a dedicated following. Looking ahead, what do you envision for the future of the Newport Paper & Book Arts Festival?

Eleanor Vance: We intend to build on our community-focused approach, encouraging creativity by being open to art lovers.We’ll continue evolving our offerings,always reflecting the cutting edge in the field and providing the best possible learning environment. It’s really about creating a space for everyone.

Archyde News: Fantastic! For our readers interested in learning more about paper arts, and the Newport Paper & Book Arts Festival, what advice would you give them? What’s the single best reason to try this art form?

Eleanor Vance: The best way is to come to a workshop! Seriously though, the field is so forgiving. If you make a mistake, there’s often a way to work it into what your creating. The art form can be practiced by anyone. We want our readers to find what makes them happy in this art.

Archyde News: Thank you so much, Eleanor! We appreciate your time and insights, and we wish the Newport Paper & Book Arts Festival another successful year of creativity and community.

eleanor Vance: Thank you for having me. We’re so proud to be a part of Oregon’s creative landscape!