Towards a Zero-Waste Studio: Paper-making with Katy Dement

7-Hour Workshop

Date: Saturday, April 20, 2024

Time: 10am-5pm

Description: Take those scraps to a new dimension.

Learn with us as Katy DeMent teaches us how to transform scraps from our fibers studio into handmade paper!

In this class, we will use cotton yarn scraps saved from our weaving classes. (We try to weave every inch, but still, there are bits that fall to the studio floor.) Katy will show us how to work the necessary magic to take those bits of yarn from a trash-bin destiny to a new life as usable and unique paper.

Throughout the process, she will demonstrate sustainable practices, regarding water use and recycled fiber processing. We will discuss DIY equipment while honing our western paper making skills.

You will leave the class with handmade paper and the skills to take this practice to your own home studio! This class is great for everyone interested in paper-making. And, in the process, learn a way to repurpose those “don’t-know-what-to-do-with-it-but-can’t-throw-it-away” yarn and thread bits!

Tuition: $95 + $0 Materials fee

Materials: All materials will be provided but students are encouraged to bring any natural, fibrous materials from their own home and/or studio.

Location: Contemporary Craft (5645 Butler St., Pittsburgh, PA 15201)

Cancellations and Refunds: Workshop cancellations are decided three business days before the start date. If workshops must be cancelled due to insufficient enrollment, the entire class fee will be refunded by check, to your credit card, or Contemporary Craft account for future workshops.

Refund Policy: Student refund requests must be made at least three business days before a class begins. There will be a $25 cancellation fee. No refunds will be given without three-business days notice. Processing of refunds takes approximately three weeks.

If you require accessibility accommodations, please let us know by calling 412.261.7003 and we are happy to assist you.

About the Artist

For my entire life I have been a working artist, organic gardener, and beekeeper. I create handmade paper as a means to an end. Paper art works take the form of: art lighting, shadow box, stationary, books and sculptures all crafted from sustainably collected plants, recycled and invasive fibers.

Each piece is a vignette that holds a visual narrative. Through layers of vintage ephemera, photos and bits of cloth, tales are told. When etched images are included the dialogue begins. Toys, natural and found objects punctuate the story. No material is arbitrary; I am influenced by overlooked materials found in my community, my own back yard. Rusty old tools are mashed together with deconstructed plants; this is where I find humor, combining these unlikely fellows. Often my works invite the viewer to playfully interact with the art work through light and kinetic elements that bring the imagery to life.

Host or Publisher Contemporary Craft