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Through its publications, and its annual meetings and other
means, the Friends will provide a forum to exchange information
and educate its members and the public about the art, craft,
history, science and technology of papermaking, the book arts,
and other diverse interests which captured the imagination
of Dard Hunter (1883-1966). These forums and educational activities
will also promote and encourage the continued and creative
practice of hand papermaking, allied paper arts, the book
arts, and other arts practiced by Dard Hunter. The study of
paper and papermaking, preservation of historical sites and
artifacts, conservation, scientific and technical research
shall all be encouraged.
The Friends' activities are intended to serve as a bridge
between artists, scientists, and the lay public in all of
the above mentioned areas of concern, the collected artifacts,
books, archives, and other materials, which were formerly
called the Dard Hunter Paper Museum (here-after called "the
Dard Hunter Collection"), form the core collection of
the Robert C. Williams Paper Museum in Atlanta,
Georgia. Promoting interest in the collection as an important
part of the world's cultural heritage is central to the Friends'
purpose.
FDH 2008 Annual Meeting
HAWAII CALLS THE FRIENDS
October 23 - 26, 2008
When the airport shuttle pulled up in front of the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort, I could see the young people at the front desk smiling at me. I could see them because there are no walls, no glass, no doors. There is just an overhang from the reception desk to the curb, in case of rain. I saw the ocean spilling over black lava rocks a few yards away, palm trees swaying, heard birds calling, and felt the languid air. Tensions I didn’t know I had were falling away. This was my welcome to Hawaii.
Later I had a chance to climb on the rocks the ocean is crashing against – a view we will each have from our windows. The lava is by turns jagged and smooth, which reminded me to bring my Tevas the next time I went out on them. The tide pools are full of fish: tiny ones in busy schools, bigger fish swimming alone. Crabs skitter across the shoals and chase each other around the rocks. There is a fish that jumps out of the water and skips over it, just like it was a flat rock lobbed from the shore. There are sea urchins that cleverly camouflage themselves with bits of shell (another reason for shoes you can wear in the water.) But by far and away the most amazing sight are the green sea turtles.
The Hawaiian green turtle is a native to these waters and here, at
the Outrigger, they come right in to shore. You see their heads poking up while you are eating your mahi-mahi sandwich and drinking your papaya smoothie (best smoothie I ever had.) You see them when you walk along the coastline, eight or nine basking on the rocks. Going down to the snorkeling beach next to the hotel (some say the best snorkeling on the island) I saw one out of the water and stepped carefully on the lava to get a closer look. Mistaking the back of another for black rock, I almost stepped on it as it munched seaweed in the shallows beneath my feet. With this amazing prehistoric creature not three feet from me I sat down and took out pen and paper to draw. Every once in awhile it would stop nibbling and lift its head out of water. Then I was looking into its big eyes and translucent beak as it spat a stream of water and paid no attention
to me.
This reminds me to say bring your art tools — pencils, pens, watercolors, cameras. The sunsets, water, trees, shadows, flowers, and wildlife are impossibly beautiful. Just the silhouettes at dusk are breathtaking. This is truly paradise for artists.
PRE-CONFERENCE
Which brings me to the pre-conference events. On Wednesday, October 22nd, Marilyn Wold, our site host, is planning to demonstrate the process of preparing Hawaiian plants for papermaking. This includes gathering, stripping, cooking, washing, etc. The fibers will include banana, breadfruit, and Hawaiian kozo (wauke.) This will be at the Donkey Mill Art Center.
Marilyn Wold (right) with Friends and Hawaiian fiber examples
On Thursday, October 23rd, you will have a choice: you can continue working with the fibers prepared on Wednesday and finish making them into paper with Marilyn at Donkeymill. Your other choice is to go to The Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden. While still in the planning stage, the idea is for people to learn to peel and clean wauke bark and pound it into kapa. Participants will make traditional dyes from native plants, learn to carve ohe kapala, the bamboo stamps, and decorate their kapa pieces using the stamps they made, with their dyes, using hala keys as paint brushes (this is a traditional use of the hala tree fruit section, or keys.)
Hawaiian kozo (wauke) plant
PRESENTATIONS
It is too early to say who the speakers will be, but Marilyn has had an enthusiastic response from paper makers in Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, and Japan. This promises to be our most international Friends meeting to date, and a good start on our becoming more connected around the world.
KEEPSAKES & MEMBERS' WORK
Allison Roscoe has already made colorful paste paper envelopes for the keepsakes and we have a new idea for an art show, keeping in mind that shipping costs can be high. Both of these will emphasize smaller work and we encourage you to bring your work and assemble the show/keepsake on the Island. All of the information will be up on the Friends website as soon as we have everything worked out; it will also be in your registration packet to be mailed to current members in July. So save your pennies, pack your sunscreen, and think of ukulele songs you want to hear. Hawaii is bewitching, and it is calling.
Jill Littlewood
Vice President Annual Meetings
jill(at)littlewoodstudios.com
The FDH Executive Committee is pleased to announce the new
Executive Director for the Friends: Betsy Dollar
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