JENNA RODRIGUEZ

Last summer/fall I had a wonderful opportunity to transform an abandoned greenhouse attached to the Wells College Book Arts Center into a functional paper-making studio. The space was calling my name the second I arrived on campus 2 years ago. I slowly began to collect material, receive donations, and build equipment. As last spring semester was coming to an end I received a grant from the Edward Family Foundation to complete the entire transformation. The timing could not have been more perfect. I had simultaneously received approval from the curriculum committee that my Intro. to Paper-making Class proposal was approved for the Fall semester. This allowed me to work on summer in order to get the space prepared for the students. Please enjoy the gallery of photos to see the transformation and the projects that took place during the Fall semester.

Greenhouse Abandoned

Windows Broke

Repainted

New windows being put in

Cleaned out the inside

Make shift paper beater

Harvesting corn & using left overs for paper-making

Visiting Artist Poster

Visiting Artist lecturing about her paper-making garden

Students planting bulbs

seed donations

Planting seeds

Beating Cotton into pulp

Making paper

Cleaning out new paper-making storage room

Staining & sealing shelves for greenhouse

Spent grain Paper

overview of greenhouse

Handmade deckles

Shelves installed

Drying unit built

Organizing

Chopping up plants to make paper from

learning about seaweed that can be used for paper-making

Building tables

Professional paper beater

Everything coming together

Students beating Abaca (banana plant)

Students making shape sheets of paper

Harvesting

Collecting

Collecting sunflowers for sunflower paper

Drying out plants before cooking

Air drying sheets of paper

Cooking Golden Rod

Golden Rod paper

Cooking red onion skins

Red onion skin paper

Officially the home of that paper making studio