Paper looms large at the Woodson Art Museum. Both the Museum and the community have their roots in the lumber industry. Current exhibitions celebrate origami artists – magicians who work their wonders with paper.
Robert J. Lang – an expert paper sculptor who transforms single sheets of square paper into mesmerizing 3D creatures – will lead public programs during his Museum residency, Saturday and Sunday, February 22-23. His artwork is in all three origami exhibitions on view through March 1. One of those three, FaunaFold, features dozens of Lang’s origami works, filling a gallery.
Visiting groups of all ages and stages create origami art using brightly hued papers. Perhaps because I grew up in the shadow of paper mills that fueled the local economy, I once considered mills to be the genesis of all paper. I didn’t consider the fascinating and ancient art of handmade papermaking until I began my art museum career.
Origamido® handmade paper, from the studio of artists Michael G. LaFosse and Richard Alexander, is showcased in several of Robert J. Lang’s works. Sixty koi serenely swim up the expanse of a gallery wall – the distinctive red, orange, and black coloration embedded in the specially designed Origamido paper.
Celebrate the art of paper throughout the days ahead:
- Happy birthday today to Abraham Lincoln, also commemorated on President’s Day, February 17.
Mark Wagner, Hello from Tokyo, 2015, currency collage on panel
- Make and send a Valentine’s Day card, to brighten a special someone’s February 14.
- Visit the Museum to join Robert J. Lang’s presentation, From Paper to Steel: Origami in Other Media, on Saturday, February 22, 1-2pm, followed by his gallery walk, 2:30-3:30pm.
- Create origami sculpture and share hands on art in Art Park, the Museum’s family interactive gallery. Woodson Art Museum admission is always free – not a single paper dollar required, but contributions are always greatly appreciated.
