ENDORSEMENTS & REVIEWS

“The book presents a compelling, approachable and accessible introduction to the process of papermaking which emphasises its potential to enrich the therapeutic process through repetition, endurance, and resilience. As a reader, I was left feeling inspired and nourished. This book would be a fantastic companion to any art therapist, trainee art therapist, socially engaged artist or community artist who has an interest in narrative reclamation, personal voice, cultural objects, and meaning-making.”

*****

Michael Durgin, Book Review- Hand Papermaking, Volume 39, Number 1 | Summer 2024 [Read the full review here]

Photo & article from the Summer edition of Hand Papermaking Magazine is posted with permission from Hand Papermaking, Inc.

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[Read the full review here]

*****

An emerging question being asked in this book is how the use of papermaking with lived cloth facilitates healing. What does this papermaking add to the visual practice of helping the traumatized brain express itself or societies express communal grief? Drew and Gretchen help us understand this with this book. From their broad experiences in art, activism, and healing, they have gathered a group of artists, educators, art therapists, and community organizers to share their discoveries and pedagogies. Contributors write eloquently about their experiences and discoveries using handmade paper. The synergy of these practices and experiences in socially engaged art making, papermaking and art therapy shows us a way to transform inner narratives that confine functioning in the world.

Eric Avery, M.D., emeritus associate professor, The Institute of Bioethics and Health Humanities, The University of Texas Medical Branch

*****

The 1943 publication Dard Hunter’s classic Papermaking-History and Technique of an Ancient Craft arguably began the renaissance of hand papermaking in North America, a development which, in turn, can be associated with a growing world-wide interest in hand papermaking.  Many specializations have resulted including continued research into traditional papermaking history and technique, the development of entirely new creative methods of making works of art with wet paper pulp or dry handmade papers, research into the permanence and durability of paper, and significant growth in all the book arts (papermaking, fine press printing, calligraphy, and bookbinding).  While many of us do not realize it, amidst all this activity and the international goodwill and exchange it has inspired, another group of papermakers have discovered that traumatized individuals can sometimes experience a cathartic sense of healing by participating in the papermaking process. This simple truth gives hand papermaking immediate significance in contemporary culture. In their very timely The Art and Art Therapy of Papermaking: Material, Methods, and Applications, editors Drew Luan Matott and Gretchen M. Miller have gathered an important series of essays by practitioners who have seen, again and again, how therapeutic the craft can be. This book is essential for anyone who cares about the craft of papermaking, and its ability to help nurture and heal.

Tim Barrett, director emeritus, University of Iowa Center for the Book

*****

This wonderful book is what happens when artists and art therapists get together to rediscover an age-old yet uncommon material. Every aspect of papermaking is described: from how to approach this fascinating medium and invite participants to explore its alchemical potential, to the practical details and endless therapeutic adaptations that can be made. But it doesn’t stop there: More than a book on papermaking, it offers a soul-stirring testimony to the work of reclamation – as people courageously free the fibers of their military uniforms, baby blankets, public records, t-shirts, love and hate letters, and more – to be pulped, recast, and transformed with radical insights that inspire far-reaching transformations in their lives.

Lynn Kapitan, Ph.D., ATR-BC, HLM, professor emerit of graduate and doctoral art therapy and author, Introduction to Art Therapy Research

*****

The Art & Art Therapy of Papermaking is an accessible guide to transforming meaningful materials and experiences into sheets of paper and works of art. An insightful book filled with examples of healing through the papermaking process – the first of its kind!

Helen Hiebert, author, The Papermaker’s Companion, artist, and educator

*****

Serendipity often led contributors to this book to papermaking. Fortunately, readers can engage with papermaking more intentionally and knowledgeably with Matott and Miller’s The Art and Art Therapy of Papermaking as their guide. Teachers, art activists, art therapists, students, and artists of all experience levels will find practical and inspirational material here. The book is replete with examples, instructions, and resources that are relatable and accessible.  The authors have made papermaking, often perceived as too complicated for novice users, approachable by all. Highly Recommended!  

Lisa D. Hinz, Ph.D., ATR-BC author, Expressive Therapies Continuum A Framework for Using Art in Therapy