paperMakers: The People Behind Paper–Mary Seol, B.Arch24

One of my favorite parts of working at the RCW Museum of Papermaking has to be all the people I get to collaborate with and encounter. The core team of the museum itself is small but mighty, composed of Virginia (museum director), Anna (education curator), and Jerushia (exhibits coordinator). 

I frequently converse with Jerushia about the upcoming fall exhibition on cardboard. I have continued to progress with text for the title wall and have begun the final iteration at full scale. I am hopeful about the exhibition’s potential to remind audiences on how frequently we encounter cardboard in our daily lives and ways in which it can be reused.

Aside from the cardboard exhibition, Virginia taught me how to use PastPerfect– the software used by the museum to digitally catalog the collections. Within the past year, the collections room underwent a renovation after a flood damaged the space. Although the new facility is complete, the collections are in disarray with some artifacts suffering damage. One of my goals for the summer was to assist in sorting, recording damage, and rehousing artifacts. As the RCW Papermaking Museum is home to over 100,000 paper related artifacts and tools, I doubt this is a task that I alone can finish or come close to completing during the fellowship; however, I still hope to help facilitate any organizing or repairing that is urgently needed.

One fun discovery in PastPerfect was an entry of old red envelopes made of hanji (Korean traditional paper).

In collections, I am fortunate enough to work with Ann once a week. Ann worked as a book conservator at Emory University, so it has been an incredible experience shadowing her – especially as I know little about the field of paper conservation.

This week, I learned about how sensitively paper responds to humidity. One of the museum’s artifacts was squished while rolled up as a scroll during the move; to be stored in a better manner, it needed to be flattened. By enclosing the artifact in a container with damp blotters, we created an environment that slowly released moisture. Over time, one could see the paper lose its memory of the curl. The next step was to then carefully remove the artifact, gently unroll it, and place weights evenly over the surface for the paper to forget the memory of the curl. 

Recently, I was able to travel off site with Anna to help with a paper production workshop at the Decatur Public Library. Here I also met Colleen, a librarian and fellow papermaker with a background in book arts. The workshop was a treat to help lead; we were able to teach children how to make paper, many of whom had never made paper before.

Unlike workshops hosted at our museum that are generally condensed (to allow for guests to leave with dry sheets of paper), the participants at the library got to hang wet sheets to dry outside in the sun. Because the sheets were made in a less industrial manner, there was an additional step of placing the stack of wet sheets and felts (called a post) between wooden boards. The children then stood on top to squeeze extra water out. It was quite beautiful to see rows of clothesline with freshly made sheets of paper. I also enjoyed the special inclusions sprinkled into the vat; we added lavender and shredded Euros to make each sheet unique.

I find that workshops are potentially one of the most successful methods of engaging and educating audiences, young and old. I am hopeful programming will continue to pique interest in paper and papermaking.

Seeing/Site in Volta Region – Kwanyako, Ghana – Denzel Amoah, MLA Landscape Architecture 2024.

Today (Thursday, August 1st) marks a little over the halfway point of my internship with the Ghanaian Youth Environmental Movement (GYEM). It has been an interesting experience so far with tons of ups and downs but some of the most major highlights thus far has been visiting GYEM, and their sister-org, Wild Rain’s agroforestry sites. As of today, I have been able to visit GYEM’s site twice and Wild Rain’s site once, with each visit being more informative than the last.

My original visit to GYEM Agroforestry site started with an early 2 hour drive to Volta Region located in the South-Eastern part of Ghana. For the moments I was awake, the ride was extremely scenic and really allowed me gain more insights to Ghana’s vast rainforest landscape. Driving over Volta Lake was an amazing experience in particular because it allowed me to finally place an image to a location I have only ever heard about in stories through my parents. We slowly approach a small village located around one singular main road and a calabash tree, which for me served as a landmark.

GYEM’s specific site for the Agroforestry work that they have been doing was located much further behind the village. The site was only accessible by walking through thickets on a red dirt path. It’s currently rainy season here in Ghana, which is when the the coastal portion of the country experiences the most rainfall, so this red dirt road was lined with areas of water subtle movement and accumulation.

Arriving at the site was a nice experience and I was able to see that there was a lot already happening in terms of developing the site as an agro-forest. This original visit was primarily a site introduction so I spent a majority of my time there walking around and viewing the different physical structures, participating in the production activities and meeting with the local workers on site. The second, more recent visit, consisted of more site documentation. I was taking lots of site notes/measurements and was accompanied by a duo who operated a drone that aided in documenting the site for plan drawings to be developed for GYEMs usage.

The other site, owned by Wild Rain was located in a more difficult to access condition. Wild Rain’s site is located on top of a mountain the site behind the main village. Accessing this site was such a terrifying experience and is a walk that the people who labor on this site are constantly taking. The only path to access the site was an extremely narrow dirt walk the scaled up the side of the mountain. This path only allowed for people to walk behind one another. Despite it being an extremely narrow and humbling walk, there were a lot of amazing views that I was able to stop an enjoy upon this upward climb toward the mountain-top agroforestry site.

Upon arriving, the mountain top was dotted with corn plants that surrounded a singular makeshift shed. This small patch of corn was located right next to what other GYEM team members referred to as the Sacred Forest. When doing site documentation we were warned repeatedly to not document the Sacred Forest through image or through drawing. The day continued with more site exploration but that was a primary highlight for me. In reference to the Sacred Forest in particular, I found it really inspiring how traditions are maintained and respected despite global modernization.

Partners in Tijuana River Action Month (TRAM) – Maria Lopez Vazquez – Landscape Architecture 2026

My work with Lorena Warner-Lara has allowed me to participate in planning the Tijuana River Action Month (TRAM), and it’s incredible how many ideas come up during these sessions. Besides the brainstorming and collaborations between organizations, there is a lot of resource sharing. In this meeting, we were hosted by Living Coast, where we set up our in-person meeting and were able to interact with the partner participants in person.

Besides enhancing the estuary and community outreach, every organization has its specific focus within the reserve, to mention a few:

I have been a member of San Diego Audubon for years, and it was nice to invite them to join forces with Tijuana River Estuary to raise awareness of the many birds that inhabit the estuary year-round and its importance in the Pacific flyway for migratory birds. I was pleasantly surprised to see my friend Karina Ornelas planning fantastic events for the birds and community.

In the last meeting, I spoke with Lynn Reizer-Heftmann, the president of The Tijuana River Valley Equestrian Association (TRVEA), and learned so much about horses and the importance of trail etiquette: Since the trails are used by horse riders, pedestrians, and cyclists, it is vital to understand how to interact with each when encountering them at the same trail. Horses are beautiful animals that need their space.

I am fortunate to be in an organization where it is easy to ask questions and meet new people and how this network grows.

The First Page of a New Chapter–Mary Seol, B.Arch24

Hello from Atlanta! Summer back home has been wonderfully busy at the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking. 

My time began with orientations around the facility, which includes: galleries and exhibition space, a classroom for workshops, the rare book library, and collections. Check out the GIANT Samson Paper Press in the lobby and Mr. Papermaker in the museum’s permanent collection gallery. Within my first week I was assisting with papermaking workshops for tours. I was pleasantly surprised by the range of ages visiting the museum from young elementary to adult. 

The museum defines paper as meeting three qualities: paper must be made of plant material, macerated or beaten into a pulp, which is then (dispersed in water and) pulled into a sheet with a mould. During tours, guests are challenged to examine the role of paper in our lives. This is always one of my favorite moments as I can see visitors slowly realizing how frequently we encounter paper every day, ranging from books to cardboard boxes to currency. I believe the combination of tours and workshops where guests physically pull their own sheets of paper challenge the museum audiences to reconsider paper– both traditions and industries behind its production, and its possibilities as a healthier, renewable, and reusable alternative to other materials. 

I was also excited to contribute my architectural knowledge by helping to model and draft the museum’s gallery spaces. For this project, a trusty tape measure and a laser measuring tool quickly helped me record measurements of the space. As it was my first time using SketchUp, I was quite nervous. Fortunately, I found myself quickly acquainting with the program. It was quite rewarding to later virtually tour a team of artists preparing for a 2025 exhibition, where I walked them through the gallery remotely. Hopefully, these models and plans will remain with the museum to aid in exhibition planning. Perhaps in the future, I may even host a workshop where I teach SketchUp to interested museum staff and volunteers.

Another exciting event was the virtual talk by guest artists James Ojascastro and Cekouat Elim León Peralta. Throughout the summer, the museum is hosting a series of virtual talks in conversation with its Bark Rhythms exhibition, featuring both traditional and contemporary pieces and artists on bark paper and bark cloth from around the world (Mexico, Hawaii, the Polynesian Islands, Indonesia, and Uganda). It was insightful to hear the artists discuss the role workshops and art played with engaging in their communities and their botany research on the traditional plants used for amate. For those interested, you can watch a recording of the talk, browse the museum website to watch other past talks, or register for the final talk of the Bark Rhythms virtual series on Hiapo from Niue & Hawaiian Barkcloth (August 07, 2024).

In the upcoming weeks, I will be learning and collaborating with the team on the upcoming fall exhibition on cardboard. We have started brainstorming fonts for the title wall, which I drafted into quick iterations on Illustrator and made a physical test with scrap cardboard. I’m looking forward to settling in more with the team, the space, and diving into the collections in the future. 

Getting everyone together -Maria Lopez Vazquez -Landscape Architecture 2026

These past weeks have been inspiring. 

I helped support the workshop in developing protocols and strategies for binational emergency response for Mexican decision-makers. 

Government officials from different levels, non-profit organizations, and additional local stakeholders participated in a workshop to develop best practices for responding to emergencies involving flooding and landslides in the nearby urban canyons.

Listening to every work table conversation was exciting. People identified issues and informed one another with their expertise on how conditions could be improved. It was nice to humanize government officials, doing their best to collaborate and understand issues they were unaware of. 

Due to my language skills, I felt very appreciated and able to contribute. Besides my boss, I am the only one on the team who speaks fluent Spanish. I had met many participants before and was able to address questions and concerns about the activities.

Tijuana River Action Month (TRAM) is in September and is dedicated to action and advocacy with the community and local partners. It was great to support and facilitate the first meeting, where we identified what possible events to host, who the partners are, and how we are going to engage the community on both sides of the border. 

The second meeting is approaching, and I’m eager to hear what activities the partners have in mind.

The Grand Brainstorming – Alex Hogue, BRDD Illustration 2026

Hello! I’m super excited to update! Over the past couple of weeks, I have gotten into a good rhythm with The Grand Adventure; I’ve learned a lot more about the organization and its various programs, and I’ve been brainstorming what form my project should really take!

I’ve made quite a few smaller illustrations over the past weeks and explored visual communication related to my interests in scientific illustration, but I haven’t quite felt like my work was as impactful as I wanted it to be. So, I’ve started really thinking about the organization’s program and what might make a tangible impact in the program and the children’s experience. What has really stuck out to me is the impact that can be made through the act of art making itself…  

The in-person programming hasn’t quite begun yet for the summer, but “Boundless” has been in full swing. Boundless is the virtual pediatric program with interactive patient-directed experiences and flexible programming that support children who are unable to travel due to ongoing cancer treatment. This program involves partnering with various local organizations based in Jackson Hole and Yellowstone such as the National Elk Refuge, Avalanche Dogs, The National Museum of Wildlife Art, and much more. For kids who may be “bound” to their hospital room or home due to treatment, this program is incredibly accessible.

However, even though this program is quite engaging with the interactive staff who guide the children through the virtual experience, there are certainly limitations to this virtual format, and I’ve been brainstorming ways to make this program more interactive and hands-on for the kids. Inspired by one of the children who spontaneously decided to create an illustration of the wildlife during one of the Boundless sessions (see pic in my last post), I’ve come up with the idea to create some sort of coloring book that relates to the Wyoming landscape and topics of the programming. I think art can be a powerful tool, and this way, the children can engage with the program more actively and even continue to engage with it once a session is over!

Another exciting thing I was able to be a part of was celebrating one of the kid’s final cancer treatments! I was able to meet her on the Boundless sessions, and she has been a part of The Grand Adventure programs for the past couple of years. It was so exciting to see the impact that this program has had on her and the network of people in the organization who care about her and have supported her throughout the years. To celebrate the end of her treatment, she chose her favorite organization to do a special celebratory program just for her! She chose the Teton Raptor Center, which makes sense because she knows so much about raptors!! (meanwhile I didn’t even know what a raptor technically was before this… but it is a bird of prey, like hawks, eagles, falcons, and owls) Anyway, I once again learned so much! But to celebrate, I made a little raptor illustration for her, which she loved – again art can make an impact.  

I look forward to continuing being a part of The Grand Adventure this summer and working to bring art to their amazing programs!! I will be traveling to the mountains for the in-person program– Inspiration Point– this week, and I look forward to updating with everything I see and do and exploring how this might shape the work I create in the future!

Touching Ground in Ghana – Denzel Amoah, MLA Landscape Architecture 2024.

This Monday officially marks the third week I have been in Accra, Ghana working in partnership with the Ghanaian Youth Environmental Movement (GYEM) and it has been an interesting journey so far. I landed in Accra the night of June 8th and was greeted by a relative who I hadn’t seen since I was much younger. After this reunion I was taken to Achimota, the peri-urban area of Accra that I would be stationed in for the summer. 

This first week was one in which I felt myself begin to acclimate to what it means to be an Accra local. This meant adjusting my relationship to time in terms of both recovering from jet-lag as well as coming to terms with what locals call GMT (Ghanaman Time). Different from the Greenwich Mean Time Zone allocation, Ghanaman Time refers to how lateness is typical and to be expected. I found this frustrating at first but also came to terms with the fact that I should not be imposing my Western relationship with time and promptness onto others.

Outside of my very much needed adjustment period, the first week consisted of not only meeting with the GYEM team and getting an understanding of what the summer would look like but also exploring the many different parts of Accra. 

Being a part of the operations at GYEM has been an insightful experience so far. GYEM is really active in local climate and pollution advocacy efforts and being able to experience the gravity of their work firsthand was empowering. I was able to attend two major climate and pollution events that GYEM had been a part of. The event titled “Kokuromotie for Climate Awards and Climate for Peace Dialogue took place at the British Council located in Accra near its National Theatre. This event consisted of a discussion panel of different experts and community stakeholders ranging from artists to ecologists. The event was followed by a speech given by Joshua Alabi, a member of former President Mahama’s cabinet, about climate change and the futurity of Ghana. The second conference, Climate Ghana Conference 2024, took place later that weekend at the Accra World Trade Center in which similar discussions regarding climate action took place. One major difference between this CGC 2024 and Kokuromotie was that there were more community organizations present which allowed me to gain an understanding for the wide array of different types of climate change based organizations in Accra. 

Outside of working with GYEM and adjusting to the local GMT, Accra has been a wonderful city and I have been enjoying connecting with the local artists and designers.

The Welcome Week and Beyond-Maria Lopez Vazquez -Landscape Architecture 2026

As a Maharam Fellow with the Tijuana River National Estuary Research Reserve (TRNERR), I hit the ground running. 

After a great intro-briefing meeting with my Mentor, Ana Xochitl Eguarte, the Binational Liaison for TRNERR, I was up to date on the multiple projects and activities on the radar for the next couple of weeks.

One of the first events I attended was a think tank on binational education led by a California Assembly member. I was happily surprised by the efforts and incentives local institutions, private and public alike, are setting up to facilitate transborder education. They acknowledge the rich tapestry of experiences coming out of the region and want to promote and facilitate it. 

In my second week, I witnessed the culmination of years of collaborations with different non-profits to create recycled products sourced from local waste. This project was featured in the 2024 San Diego-Tijuana World Design Capital. 

This week, I am turning a technical trash characterization report into a readable and user-friendly document that everyone can understand. The trash that is affecting the Estuary is the same kind that can be upcycled into these amazing products. This flyer is geared towards raising awareness in the community.  

It has been an amazing start. I’ve met many people who love the San Diego -Tijuana region and are working on improving it, it’s all about collaboration from different fields, and It’s comforting and inspiring.

The Grand Beginning – Alex Hogue, BRDD Illustration 2026

Happy Summer! I am super excited to write about my initial experiences working with The Grand Adventure this summer! 

The Grand Adventure is a non-profit that offers a variety of in-person and virtual programs and support for pediatric and adult cancer survivors in the beautiful natural environment of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. To begin my experience, I have been meeting with the wonderful staff and organizers of organization, and I was able to attend the most recent session of the Boundless program, a virtual interactive program for pediatric cancer patients who are unable to travel or leave the hospital. This program is a way for all patients to be included in the immersive environment of the Grand Teton National Park! Each session is a unique experience in collaboration with one particular aspect of the amazing wildlife and nature in Yellowstone. The session I attended was hosted by the National Elk Refuge. Led by Kari, the Education and Outreach Coordinator, we walked through the elk refuge and saw so much incredible wildlife and nature! It was incredibly engaging, and I too learned so much that I didn’t know before! 

Just a few fun facts I learned:

1. Almost all animals, including bears, love to snack on dandelions!
2. While the majority of bird species have vibrantly colored males in contrast to “duller” females, both male and female geese look nearly identical in coloring due to the fact that they “co-parent” the young geese.
3. The National Elk Refuge gets between 5,000 and 8,000 elk during the winter months! But, during the summer months, they see much fewer because the elk prefer to stay high up in the mountains where it is safer from predators and much cooler.

While we didn’t see any elk during the session, we did see a variety of native birds, many adorable ground squirrels, and so much gorgeous natural scenery. I was also able to meet some of the children, and I was incredibly impressed with all of their insightful questions about the Elk Refuge. 

I feel like this was a wonderful introduction to what The Grand Adventure is all about, and I look forward to being involved in more of the programs and learning more in the upcoming months!

I am also beginning to work on some illustrations! I have been meeting with Bree and Stacey (two of the primary coordinators of the non-profit), and we discussed the importance of capturing the mission and values of the programs through illustrations and visuals since photographs can’t capture the essence of their programs. (Photographs can also not often even be used due to HIPPA restrictions.) Especially for an audience of children, but even for adults too, visuals can be a powerful means of providing an understanding of the program that paragraphs cannot. To begin my work, I will create a visual that captures the Boundless Program based on my experience attending. I am also super excited to create a celebratory illustration for one of the children who is finishing up her cancer treatment soon!

I look forward to sharing what I work on in the coming weeks!