Collections and Conservation–Mary Seol, B.Arch24

The past few weeks have been filled with lovely finds from collections. Some are simply beautiful, such as these black and white photos shot on film of suminagashi: Japanese paper marbling. They are estimated to be images from the 70s or 80s of Mr. Fukuda, possessor of an “intangible cultural property” designation. 

Some artifacts are toxic and dangerous, like paper samples we found that were pigmented with arsenic! In particular, many older artifacts used pigments or materials common during their era and regions, only for us to later realize the danger of the materials. In cases such as this, we relocated, rehoused, and labeled the artifact for safe future handling. (Below: arsenic green!)

During my time at the museum, I have learned a lot about the chemistry behind paper and the efforts it takes to preserve aging paper. Quality paper has high cellulose content, which is why certain plants and fibers (cotton, paper mulberry, hemp, etc) create better paper than others (cactus, cabbage, wood). Hydrogen bonding between cellulose joins fibers together to create strong sheets.

Most paper today is industrially made from trees, using wood pulp.

Fun fact: The idea to use trees to make paper began after French entomologist René Réaumur observed paper wasps creating their nests. These insects chew up wood into a pulp that is used to build a remarkably strong paper nest. 

The tricky thing about using trees to make paper is that wood contains only about 50% cellulose (as opposed to cotton, which is about 94% cellulose). Trees also contain lignin, which helps provide structure and stiffness for trees to grow tall and strong. For industrial paper mills, sulfur is used to remove lignin from wood pulp. However cheaper, low-quality papers often contain lignin (ex. newsprint). Notice in the artifacts below, the younger book (right) is already yellowing because it was made with wood pulp. Despite being about 300 years older, the paper in the book on the left is much higher quality and in better condition.

Because lignin increases the acidity of paper, it causes sheets to yellow and become brittle over time. Think of cheap, old paperback books with yellowing pages. In collections, we have to protect brittle sheets with acid free folders and deal with leeching from any acidic sheets. So far, it has been an amazing opportunity to learn about (paper) conservation, and I am hopeful about the museum’s plans to grow their materials library to serve as a resource for researchers and students. Currently, the materials library is mostly paper sample books and fiber samples, but as an architecture student I could easily imagine it expanding to include paper building products.

Eagerly looking forward to the future of this paper collection!

 My final thoughts  – Maria Lopez Vazquez – Landscape Architecture 2026

My last days at TRNERR were bittersweet. It was terrific to see how ideas were worked on and formalized into events and activities by all the partner institutions that make Tijuana River Action Month (TRAM) possible.

Working in a binational setting is challenging. It’s one thing to imagine the logistics of working with groups on both sides of the border. However, understanding the relationships that must grow to get things done is incredibly complex.

Creating and maintaining partnerships takes consistency, dedication, and constant communication. Ana Xochitl Eguiarte and the Coastal Training Program team are dedicated and passionate individuals working to bridge the gaps between non-profits, civil society, developers, private industry, academia, and government agencies.

Mexico’s legal system is based on civil law, which is rooted in ancient Roman law. In the United States, Law is based on the Common Law System. These differences impact the organization and management of territories and how society interacts with their environment. Many of the programs have a cyclical nature, and many others are projects that span many years. It is imperative to understand both systems to foster communication and cross-cultural collaboration. 

It’s easy to try to compare the two neighboring territories at a glance. As a citizen of both countries, I have the privilege of experiencing both sides. As a landscape designer, I am trained to understand the extent of the ecology and visualize the potential for creating a community (human-centric and non-human-centric alike). I failed to realize that the systems work at a different pace, and many routes take you to the same result. 

The border region will benefit from the involvement of more landscape professionals applying their knowledge in cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary groups. The interaction of different disciplines will yield a better understanding of the unique situation in the border region. We must work together towards a sustainable future that benefits us all. 

The Grand Meeting – Alex Hogue, BRDD Illustration 2026

Hello again! The past couple weeks have been so inspiring, and I am so happy to share some exciting updates in my summer! 

At the beginning of July, Inspiration Point, the Grand Adventure’s much anticipated in-person camp, took place! I was so excited to be able to attend in person in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and be able to meet the campers! I was also finally able to meet my mentors, Bree and Stacey, in-person for the first time and take in the incredible beauty of the Grand Teton National Park, which was absolutely stunning to see for myself!

There were so many incredible plans during the camp! The kids were able to hike to the peak of one of the mountains of the Tetons (we took the tram up to the top, so it wasn’t too crazy!), and we were even able to have a snowball fight at the top as there were still patches of snow on the ground! They were able to canoe down the Snake River, and they camped in Yellowstone National Park. It was incredibly powerful to see the kids taking on such adventures and step out of their comfort zones despite all they have been through, and it really conveyed to me the impact of this experience. This truly is such a special once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Not only that, but the campers were able to meet other kids going through similar experiences and make lasting life-long connections, which I think is one of the most impactful parts of the program.

It was so rewarding to meet the campers and learn about their incredible stories and backgrounds. I was in awe of their enthusiasm and willingness to explore and take on this new adventure. I feel so inspired to continue my work with this organization after finally being able to experience this program for myself. 

Looking ahead at what’s to come, I hope to create illustrations for visual communication that capture the incredible message and powerful emotions of this program! This tool will hopefully be used for advertising and promotion to donors, which I’ve learned is a massive and crucial component of running a non-profit like this. I am continuing to also work on developing a coloring book that the kids can use to remember their experience, learn more about the wildlife they saw, and engage with the camp even after the program is over, and I am considering designing stickers that the kids can also have as souvenirs!

I look forward to sharing what else is to come!

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.