Color of Conflict closes soon

The show is nearly done! Only a few days remain to see this powerful show...it comes down January 1!

A sleepy John Hensel, just after arriving from Michigan on an AMTRAK bus.
The opening was a blast. Many people braved the cold, slippery roads and the ubiquitous holiday parties to welcome John "home" and to celebrate his achievements as a photographer.

As Combat Papermakers and Warrior Writers leave town

The Combat Papermakers and Warrior Writers are leaving town today and leaving their mark. Vets and friends & family of vets were touched and changed. Hopefully the local work will continue on...it seems pretty likely.

Read the article in the Pioneer Press:http://www.twincities.com/ci_13416250?nclick_check=1

COMBAT PAPER TONIGHT

Minnesota Center for Book Arts At Open Book 1011 Washington Ave S Ste 100 Minneapolis, MN 55415 Telephone: 612 215 2520 www.mnbookarts.org mcba@mnbookarts.org

MINNESOTA CENTER FOR BOOK ARTS PRESENTS A WEEK FOR PEACE: REFLECTING ON WAR AND COMBAT THROUGH ART

Celebrating A Week for Peace Friday, September 25, 7pm; Open Book Target Performance Hall Join the artists of Combat Paper, the Warrior Writers Project and others for an evening celebrating A Week for Peace through a unique program of poetry, shared personal experiences and visual imagery.

The Combat Papermakers and Warrior Writers are on their way. September 21-28 at Minnesota Center for Book Arts. There are discussions, performances and workshops. Check it out.

What forms might healing take?

I became aware of the Combat Paper Project and the Warrior Writers about a year ago through a contact at Minnesota Center for Book Arts. The email said they thought these artists were right up my alley. Subsequently, I showed a Combat Paper Portfolio, made of handmade paper from pulped uniforms, a catharsis for the group of vets who produced it, a catharsis for the vets who viewed it here at Susan Hensel Gallery.

Art takes various forms: comforting, recognizable, new, challenging, frightening... Healing does too. The Combat Papermakers and the Warrior Writers offer the opportunity for local vets of any conflict, of anytime, free of charge, to collaborate in a creative re-invention, a re-organization, a re-formating...a new way of thinking about the personal costs of their service.

The Combat Paper Project in Residence at MCBA September 21–28, 2009

MCBA and Susan Hensel Gallery are proud to host The Combat Paper Project for a week-long residency in MCBA’s studios. Through papermaking workshops, local veterans are given the opportunity to use uniforms worn in combat to create cathartic works of art. The uniforms are cut up, beaten into fiber and formed into sheets of paper. Later, text and imagery created by veterans are printed on the sheets. The public is welcome to visit MCBA’s studios and view the project in progress through the duration of the residency. Registration info at mnbookarts.org.

Please support this residency with your attendance, your donations, or your voice. Please tell others about this. It is far too important to ignore.

Full details are available at mnbookarts.org.

Combat Paper Project Fundraising

The Combat Paper Project is coming to Minnesota Center for Book Arts in Minneapolis September 21-27 with many opportunities for local veterans to participate. Veterans are invited to pulp their uniforms, create paper, printed images and expressive writing. The workshops,presented by veterans for veterans, are a powerful antidote to the damaging silence surrounding their personal and shared experiences. Inserted below is the official fundraising letter from MCBA. Any help, however small, would be appreciated.

Dear Friends of Peace and of the Arts:

In September of this year, Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA) and the Susan Hensel Gallery will host The Combat Paper Project for a week-long residency in MCBA’s studios. This unique project, based out of Green Door Studio in Burlington, Vermont, is made possible by a multifaceted collaboration between artists, art collectors, non-profit centers and military combat veterans. Through papermaking workshops, local veterans are given the opportunity to use uniforms worn in combat to create cathartic works of art. The uniforms are cut up, beat and formed into sheets of paper. Later, text and imagery created by veterans are printed on the sheets. The goal is to use art to help individuals reconcile their personal experiences and challenge traditional narratives surrounding service, honor and military culture.


I write today to ask for your help in supporting this endeavor – specifically the project’s residency in the Twin Cities. There are two ways you can help. The first is financially. We need to raise $2,500 to fund this important residency. Any amount you can give to support the project’s local visit and week of free public programming will be greatly appreciated. The second involves publicizing events and programming associated with Combat Paper’s residency at MCBA. If you are able to help in either way, please contact me at your soonest convenience. While we have many resources at our disposal, we need additional community support to make this ambitious endeavor a reality.

It is hoped that this collaboration between civilians and veterans will raise community awareness and stimulate conversations regarding our responsibilities to returned veterans and the dehumanizing effects of warfare. For more information about The Combat Paper Project, you may visit www.combatpaper.org. For more information about MCBA and the Susan Hensel Gallery, visit www.mnbookarts.org and www.susanhenselgallery.com. If you have further questions, I would be happy to talk or meet with you. My contact information is provided below.


I look forward to hearing from you and thank you in advance for your assistance.

Sincerely,

Jeff Rathermel
MCBA Artistic Director
612-215-2526
jrathermel@mnbookarts.org