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Alumna Riana Bovill '07 Connects With Current Students Through Papermaking Workshop

Elmira, NY (04/19/2022) — Alumna Riana Bovill '07 recently found an interesting way to give back and engage with current students. A professional artist, she led a papermaking and bookmaking workshop for students in Professor Chris Longwell's printmaking class.

"I first got into papermaking and bookmaking while I was in graduate school at the University of Missouri-Columbia," said Bovill. "As a Master in Fine Arts (MFA) student, I taught beginning fibers, and one of the projects involved making artists' books with handmade paper. When I came to Elmira College as a visiting artist, I thought the printmaking course would be the perfect place to share these skills through a workshop."

Bovill said that during the workshop, students learned how to process different types of pulp (the soft, wet material used to make paper) and used a mold and deckle (a type of frame) to create sheets of paper. They then printed etchings and other forms of cut paper on the handmade paper and bound them into books.

"Each student was very engaged and receptive to learning a new medium, and it was such a wonderful experience to work alongside them all!" she exclaimed.

"It was a great experience for everyone," said Longwell, Assistant Professor of Art. "We really had fun putting stuff in the pulp to give it texture and color. Working with the handmade paper was interesting because it's more physical and dimensional than traditional paper."