Jane Ingram Allen will be the first artist-in-residence at Boston Harbor Islands National Park, Peddock’s Island, from August 17-24, 2016. This residency project is supported by the Boston Harbor Islands National Park Foundation, and Carolyn Lewenberg is the Artist in Residency Coordinator. it is hoped that this pilot artist- in-residency project will lead to an ongoing program of artists working as artists in residence on the Boston Harbor Islands. There are 34 islands in the park, and most of them are accessible by public ferry boats from Long Wharf in Boston and other spots.

Jane Ingram Allen is an international artist with a specialty in hand papermaking and environmental art using local natural materials and sustainable processes. Most recently Jane has been an artist-in-residence at Fire Island National Park, NY, and at Ege University, Izmir, Turkey, with a Fulbright grant. Jane has also been awarded grants for artist residency projects in Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, Nepal, Brazil, China and Tanzania as well as many places in the USA such as the Lancaster Museum of Art & History, Lancaster, CA. the Sitka Center for Art & Ecology, Otis, Oregon, the Museum of American Bird Art at Mass Audubon, Canton, MA, and the Queens Botanical Garden, NYC.

While staying on Peddock’s Island Jane will create a public participation installation using handmade paper made from local invasive plant materials such as Phragmites leaves and Oriental Bittersweet vines. Her installation will raise awareness about invasive plants and focus on the endangered birds of Peddock’s Island, such as the Least Tern, American Oystercatcher, Double-crested Cormorant, Black-Crowned Night Heron, and others that are on the priority species list.

During the residency Jane will engage visitors of all ages in hand papermaking workshops to create handmade paper bird shapes for a collaborative art installation titled “Peddock’s Island Birds”. Public participation workshops will be Saturday, August 20 and Sunday, August 21, from 10AM to 12 Noon and 2PM to 4 PM each day. The artist will set up a temporary papermaking studio near the Visitor Center on Peddock’s Island. The handmade paper birds created in the public workshops will become part of the finished art installation that will be donated to the national park.

During the week of August 17-24, the artist will also have Open Studio times, and the public is invited to come meet the artists and help with the papermaking during posted times. Look for the “Open Studio” signs near the ferry landing at Peddock’s Island.

The artist will also give a brief informal presentation about the artist-in-residency project from 2-4 PM at Christopher Columbus Park, Boston, in conjunction with the day-long national park celebration of 150 Years of the nation’s national parks. Come to visit Jane in her tent at the festival and see her finished art installation “Peddock’s Island Birds” and also view the sample book of handmade paper created from invasive plants of Peddock’s Island.

Watch this Blog for updates and photos of Jane’s artist in residency on Peddock’s Island from August 17 – 24, 2016. Photos on this Blog are by Jane’s husband Timothy  S. Allen (http://allentimphotos2.wordpress.com)