As part of my artist-in-residency project at Boston Harbor Islands National Park, I conducted public participation workshops on August 20 and 21 for making handmade paper birds using invasive plant pulps. Many people visiting Peddock’s Island participated and created about 160 handmade paper birds representing endangered bird species on Peddock’s Islands. The birds that people made will be used for the large installation artwork to be installed at the Boston Harbor Islands Welcome Center at Long Wharf in Boston. People participating had the experience of stripping the bark, beating the cooked and washed pulp material, forming sheets in the shape of 6 bird species and decorating each one individually with natural materials such as feathers, wildflowers and leaves found on Peddock’s Island. The workshops were held outdoors at a temporary papermaking studio just outside the chapel. The three invasive plants of Peddock’s Island that we used for the papermaking included honeysuckle vine bark, oriental bittersweet vine bark and common reed leaves. The endangered bird species represented in the handmade paper birds included cormorants, great egrets, night herons, spotted sandpipers, least terns and American oystercatchers.

These photographs show the public papermaking workshops on Peddock’s Island Saturday, August 20,

These photos show the public papermaking activities on Sunday August 21, at Peddock’s Island.

Thank you to the many people who participated in these papermakiing sessions and helped with the first artist-in-residency project at Boston Harbor Islands Naitonal Park.

I would like also to give a big thank you to the great volunteers who helped visitors with the papermaking activities. Volunteers on Saturday and Sunday included Bob and Kristina Marcus, Joyce Tat, Christine Tinsley, and Chris and Rebecca Allen and their friend Amy. Thank you also to the artist in residency coordinator Carolyn Lewenberg and all the rangers and park foundation staff who helped with this project. The photos for documenting this artist in residency project are by my husband Timothy S. Allen (http://allentimphotos2.wordpress.com).

Check back here to see the creation of the finished artwork “Birds of Peddock’s Island” as I put together all those handmade paper birds on August 22 – 24. The 100th anniversary celebration for our national parks is on August 25 at Long Wharf, and I will be there 2-4 PM with a tent display to show people what I did during the
residency on Paddock’s Island.

Here are some photos of the papermaking activities on Friday August 19 for my Artist in Residency project on Peddock’s Island at Boston Harbor Islands National Park.

On Friday, August 19, we made paper from the invasive plant on Peddock’s Island called Oriental Bittersweet. It is a vine originally from Asia that is wrapping around trees and in general making itself very invasive on the islands.

Another volunteer Christine also came to help with the papermaking, and Bob also joined us for the day of preparing pulp from invasive species and making some bird shaped paper forms that will be used in the finished installation piece to be displayed on Thursday August 25 in Christopher Columbus Park near Long Wharf in Boston for the 100th anniversary of the national parks. I will have a tent there in the park and be there from 2-4 PM that day.

Keep watching the Blog to see more photos of the papermaking activities on Peddock’s Island.
Photos are by Timothy S. Allen (allentimphotos2.wordpress.com

The second day, Thursday August 18, two volunteers came out to help with making paper from local invasive plants on Peddock’s Island.  We picked some invasive Bittersweet vine to make paper.  It was great to have volunteers, Joyce Tat and Bob Marcus, helping with the project.
Here are some photos of the papermaking activities on the second day of the residency project.

Thanks to the great volunteers and also to my husband Timothy S. Allen for taking all the photos. We will keep posting photos and updates about the project.
Public Open Studios will be this weekend August 20 and 21, and we hope to make lots of handmade paper birds representing the endangered species on the Islands. Come join the fun if you are in the Boston area and take the ferry to Peddock’s Island.

August 17 was the first day of my artist in residency project at Peddock’s Island, Boston Harbor Islands National Park. Joyce, who is a recent graduate from Montserrat College of Art in Beverly MA, came to volunteer for the papermaking AIR art project, and we started preparing some Phragmites (Common Reed) leaves and made samples and tried out some of the stencils I created to make paper in the shape of some of the endangered bird species found on Peddock’s Island.
The Phragmites paper turned out really strong and sturdy and a nice golden brown color, even though it looks green when the pulp is wet! Two other volunteers will be coming to help on Thursday and Friday to prepare pulp from other invasive plants.

On Saturday and Sunday, August 20 and 21 the public will be invited to participate in the papermaking activities and hopefully we can create hundreds of handmade paper birds to include in the finished installation that will be ready by next Thursday, August 25 for the celebration in honor of the 100th anniversary of our national parks. I will have a booth for this celebration at Christopher Columbus Park and be there from 2-4PM on Thursday, August 25.

Check back here in a few days to see more photos of the artist in residency project on Peddock’s Island. The photos are taken by my husband Timothy S. Allen. To see more of his photos check his Blog at http://allentimphotos2.wordpress.com

Wednesday, August 17, will be the first day of my Artist in Residency Project at Peddock’s Island in the Boston Harbor Islands National Park.  This photo shows the ferry landing at Peddock’s Island.  There is a visitor’s center and remains of many old buildings on Peddock’s Island as well as some nice hiking trails. 

Gathering invasive Phragmites plants on Paddock’s Island

During this residency I will be making handmade paper from invasive plants found on Peddock’s Island. Here is a photo of one of the rangers collecting some Phragmites australis (Common Reed) that is one invasive plant that can make paper. This plant originally from Asia is growing too much now on Peddock’s and out competing many native plants to take over in certain areas. The rangers are happy to have me use some of this material to make handmade paper for my artwork.  I will also try some of the other invasive plants for papermaking during this residency project.   I will be creating a mixed media installation with handmade paper and natural thread that will be about the endangered birds on Peddock’s Island. I will be having open public workshops at Peddock’s Island in a temporary papermaking studio set up near the chapel area.

During a pre-residency tour of Peddock’s Island last Thursday, I met with Carolyn Lewenberg and some of the Park’s staff and Boston Harbor Now staff to talk about the residency project and see the chapel area and other facilities.

Jane and park staff talking about the residency project at the chapel area on Peddock’s Island.

Chapel on Peddock’s Island where the temporary papermaking studio will be set up from August 17-24, 2016.

The papermaking public activities will be Saturday, August 20 and Sunday, August 21, from 10:30 – Noon and 2 -4 PM each day. Stop by and join in to help make many handmade paper bird shapes for the installation.

Also, there will be a Bird Walk at 9:30 – 10:30 AM on Saturday and Sunday mornings, on Peddock’s Island, led by staff from the Mass Audubon Society to watch for birds and learn more about endangered birds on the Boston Harbor Islands.

On Saturday, August 20 from 12-1:30 you can also join an Invasive Plants Walk with stewards on Peddock’s Island to learn about the invasive plants. The Walks will end back at the papermaking studio so people can also join in the papermaking activities. Hope to see you on Peddock’s Island this weekend. Public ferries are available to the islands from Long Wharf in Boston.
Keep checking here for more photos about this residency project. Photos are by my husband Timothy S. Allen who is helping as a volunteer with this project. See more of his photos at his Blog: http://allentimphotos2.wordpress.com

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)

The Fire Island National Seashore Artist in Residency Exhibition is now on view at the Patchogue – Watch Hill Ferry Station in Patchogue, NY.  Jane Ingram Allen was one of the 5 artists selected for a two-week artist in residency at Fire Island National Seashore during 2015. The 2015 AIR Exhibition is open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays from June 26 to July 24, 2016.   See the website at https://www.nps.gov/fiis/learn/news/find-your-park-through-art-at-fire-island-national-seashore.htm for all the details about this exhibition.
Jane has two installations on view in this group exhibition at the Watch Hill Ferry Station gallery.

“Piping Plovers” is a suspended installation featuring multiple bird forms joined in a net of natural string and seaweed. The piping plover is an endangered species on Fire Island, and the park service has been protecting nesting sites for this species.

Jane’s “Fire Island Site Map” is a very long hanging conceptual map of Fire Island made with handmade paper created from Fire Island plant waste materials and dried on the sand dunes to get some handmade “sandpaper”. The pieces of paper are joined with natural thread and have bits of feathers, leaves and petals in the handmade paper map that is in the shape of the long barrier island.

Jane was an artist in residence at Fire Island National Seashore during the month of September 2015 and created her mixed media installation artworks with handmade paper that she created on site from plant waste materials found on the island. She cooperated with the park rangers and staff to collect old leaves and trimmed branches from some of the invasive plants and other common plants that were dying back at the end of the season. While there Jane cooked and prepared the paper pulp from local plants such as Phragmites (common reed) and Beach grass leaves and eel grass (a type of seaweed) that washed up on shore at Fire Island. J

Other works in the AIR Exhibition include those by three other artists in residence during 2015 at Fire Island National Seashore.  The exhibit features the works of mixed media artist Anna Golici, painter Amanda Kavanagh, and poet Anthony DiMatteo, as well as the two installations by Jane Ingram Allen. The artists’ unique interpretations reflect their uninterrupted two-week exploration of Fire Island National Seashore.

The coordinator for the Fire Island National Seashore Artist in Residency Program, Dawn Lee, organized and curated this exhibition that will remain on view through July 24, 2016.  Patchogue, NY, is located on the south shore of Long Island, and just across the water from this small city via a short ferry ride is Fire Island National Seashore.  To reach the Watch Hill Ferry Terminal in Patchogue, take the Long Island Railroad from Penn Station to Patchogue, and then walk a short block to the terminal. Fire Island National Seashore is a beautiful place to enjoy the beach, outdoor hiking and rustic camping so very close, yet far away from the bustle of NYC.

Jane Ingram Allen will teach a papermaking art workshop this summer at Sierra Nevada College, Incline Village, Nevada, on beautiful Lake Tahoe. The week-long workshop July 25-29 will be a fun opportunity to hone papermaking skills in Eastern and Western techniques and focus on eco-art with hand papermaking for outdoor and indoor installations using seeds in the handmade paper pulp to grow and change over time. For more information and to register for the workshop see the website at http://www.sierranevada.edu/academics/summer-art-workshops-2/Jane-Ingram-Allen/
Jane is happy to answer any questions by email or comments on this Blog. Jane’s email is info@janeingramallen.com

If you have never been to Sierra Nevada College Summer Workshops Jane can assure you that it is a fun and creative place with great opportunities for learning something new and making new contacts as well as creating some art of your own.  This will be the 3rd summer that Jane has taught at Sierra Nevada.  You couldn’t find a more beautiful and inspiring place for an art workshop, especially one centered on eco-art.

Jane just completed an eco-art outdoor public art installation in Lancaster, CA, with support from WEAD and working with the Lancaster Museum of Art and History.  Here are some photos of Jane’s Lancaster Eco-Quilt when it was installed on March 12 at Hull Park in Lancaster.  Keep checking this Blog for updated photos as the handmade paper quilt dissolves into compost and the wildflower seeds in the pulp sprout and how into a blooming bed of California golden poppies and California Blue Bells with white borders of Baby’s Breath and white poppies.  Jane will go to Taiwan for two environmental art projects April – June and will return to CA for the summer workshop at Lake Tahoe, July 25-29. She is ooking forward to a wonderful time at Sierra Nevada College Summer Workshops with a great group of congenial and creative artists.

Hope to see you there!  Contact Jane by email (info@janeingramallen.com) for more information or sign up at the Sierra Nevada College Summer Workshops site:  http://www.sierranevada.edu/academics/summer-art-workshops-2/jane-ingram-allen/

The 2016 Keelung International Marine Environmental Art Project opened in Taiwan on June 5, 2016.  For photos of the finished artworks by the 7 artists I selected for the 2016 project, see the Blog at http://nmmstartproject.wordpress.com

A big thank you to the staff of the National Museum of Marine Science & Technology and to the Keelung City Bureau of Cultural Affairs.  The artists all did a great job creating their works during the 25 day residency in Keelung, and the works will remain on view around the Musuem’s grounds all summer.

I am back in the USA now and planning art projects in California and in Boston later this summer.  I will teach a papermaking art class at Sierra Nevada College, on Lake Tahoe from July 25-29, 2016.  See the college’s summer workshop site at http://www.sierranevada.edu/academics/summer-art-workshops-2/jane-ingram-allen/

To learn more about the workshop, email me at info@janeingramallen.com

It will be great fun to make paper at beautiful Lake Tahoe and use seeds in the paper pulp to grow flowers, feed the birds or otherwise transform over time.  We will learn how to make paper from local plant materials and other purchased pulps using Asian and Western papermaking techniques as well as creating an outdoor collaborative sculpture installation on the shores of Lake Tahoe.  Here are some photos of my installation “Lancaster Eco-Quilt” using seeds in a handmade paper quilt that I created as an artist in residence in March 2016 at the Lancaster Museum of Art & History, Lancaster, CA.

   At the Sierra Nevada College workshops students can explore and create together in a supportive and fun atmosphere in a beautiful place.  Hope you can join this workshop titled “Papermaking – Seed the Future”.

I am in Keelung, Taiwan, now for curating the 2016 Keelung International Marine Environmental Art Project.  We have 7 international artists creating site specific environmental outdoor sculpture installations around the National Museum of Marine Science & Technology in Keelung, the port city on the northeast coast of Taiwan.

The 2016 Keelung artists are Ester Fabregat – Spain, Tsuneo Sekiguchi – Japan, Steve McPherson – UK, Piotr Wesolowski – Poland, Regine Neumann – Germany, Patrick Demazeau – France and Yi-chuian Li – Taiwan.

Take a look at the Blog at http://nmmstartproject.wordpress.com

There you can see photos of the artists and the artworks being created now in Keelung.

The artists are all making good progress on their large sculpture installations on the theme of “Envisioning the Future of Our Oceans.  Our Opening Day celebration is Sunday, June 5 at the NMMST in Keelung.  The artworks will remain on view until August 2016 or until they biodegrade.

 This photo shows the 2016 artists with a local bamboo master who showed the international artists some different ways to work with bamboo!