Possibilities of Paper

The Mary M. Torggler Fine Arts Center
June 30- October 15, 2023
1 Avenue of the Arts, Newport News, VA

Featured artists: Elizabeth Alexander, Jaq Belcher, Roberto Benavidez, Doug Beube, Charles Clary, Myriam Dion, Samuelle Green, Guy Laramée, Rosa Leff, John Noestheden, Matt Shlian, Eric Standley, and Michael Velliquette.

"The wide-ranging exhibit will feature works from 13 artists from across the United States and Canada, who all work with paper a little differently. According to Holly Koons, executive director of the Torggler Center, the one thing the artists have in common is they are using paper in ways that are often unintentional or unanticipated.

“We have artists that are using techniques, in many cases time-honored techniques such as collage, paper cutting, folding, weaving, and other techniques that have been out there for a long time,” said Koons. “But they’re doing this either on a grand scale that is unusual or with a kind of precision that is quite remarkable. So, these artists are creating paper sculptures in ways that seem almost impossible.”

While there is no central theme to the exhibit, the artists are using reimagined common paper products such as books, piñatas, maps, and paper plates to create surprising new identities for everyday objects, while grappling with themes including identity, spirituality, history, the cosmos, and the creation and destruction of knowledge."

-The Peninsula Chronicle