RECAP of Khandroling Paper Cooperative's CONWAY RAGS TO PAPER PROJECT in Honor of the 250th Anniversary of CONWAY, MA

Khandroling Paper Cooperative's Conway Rags to Paper Project was partially funded by a HATCH Grant from the Greater Shelburne Falls Business Association and Massachusetts Cultural Council. 

The Conway Rags to Paper Project began in the early Spring of 2017 with the collecting of Conway rags in the yellow schoolhouse foyer and ended in an exhibit of works on paper on June 17 & 18 , 2017 at the Conway Town Art Fair.


PHASE 1 of the Conway Rags to Paper project began many months ago as we collected Conway resident rags to transform into pulp to make paper for our PHASE 2. On April 29, Madeline Liebling led an Introduction to Papermaking which was attended by six individuals from  ages 13-70+ years old. 

Our first basket of Conway rags cut into postage size pieces for the Hollander Beater

Perfect Conway pulp, April 29, 2017

Amanda and Madeline making paper, April 29, 2017

Amanda and Marie at the Vats, April 29

Couching a sheet of paper dyed with onion skins, April 29

Preparing to wet press the couched sheets, April 29

Low tech pressing, April 29

Pressed paper drying, April 29

PICTURES OF THE FINAL PAPER WE MADE

Some of our papers made on April 29, 2017

PHASE 2 of The Conway Rags to Paper Project hosted by Khandroling Paper Cooperative took place on Saturdays from 2 PM-5:00 PM from May 13 thru June 3 in the former Conway Grammar School now called Tsegyalgar following our origami making in the Marshall Fields Library (11:00 AM-2:00 PM) or privately by the previous papermaking participants in their own homes. We had already collected, processed, and beaten in our Hollander beater cotton rags collected from Conway residents to create pulp, which was used to make handmade paper specifically for the 250th anniversary of Conway.

An 1817 note from Ora White Hitchcocks's Ladies Circle

 who lived on Pumpkin Hollow Road in Conway

This paper became the base to contain writing and art by participants and artist members related to the history, stories and personal connection to the town of Conway, which was then mounted in a variety of formats using various methods (stamping, stencil, calligraphy, drawing ) for exhibition during the three-day anniversary. 

The final works developed from the Rags to Paper Project  on view in the Conway Elementary School Conway Town Art Show, June 17 & 18, 2017

Final Work Exhibited June 17 & 18, 2017 in the Town of Conway Art Show

during the 250th Anniversary

Top Row: Madeline Liebling, Marie S. and Valdemar

Middle Row: Madeline Liebling, Valdemar, Jacqueline Gens

Bottom Row: Amanda Pollock