Kels
ey Pike, papermaker, printmaker, and art teacher in Kansas City, Missouri, creates fine handmade papers and products using varied materials that may include rags, raw plant fibers, filaments, threads, gold leaf, and whatever she can get her hands on. Her aesthetics are pure magic.
“I have been in love with the obscure and tedious art form of hand papermaking since . . . art school.”
In 2021, Pike aimed more of her time making single-run handmade papers. While white papers were her bread and butter, she longed for variety, experimentation, and collaboration with fellow artists/designers. Kelsey’s Monthly Paper Parcel was born with curated and unique colorways offered as a cyclic subscription.
“. . . the sound of the water, the repetitive motions, the solitude – they put me in a meditative space.”
Wet-process, two-sided, de-bossed or gradient sheets, and papers with varietal inclusions such as gold leaf, threads, or fabrics. Each month subscribers receive a package perfect for artists, imagineers, and the creatively curious.
“Good craft is important to me, and I am continuously studying, practicing, and learning to make the best paper.”
Kelsey Pike also co-founded Cherry Pit Collective, a communal studio space for artists, makers, and creatives, where the work and vision of women are emphasized and celebrated. Kelsey is the cornerstone in creating an environment of members who work, support, and promote each other through a shared workspace and creative communing.
Cherry Pit Collective hosts monthly programs that include classes and events for skill sharing within the community, fostering collaboration over competition. All are welcome, but female-identifying artists and members of other marginalized communities take priority.
Cherry Pit Collective resides on ancestral land belonging to the people of Kiikaapo (Kikapoo), Wazhazhe Mazhá (Osage), Kaw (Kansa), and Očhéthi Šakówin (Sioux).
“We honor with gratitude the land itself and the people who have and continue to steward it.”
You can locate Kelsey and her gorgeous papers and products through:
Kelsey@Sustainablepapercraft.com
fricka – artist not in residence
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