Don Widmer
Medium: Pulp painting, Artist Books, Letterpress printing
Studio Name: Don Widmer Paper Arts
Website: dwidmer.com
Phone: 312-697-9202
Email: don@dwidmer.coM
Upcoming events
St. Charles Fine Art Show (May 29-30)
Old Town Art Fair (June 12-13)
“Other Than” show at the Tall Grass Art Association Gallery in Park Forest (June 19 - July 24) featuring artists working in alternative media and processes
Don Widmer is a book and paper artist whose work incorporates papermaking, letterpress printing, and artist bookbinding. His papermaking utilizes a process called pulp painting, where pigmented plant material (pulp) is used as a painting medium. The pigmented pulp is applied, freely or through a stencil, onto a freshly formed sheet of handmade paper. This artwork is made from various plant materials, ranging from cotton to abaca banana fiber. He also makes paper from recycled fabrics such as denim and linen. Don has exhibited throughout the Midwest, most recently at The Morgan Conservatory, Kalamazoo Book Arts Center, Gallery Studio Oh!, A+C Architects Studio and Gallery, and The Compassion Factory. He has received several best of show awards and his work is represented in university, museum and library collections. Most recently, the Smithsonian purchased his artist book inspired by Chicagoan Frances Glessner Lee. Widmer received his MFA in Interdisciplinary Book and Paper Arts from Columbia College Chicago.
How did you discover your talent/medium?
I went through my high school's vocational art program but did not pursue art until much later (about 25 years later). Instead, I became a music librarian. I'm certain my lifelong love of libraries and books, combined with a desire to create with my hands, led me to pursue a degree in paper arts.
What influences you to create?
Stories influence me the most. My artist books are always inspired by storytelling. I am drawn to stories from the past, especially stories of people who are less known. I like to believe I am the one discovering their story for the first time. My original stories usually blend fact with fiction, perhaps stronger on the fiction. My pulp paintings, which feature images of birds or architecture, are influenced by the Midwest, where I've spent most of my life. I grew up in Cleveland with its steel factories where many of my relatives worked, so I have a series of pulp paintings inspired by these harsh yet captivating industrial landscapes.
What is the best thing about creating your unique artwork?
For me, one of the best things about creating my art is when it resonates with an art lover. So many people have told me that they love my pulp paintings of bats even though they're terrified of them in real life. When someone has a heartfelt response to a visual work of art, I think that's a huge feeling of satisfaction and validation for an artist, that our vision for the artwork extends beyond our self and reaches the wider world.
What is the least exciting thing about creating your unique artwork or most challenging?
It is certainly a challenge to keep making fresh work. I think I get into a mode of creating work which I know will be saleable or popular. This can get boring and stale after a while, dimming the creative spark. Figuring out ways to break out of the familiar way of working can be challenging. Sometimes it helps to switch mediums, which is why I enjoy making books, paper and prints. They occupy different parts of my creative mind. Other times it may be collaborating or brainstorming with other artists who can offer a different perspective.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your work?
COVID-19 has caused most of my in-person art shows to be cancelled through 2020. However, I've had the opportunity and time to work on backlogged projects such as honing my fine bookbinding skills. I've taken online workshops to create virtual studio tours and document my artwork. I've also participated in 3 virtual art fairs, which has been fun and educational.
What is upcoming for you in 2021?
I'll be at the St. Charles Fine Art Show (May 29-30) and the Old Town Art Fair (June 12-13). And, most exciting for me, I'm exhibiting most of my artist books and several pulp paintings at the Tall Grass Art Association Gallery in Park Forest. The show is called "Other Than" and features artists working in alternative media and processes. It runs June 19-July 24.