Ream-ember to catch paper art show

The Newport Paper and Book Arts Festival sells out fast, but you won’t need to attend any workshops to appreciate the exhibition showcasing the work of seven talented instructors who will teach at this year’s event. The “Instructors’ Show” will be on display in the Upstairs Gallery at Newport Visual Arts Center from Saturday, March 4 through April 15.

An opening reception for the exhibit will take place on Saturday beginning at 1 pm.

Now in its 26th year, the festival celebrates papermaking and manipulation, surface design, book arts, collage and mixed media. Instructors are often most well-known for their teaching techniques, but their artwork, and the mediums they work in, are often far more varied.

“It’s thrilling to see so many styles and pieces on display,” said Sara Siggelkow, who helms the festival. “Our instructors are incredibly talented, and the work they submit to the show is often vastly different from what one might expect after attending one of their classes.”

This year’s roster includes Connie Stricks, a paper and book artist from Fairbanks, Alaska; Margo Klass, a book, box and mixed media artist also from Fairbanks; Iris Sullivan Daire, a fiber artist and natural colorist based in Astoria; Moe Snyder, a book and box artist based in Seal Rock; Pietro Accardi, a book and marbling artist out of Gardnerville, Nevada; Randi Parkhurst, a book, box and mixed-media artist from Olympia, Washington; and Shawn Sheehy, a book artist from Chicago. Festival committee members, including Siggelkow, Cheri Aldrich, Fanny Drews, Margaret Paz-Partlow, and Sandi Williams, have also been invited to showcase their work.

The Newport Visual Arts Center is located at 777 NW Beach Drive and is open Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 4 pm. For more information, go to coastarts.org or call 541-265-6540.