Paper as Politic
/Paper as Politic
On view in Gillespie Gallery April 13 - April 23, 2026
Curated by Helen Frederick, Nicole Donnelly, Jeffrey Kenney
The impetus behind organizing the exhibition Paper as Politic during this critical and unprecedented moment in history is multifaceted. The bold red line crossing out the phrase "Paper as Politic" in the call for entries has challenged artists to engage with a variety of politically relevant themes, including propaganda, censorship, race, language, cultural transformation, and numerous forms of intervention and resistance.
Featured artists have also recognized paper as a medium for historical documentation, serving as registries, poignant epitaphs, memorials, and crucially, as visual calls for democracy and humanitarian issues.
This exhibition underscores the deep understanding of paper as a lasting, portable, and democratic vessel for information—one that is easily altered, recyclable, or even destroyed. This notion is manifested in a diverse array of works, including paintings, prints, artist books, graphic designs, collages, and sculptures.
Paper as Politic acts as a cultural petri dish, capturing not only the darker aspects of our times but also interrogating the nuances of deception, criminality, and potential restoration, all while inviting satirical, sublime, judgmental or non-judgmental perspectives. Through various personal explorations, the exhibition consolidates the power of paper as a medium of expression. Its honesty stands in stark contrast to the distortions often present in social media, ultimately recognizing the importance of sustainability in artistic practice.
Helen Frederick
Install Shots
About the Curators
Helen Frederick is recognized as a distinguished artist, curator, educator, coordinator of international projects, and as founder of Pyramid Atlantic. As an advocate for and an active participant in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area arts scene, she has served on the directorial boards of alternative art spaces, various local and national boards and national peer-review panels. She has and fulfilled speaking engagements around the world, always emphasizing collaboration across disciplines. Throughout her life her passion for diverse cultures and histories has led her to travel to observe the material cultures of many societies, their skills. and ideas and to make connections among disparate cultural traditions.
– from Jared Stanley‘s essay TWO BY LAND
Nicole Donnelly is a Philadelphia-based painter, hand papermaker, and installation artist. She received her MFA from the University of Iowa in 2009 and her BA from Bennington College, and she has received grants and fellowships to complete residencies at the Morgan Conservatory of Paper, the Goldwell Open Air Museum, the Vermont Studio Center, and the Women’s Studio Workshop. Donnelly often collaborates with other artists and poets through the media of paper and paint. She is the President of the International Association of Hand Papermakers and Paper Artists (IAPMA), operates the creative papermaking studio paperTHINKtank, and her artwork has been exhibited throughout the United States and internationally.
Participating Artists
Adam Bradley, Maria Barbosa, Jeffrey Berg, Sara Blumberg, Patricia Buck, Irene Clouthier Carrillo, Michelle Colburn, Matthew Conboy, Jacqui Crocetta, Elizabeth Curren, Richard Dana, Cheryl D. Edwards, Lauren Emeritz, Felisa Federman, Anna Fine Foer, Susan Firestone, Michelle Frazier, Maggie Gourlay, Genie Ghim, Tom Hill, Susan Hostetler, David Joo, Miriam Julianna, Marie Karametou, Kristina King, Christopher Kojzar, Kate Kretz, Pamela Lawton, June Linowitz, Sallie Lowenstein, Taina Litwak, Janndos Rothstein, Randi Reiss-McCormack, Sharon Robinson, Jami Taback, Mary Ting, Patrick Sargent, Elzbieta Sikorska, Lynn Sures, Holly Stone, Helen Zughaib, Alice Quatrochi, Elaine Qiu, Mia Halton, Elizabeth Vorlicek, Travis Childers