The Art of Paper : Claire Van Vliet and the Janus Press

The Color of Night (Newark, Vermont: Janus Press, 1982)

Abiquiu Mesa Blue (1993)

Circle of Wisdom (Newark, Vermont: Janus Press, 2001)

Circle of Wisdom (Newark, Vermont: Janus Press, 2001) in circle.

Beauty in Use (Newark, Vermont: Janus Press, 1997)

Praise Basted In: A Friendship Quilt for Aunt Sallie (Newark, Vermont: Janus Press, 1995)

Capitol Reef (2024)

Wheeler Rocks (1990)

Old Quilts (Newark, Vermont: Janus Press, 1989)

Copper Canyon I and II (2020)

September 9 – December 30, 2024

Step into the captivating world of artist Claire Van Vliet.

A MacArthur Fellow, Van Vliet is widely recognized for her innovations in hand papermaking and her imaginative artist’s books.

The exhibition highlights Van Vliet’s vibrant pulp paintings, made by “painting” with pigmented paper pulps, her striking prints and broadsides, and her captivating sculptural book structures. Handmade paper is integral to the meaning and experience of each of the artworks on view.

Thematic threads throughout the exhibition illuminate Van Vliet’s collaborative spirit, exploration of social issues, and profound connection to the natural world, resonating with the expressive language of poets like Rita Dove, Keri Hulme, Galway Kinnell, and Denise Levertov.

Marking the 70th anniversary of Van Vliet’s Janus Press, the show celebrates a recent gift to the Boston Athenaeum of a complete Janus Press collection by an anonymous donor.