HOLYOKE — Residents and neighboring community members are invited to celebrate creativity, innovation and the legacy of The Paper City at the first Holyoke Paper Festival, taking place Saturday, June 7 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., at De La Luz Soundstage at LightHouse, 114 Race St.
The free family-friendly event brings together artists, educators and the community for a full day of hands-on workshops, exhibitions and activities, all centered on the power and possibility of paper.
In the late 1800s, Holyoke produced an estimated 80% of the writing paper used in the U.S. The inaugural Holyoke Paper Festival honors that rich legacy with a dynamic lineup of events that highlight papers artistic, cultural and industrial importance.
Holyoke Paper Festival Founder Rachel Rushing discussed the first event and said, “It’s pretty exciting. When I speak to other residents, it seems like the Paper Festival just makes sense. I think all celebrations like these are important to remind people that we are a community, one with a rich culture and history. My hope in getting HPF started was to find a way to celebrate a huge part of what made Holyoke the place it is today while recognizing the immense talent and skill present right now.”
At the heart of the festival is the HPF Fine Art Exhibition, which will be open from the beginning to the end of the event and located inside De La Luz.
The exhibition is a juried national showcase of artwork made on, of or about paper.
Juried by Felice Caivano, artist and Holyoke Community College Art Department chair, the exhibition reflects the city’s enduring creative spirit and layered history as a manufacturing and cultural hub. Located inside De La Luz, open all day.
The festival workshops and events schedule can be found at holyokepaperfestival.com.
Workshops include creating art with crayons, making silkscreen posters, creating paper masks, making your own cyanotypes prints, papermaking and a Holyoke canal tour.
Rushing said, “I hope people come see the exhibition, curated by the HCC Chair of Visual Art, Felice Caivano, and find a workshop or talk to sit in on. All of the sessions are free to join, though we will have opportunities to donate back to the session leaders as a way to support their hard work while they are generously providing their own time and materials. And there is something for everyone and for all ages, whether that’s learning about screenprinting or zines, or how paper is made by hand. Even if someone isn’t the hands-on type, I truly hope people will come to the closing party to help us celebrate everyone’s efforts this year.”
The Holyoke Paper Festival will conclude with an artist reception and wrap party from 7-9 p.m., with music, community, and refreshments to thank the artists, volunteers and supporters. A cash bar will be available.
This inaugural event was made possible through lead sponsorship by the Paperboard Packaging Council. Additional support comes from LCI Paper, Monadnock Paper Mills and Holyoke Community College.
The Holyoke Paper Festival is fiscally sponsored by Holyoke Art, with support from the Mass Cultural Council and the Holyoke Local Cultural Council.
Readers can find more information at holyokepaperfestival.com.
