Biography
We aim to change the paper supply chain from forest to farm. Here is a list of what we've done on our journey thus far.
Exhibitions:
2024 Transformation and Storytelling, Link Gallery, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL.
2023 Regather: A 10-Year Retrospective of Paper Art at Fresh Press, Merwin Gallery, Illinois Wesleyan University, Ames School of Art and Design, Bloomington, IL,
2019 The Alchemy of Paper, Herron School of Art, Indianapolis, IN.
2018 McLean Count Arts Center, Bloomington, IL.
2017 Pulp as Portal: Socially Engaged Papermaking, The Center for Book Arts, New York, NY.
2015 Layers, Figure One, Champaign, IL.
2013 Social Paper, Center for Book and Paper arts, Columbia College, Chicago, IL.
2013 Faculty Exhibition, Krannert Museum, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL.
2013 AIGA (Re)Design Awards, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, MN.
2013 Printing Green: American Print Alliance, Illges Gallery, Columbus State University, Columbus, GA.
2011 Pulp, Figure One, Champaign, IL.
Online Press:
Kurtweil, Jenna. “Past, Present, and Future: ‘CornCrete’ Reimagines Sustainable Architecture.” iSEE. February 14, 2019.
Vaca, Chantal. “Fresh Press Studio transforms harvest waste into fine art paper.” Smile Politely, February 7, 2019.
Wang, Zihan. “Studio creates sustainable paper.” Daily Illini, November 8, 2018.
Kurtzweil, Jenna. “Field to Library: U of I Collaboration for Sustainable Book Conservation.” iSEE, October 17, 2018.
Jain, Dhwani, "Congratulations to Fresh Press." Student Sustainable Committee, December 1, 2017.
Dimtirova, Donna, "Fresh Press, an Agri-Fiber Paper Research Lab on Campus, Uses Creativity to Promote Sustainability," Green Observer, November 27, 2017.
"Illinois Shines in Sustainable Index," ISEE, November 7, 2017.
Babcock, May, “Stop the Presses! It’s Community Supported Paper at Fresh Press!,” PaperSlurry, December 8, 2016.
Heckel, Jodi, “Agri-fiber paperlab making sustainable paper.” Central Illinois Business. June 1, 2014.
Aghajanian, Liana, “Paper from farm waste? Art Professors show us how.” Takepart. March 30, 2014.
Babcock, May, “The Microbrewery of Hand papermaking (Fresh Press).” Paper Slurry. May 5, 2014.
Alexander, Christine, “Agri-fiber paper making from Fresh Press.” Dreaming in CMYK. May 26, 2014 .
Gunther, Shea, “There’s got to be a better way to turn ag waste into paper.” Mother Nature Network. June 2, 2014.
Everett, Claire, “The Fresh Press Project creates a zero waste alternative to paper-making.” The Daily Illini. October 17th, 2013.
Shipman, Kay, “Designer plant seed to develop homegrown ‘agri paper’. ” Farmweeknow.com. November 19, 2010.
Mitchell, Gage, “Finding a more sustainable paper pulp.” Modern Species Blog. September 7, 2012.
Awards:
2017 SSC Excellence in Innovation Award for A Campus Circular Economy
2013 International Design Award, Self-Promotion Category (Silver)
2013 AIGA Re-Design Award
Commissions:
2024 School of Social Work Thank You Cards
2023 Sustainable Design Graduation Invitation
2023 Siebel Center for Design Holiday Card (Prairie Grass Paper)
2022 Sustainable Design Graduation Invitation
2021 Siebel Center for Design Holiday Card (Prairie Grass Paper)
2018 Lefield notes (Speckletone Recycled Cotton)
2018 UIUC Rare Book & Manuscript Library (Speckletone Recycled Cotton)
2015 Art+Design Foundations Drawing Program (Ubergrass)
2014 UIUC MLK, JR Symposium (Prairie Fest)
2014 Grinnell College (Ubergrass)
2014 College of Fine and Applied Arts Holiday Card (Winter Rye)
2013 UIUC MLK, JR Symposium (Prairie Fest)
2013 Student Sustainability Committee
Publications:
“Green Fabrication of Stackable Laser-Induced Graphene Micro-Supercapacitors under Ambient Conditions: Toward the Design of Truly Sustainable Technological Platforms,” Sara L. Silvestre, Maria Morais, Raquel R. A. Soares, Zachary T. Johnson, Eric Benson, Elisabeth Ainsley, Veronica Pham, Jonathan C. Claussen, Carmen L. Gomes, Rodrigo Martins, Elvira Fortunato, Luis Pereira, and João Coelho, Advanced Materials Technologies (2024).
“Fresh Press Agri-Fiber Lab,” Eric Benson, Ground Works (2022)
"A Case for a New Case Paper: From Farm to Table to Desk to Bench," Eric Benson, Quinn Ferris, Jennifer Hain Teper, Anneka Vetter, Book and Paper Group Annual (2019).
Mahan, Margaret, “Paper in Action.” Hand Papermaking. March 20, 2014.