2023 Hall of Papermaking Champions Nominees

Tim Barrett, chair of the Hall of Papermaking Champions Committee reports: “After our consideration of all nominations, multiple internal rankings, a Zoom meeting, and consideration of ranking results and comments from the 37 NAHP members who responded to our Qualtrics ranking form, the committee will be asking the Board, and the membership (at the annual business meeting) to approve the following individuals as 2023 inductees into the NAHP Hall of Papermaking Champions. Thank you for your support of this important NAHP Program.” Update October 2023: the proposed members were approved by the membership at the annual meeting held in Providence, Rhode Island.

Members of the Hall of Papermaking Champions Committee: Tim Barrett (chair), Nicole Donnelly, Mary Hark, Mina Takahashi, and Jocmarys “Joko” Viruet Feliciano.

Below are short descriptions of each champion, with direct links to the individual essays. NAHP’s Hall of Papermaking Champions is a growing archive of biographies of significant champions of contemporary hand papermaking.

Sara Gilfert

Sara Gilfert, was the 2002 founder of Paper Circle, a nonprofit papermaking studio dedicated to the art and craft of papermaking, in Nelsonville, OH. Through Paper Circle, and her own contagious enthusiasm, Sara has provided papermaking, educational & exhibition opportunities for thousands.

Walter Hamady

Hand papermaker, teacher/professor, and fine and artist's book printer, Walter was professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for decades, teaching many paper artists and bookmakers who, in turn, had lifelong careers and connections to handmade paper and fine books.

Brian Queen

Brian has consistently used, experimented with, pioneered, and shared various new ways of approaching hand papermaking with new technology. He is one of the most active and generous members of our community routinely sharing an endless font of knowledge, while constantly innovating and collaborating with others.

Asao Shimura

Asao is a papermaker, paper researcher, world traveler, and teacher with expertise in papermaking, natural dyes, shifu, kon'nyaku, and other specialties. Well known for his many miniature books on handpapermaking subjects, Asao has been engaged with and supportive of the handpapermaking community around the world since the mid 1970s. n 2018.

Stay tuned for the 2023 Champions essays!