Melissa Potter

In collaboration with IDEA, Caracas and and El Centro del Libro de Venezuela, I worked in Caracas, Venezuela for a month from May 17 - June 12 with our visiting artist, Sheroanawë Hakihiiwë and a group of curated artists to interpret a Yanomami creation story, Pore awë (translation, Plantain Man) in a paper, print, and book project.

This was the first time an interpretive artistic project happened in conjunction with the Yanomami or indigenous community.  Ten artists contributed to the event, and papermaking was the most popular part of the exchange.  We made paper from daphne, and locally sourced materials such as sisal and moriche.

Thanks to our outstanding collaboration with Sheroanawë last year in our papermaking studio, and the support of my colleagues in the Interdisciplinary Art Department at Columbia College Chicago, I was able to build this month-long project with our Venezuelan partners. Two MFA Book and Paper students from our program, Maggie Puckett and Haley Nagy received scholarships to come to Venezuela to participate, teach and collaborate.

Sheroanawë was with us at Columbia College Chicago for two weeks with Laura Anderson Barbata and produced an incredible collaboration with my Intermediate Papermaking class at Columbia College Chicago Center for Book and Paper.