On April 12, guests at the ACC Library Salon Series were inspired by the work and projects of papermaker Mary Hark. A longtime resident of St. Paul, Minnesota, Hark is chair of textiles and fashion design in the School of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and founder and proprietor of HARK! Handmade Paper Studio. During her talk, Hark reflected on her personal practice and background as a papermaker, but mainly focused on what is nearest and dearest to her: community projects. From making placemats for a neighborhood dinner feeding more than 2,000 people to establishing a papermaking operation in Ghana using untapped Mulberry plant resources, Hark’s mission is to make a difference – one beautifully made sheet of paper at a time.

In this video, Hark shares how she ended up in papermaking, who her inspirations are, and a little bit about some of those wonderful communities she has been (and continues) to be involved with.

Presented by the American Craft Council, the Library Salon Series is a series of free public presentations exploring craft, making, and art.

This activity was made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.