In the Galleries

Learn more about the people and artists who are a part of our organization!

Member Connect will feature interviews and articles on members of the St. Louis Artists’ Guild.

Coming Soon!

This is the first in a series of posts spotlighting our Summer 2011 art classes and workshops, and the wonderful artists behind them!

Jessi Cerutti, 10 rivers, 1000 years

Jessi Cerutti explores personal memory and local history through printmaking and fiber arts. Her work has been shown in various juried exhibitions, and she has been involved in several DIY projects, including galleries in alternative spaces and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Craft Show, of which she is Co-Founder and Vice President.

Cerutti has taught several classes and workshops in papermaking and fiber arts at the St. Louis Artists’ Guild. This summer, Jessi Cerutti will be teaching Western Papermaking, along with Solarplate Printmaking.

Jessi Cerutti, 10 rivers, 1000 years (detail)

What interests you about papermaking? I am a process oriented artist.  When making work, I begin with general ideas and utilize process to refine and realize content in the work.  I began studying printmaking nearly ten years ago, but have only recently started learning about papermaking.  I feel that the manipulation of raw plant fibers into an art object is rewarding and revealing in itself.  It has become a way for me, as a two-dimensional artist, to experiment with sculpture and create work that is made by my own hands from start to finish. Who are some artists who you feel utilize papermaking/handmade paper in an interesting way? Papermaking is a diverse medium that spans the practical to the outlandish.  A few artists I can think of include Jo Stealey, Leslie Mutchler and Mary Hark.

Jessi Cerutti, l'histoire de gravois roadmap

How do you use papermaking in your own studio practice?

I began using papermaking in order to create delicate, near-transparent sheets for printing on.  This led to lots of experimentation and research as I started to conceptualize sculptural works based in paper.  I experiment with various plant fibers and layer and cast pieces to realize these works.  I am currently beginning a new body of work which will be a more formal investigation involving paper pulp painting, building up relief surfaces on the paper and printing with paper pulp.

Jessi Cerutti, 38.635681,-90.186406,

How can papermaking be combined with other artistic techniques and media?
The processes of papermaking may be used as an element in just about any artistic practice.  I like to think of the plant fibers that are used to make paper as not only a surface which to draw or print or paint on, but as raw material for drawing, painting and sculpture.  Painting with pulp, stenciling of multi-colored sheets, layering of different colored and textured fibers, paper casting and forming are all techniques which can be utilized to create complete works of paper.  Handmade paper also makes for a unique inclusion in a work in any medium, a surface to print on, or a material to cover and embellish other works.

Jessi Cerutti, float trip 1986

Why should artists and craftspeople learn papermaking? As mentioned above, papermaking is an intuitive and versatile medium.  It is rewarding to be able to take a raw material and transform it into an art object—a creation that is unique from start to finish.  It is also an affordable and flexible process in that it is very easy to get started with a simple set up at home.  The possibilities are endless! For more information about Jessi Cerutti and her artwork, please visit her website.

Brochures and registration forms for Education Programs at the St. Louis Artists’ Guild are available for download on our website.

ARTIST OPPORTUNITIES

• Drift, a juried exhibition being held by the St. Louis Artists’ Guild and Art Saint Louis. Drift is an all media exhibition which will feature artwork emphasizing or reflecting movement through space and time, and will address our movement between east and west, and our relationship to nature and the world which we inhabit. It also focuses on how people are affected by time, space and movement. We are looking for works that highlight these ideas and communicate a profound relationship with these concepts. Questions realted to the idea of Drift: How do you relate to your environment? How does travel affect your daily experience? Do you notice the change of the seasons? How does environmental change impact your existence? Does time fly? What is your relationship with time? Juried by Ivy Cooper. Deadline: April 29, 2011.
• Sustainability and the Built Environment of the St. Louis Region: an examination of where we stand, as a culture of consumption, and where we may be headed in the future. Focus on sustainability efforts and opportunities of the St. Louis regional built environment. Seek examples of work illustrating the biggest consumers and best conservationists. The artist’s or designer’s statement should explain the societal impact of the submission’s subject matter. Artists, designers, architects, creators and design firms are invited to submit work in various media (including photography, three-dimensional design, slides, video/film/digital, drawings, etc) and are encouraged to consider may aspects of the theme. Organized by the St. Louis Artists’ Guild Architecture Section. Sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Missouri Gateway Chapter. Juried by Chris Jordan. Deadline: August 6, 2011.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

• Volunteers are needed to help with hospitality and set-up for this year’s Collectors Choice fundraiser events on May 20, 2011 and June 12, 2011. To volunteer, please contact Membership Coordinator Adrian Aquilino at adrian@stlouisartistsguild.org.