Craft a paper trail

From printmaking to origami to paper-mache, the creative options for paper artistry are limitless.

BY MCKENNA NEEF

Columbia was merely a stopping point for Margot Apricot as she biked across the country, starting in New Orleans and heading to Chicago. What was once a means to meet up with a friend eventually became a creative oasis.

Art has defined Apricot’s life, ever since she joined a band at age 14. Originally, printmaking was a means to an end. The colorful posters she designed existed only to advertise and sell tickets for her shows. But when she explored hand drawing and carving, she discovered a passion for paper arts. Now, Apricot is a printmaking instructor at Columbia’s nonprofit art organization Access Arts.

Paper arts, as defined by Skillshare, comprises “any craft that uses paper as its main medium,” such as printmaking, origami, quilling, decoupage, paper-mache, kirigami and paper flowers. In its 2023 trend report, Pinterest Business predicted a rise in the popularity of paper arts, a shift fueled by “a desire to digitally detox.” As people seek ways to disconnect from the hustle of daily life, paper projects offer an accessible medium.

Apricot is one of many paper artists in Columbia who are creating and sharing this art form.

Art teachers

Kate Zumwalt and Sara Osman are paper artists, sisters and co-owners of Forget Not Paper, a wedding stationery business sparked by their shared love of making wedding invites. Zumwalt teaches a hand-lettering course, which has become increasingly popular in recent months.

Apricot also has seen this growing interest at Access Arts through its new printmaking program. With a focus on ceramics and fiber arts, the paper arts were not an area of emphasis at this school until Apricot arrived. She noticed the studio’s few pieces of printmaking equipment were gathering dust, and she decided to propose weekly printmaking courses. “The thing about print, for me, is that it enabled me to create art that I could price in an egalitarian fashion,” Apricot says. Because printmaking provides artists with an affordable medium, she views her classes as a way to share that message.

After just a few weeks, Apricot is already seeing her passion pay off. “For the most part, people have been showing up every week — bright-eyed and excited, making really cool work,” she says.

Sonya Nicholson, a visual merchandiser at Bluestem Missouri Crafts and the face behind Sonya Bird Studio, found her place within the paper arts world through origami. She says paper crafts offer practitioners a wide range of creative exploration. “It’s just limitless the things you can do,” Nicholson says.

Creating careers

Art comes in many different forms, and paper is among the most accessible.

Origami provided Nicholson with a form of art that brings her joy and pays her bills. “Really, I want to enjoy my process, and I also want to make a living as an artist,” she says as she weaves between the stacks of paper and craft supplies strewn around her

Apricot uses her art to advocate for causes she believes in, such as police abolition and the anti-capitalism movement. Her work has become increasingly utilitarian in recent years with a portion of profits often being donated.

Stepping away from the screen

As adults clock more hours in front of screens, more people have started to seek out hobbies beyond the digital realm.

Zumwalt and Osman understand this rejection of the online world better than anyone. Websites such as Minted and Shutterfly offer users the ability to design and print their own cards and invites, yet the sisters of Forget Not Paper say these companies have lost their charm. “(Our clients are) craving that physical element that they lack maybe in other areas of their life because so much is digitized now,” Osman says.

“I think that’s only gonna continue,” Osman says. “I feel like any areas of our lives where we can have these physical, beautiful things — people are still going

FORGETTHEM-NOT

Forget Not Paper is a wedding stationary business that offers services in stationary, addressing and day-of pieces. The founders create “one-of-a-kind” work with a variety of illustration concepts and writing styles.

Forget Not Paper was founded by Sara Osman (above left) and types and care at The Hair Bar. Her goal is to provide a comfortable and open space for people of all races, backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses. Prince says what’s important about The Hair Bar experience is how clients feel after they leave.

The Hair Bar is also a family-owned business. Prince’s cousin Nae Prince is a hairstylist and owner of another shop, Flawless Beauty. Nae Prince rents out a booth in The Hair Bar, where she specializes in lace front wigs, ponytails and eyelash extensions. Nae Prince says her favorite thing about being a hairstylist is the reaction and confidence boosts her clients get from her work. “Some of my clients have alopecia at a young age,” Nae Prince says. “Once they put a wig on, they feel like a new person.”