Artist Statement
“New into old, old into new, I’m weaving together remnants of the past and present to preserve the rich textures of life for the future.”
For my entire life I have been a working artist, organic gardener, and beekeeper. I create handmade paper as a means to an end. Paper art works take the form of: art lighting, shadow box, stationary, books and sculptures all crafted from sustainably collected plants, recycled and invasive fibers.
Each piece is a vignette that holds a visual narrative. Through layers of vintage ephemera, photos and bits of cloth, tales are told. When etched images are included the dialogue begins. Toys, natural and found objects punctuate the story. No material is arbitrary; I am influenced by overlooked materials found in my community, my own back yard. Rusty old tools are mashed together with deconstructed plants; this is where I find humor, combining these unlikely fellows. Often my works invite the viewer to playfully interact with the art work through light and kinetic elements that bring the imagery to life.
Throughout my life I have been not only influenced but supported, on this less traveled path, by a creative extended family that includes: gardener, architect, seamstress, quilter, potter, writer, and photographer. Although I did study Art History, psychology and costume design, I learned much more on the bus and in the park. Observation, deconstruction, collection and categorization of found materials reveal clues into their histories that lead to reuse.
Over the years my work has been presented at arts festivals and galleries worldwide winning many awards including the Best of Show at the Kentuck Festival 2009. The unique self taught processes I use in papermaking have been featured on HGTV’s Crafter Coast to Coast as well as Daniel Tigers Neighborhood. My handmade paper art work is collected privately and in museums including the American Museum of Folk Art in New York. I am enthusiastic about sharing my self- taught papermaking and printmaking processes as a Teaching Artist affiliated with arts organizations along the East coast. I was recognized as Georgia Arts Educator of the Year in 2005 for my efforts as a self taught artist with learning disabilities. In 2011 I relocated to Pittsburgh Pa. and have adopted it as my home embracing the climate, architecture and creative community. I currently hold a studio space in a former dance studio in Swissvale, Pa. Here I make paper out of invasive species and pull prints on a 100 year old press.
“Ms DeMent’s papermaking class exposes students to the principals of science and history while actively engaging students in the process and techniques of papermaking. This is what thematic instruction is all about.”
— GAEA
Resume
Education
2015 - 2016 Teaching Artist Certificate Program. University of the Arts. Philadelphia, PA.
1980 - 1983 Major in Art History and Psychology. Georgia State University. Atlanta, GA.
1984 Textiles. American College. Atlanta GA.
Ongoing Self-taught in papermaking, printmaking, painting, ceramics, sculpture, and metalworking.
Work History
2013 - Present Studio Instructor in papermaking, printmaking, paper clay sculpture. Contemporary Craft. Pittsburgh, PA.
2013 - Present Primary Teaching Artist. Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse. Pittsburgh, PA.
2015 - Present Lead Teaching Artist. Creative Citizens Studios. Pittsburgh, PA. Teaching various artistic techniques to students with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
2012 - Present Workshop/Residency Instructor. Pittsburgh Center for Arts & Media. Pittsburgh, PA. Teaching papermaking, focusing on recycling, printmaking, and collage.
2012 - Present Summer Camp Instructor. Irma Freeman Center for Imagination. Pittsburgh, PA.
2011 - Present Residency Artist. Lively Arts, Indiana University Pennsylvania. Indiana, PA.
2007 - Present Instructor. Camp Barney Menditz. Cleveland, GA. Teaching papermaking, screen printing, and staff development.
2011 - 2016 Workshop/Residency Instructor. Gateway to The Arts. Pittsburgh, PA.
2011 - 2015 Workshop/Residency Instructor. Young Audiences New York. New York City, NY.
2010 - 2011 Educators in Service. Savannah College of Art and Design. Atlanta, GA.
2007 - 2011 Art Specialist K-8. Kingfisher Academy. Tucker, GA.
2001 - 2011 Teaching/Residency Artist. Georgia Council for the Arts. Atlanta, GA.
2000 - 2011 Teaching Artist K-12. Atlanta Public Schools Arts Program. Fulton County, GA.
2000 - 2011 Historical Demonstration Artist. Stone Mountain Historic Square. Stone Mountain, GA.
1998 - 2011 Workshop/Residency Instructor. The Woodruff Arts Center. Atlanta, GA.
1994 - 2011 Program Instructor - Senior Outreach. High Museum of Art. Atlanta, GA.
1993 - 2001 Summer Camp Instructor/Facilitator. Quinlan Art Center. Gainesville, GA. Teaching summer art program and special education programs.
1990 - 2011 Teachers In Service K-12. Artist in Schools Residency. Cobb County, GA.
1987 - 2001 Instructor. Roswell Visual Art Center. Roswell, GA. Developed and instructed multi-media art classes, planned and implemented special education programs and workshops for use in-house and community outreach.
Special Interest Community Projects
2019 - 2020 Exhibition Co-Curator. Crafting Conversations. Pittsburgh, PA.
2017 - 2019 Creator. Climate Change Crankie. Sprout Fund Grand Idea. Pittsburgh, PA.
2018 Creator. Reflections of You. Cool Globes: Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet. Pittsburgh, PA.
2016 Instructor/Facilitator. WLHPQ (World’s Largest Handmade Paper Quilt.) Contemporary Craft. Pittsburgh, PA.
2015 Instructor/Facilitator. Dashain, A Time for Kites. Assemble. Pittsburgh, PA.
2013 Instructor/Facilitator. Dia de Los Muertos. Sprout Fund. Pittsburgh, PA.
2009 - 2011 Coordinator for Re-purposed Art Activities. Re-Art Center Atlanta Arts Fest. Atlanta, GA.
2002 - 2009 Activity Programmer. Atlanta Dogwood Festival, Kids Village. Atlanta, GA. Designed and implemented activities for kids including: Papermaking and “The Franken Pets Project” where kids learn to sew decapitated stuffed animals together to create a new friends.
2003 - 2007 Coordinator. East Atlanta Strut. Atlanta, GA. Coordinated permits, sponsorship, grant writing, logistics, and artist market for this annual outdoor festival.
Awards
2019 Puppet Boss. Pittsburgh Puppet Guild. Pittsburgh, PA.
2017 Grand Idea Award. Sprout Fund. Pittsburgh, PA.
2016 Award of Excellence. Eco Evolution Recycled Fashion Show. Pittsburgh, PA.
2015 Fiber Art Award. Three Rivers Arts Festival. Pittsburgh, PA.
2014 Fiber Art Award. Three Rivers Arts Festival. Pittsburgh, PA.
2010 Honorable Mention. MCAC (Magic City Arts Connection.) Birmingham, AL.
2009 Best of Show. Kentuck Festival of the Arts. Northport, AL.
2009 2nd Place. Relationship Between Bees and Organic Farmers. Statesboro, GA.
2007 Best in Show. Atlanta Downtown Festival. Atlanta, GA.
2007 1st Place - Mixed Media. 36th Gumtree Festival. Tupelo, MS.
2007 Honorable Mention. Art in the Park. Blowing Rock, NC.
2005 Art Educator of the Year. Georgia Art Education Association. GA
2005 Purchase Award. 34th Gumtree Festival. Tupelo, MS.
2002 Residency. Hambidge Centre for the Creative Arts. Dillard, GA.
2001 Honorable Mention. 30th Gumtree Festival. Tupelo, MS.
1999 Best Recycled Art. Virginia-Highland Summerfest. Atlanta, GA.
1999 Best in Show. Art in the Park. Blowing Rock, NC.
Exhibition History
2019 - 2020 Handmade Paper Quilts. Carnegie Free Library of Swissvale. Swissvale, PA.
2019 Members Exhibition. Pittsburgh Center for Arts & Media. Pittsburgh, PA.
2019 Pittsburgh For Pittsburgh. Irma Freeman Center for Imagination. Pittsburgh, PA.
2019 Crafting Conversations: Paper Makers Respond to Climate Change. Contemporary Craft. Pittsburgh, PA.
2018-19 Rust Belt Relics. Bantha Tea Bar. Pittsburgh, PA.
2018 Paper Makers. Morgan Conservatory. Cleveland, OH.
2016 - 2019 Eco Evolution Recycled Fashion Show. Fairmont Hotel. Pittsburgh, PA.
2017 Katy DeMent, The Paper Lady. Frick Environmental Center. Pittsburgh, PA.
2017 The Body. Lexington Arts Lieges. Lexington, KT.
2017 Waxed Paper Quilts. Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. Pittsburgh, PA.
2017 Fashion Show: Hotter Than Hell. Pittsburgh Glass Center. Pittsburgh, PA.
2016 Wilkinsburg Windows. Dream City Art Walk. Wilkinsburg, PA.
2016 Unbiased. Art Place. Mt Lebanon, PA.
2016 Paper Quilts. Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. Pittsburgh, PA.
2012 - 2016 Pittsburgh BRA Day - Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day. The Andy Warhol Museum. Pittsburgh, PA.
2015 Paper Dolls: Wearable Paper Clothing and More. Sycamore Place Gallery. Decatur, GA.
2015 BARK. Jewish Federation of Chattanooga. Chattanooga, TN.
2015 Little Big Show. The Irma Freeman Center of Imagination. Pittsburgh, PA.
2014 Edge to Edge. Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh, PA.
2014 Automata. The Irma Freeman Center of Imagination. Pittsburgh, PA.
2012 - 2014 Pittsburgh Artist Show. The Irma Freeman Center of Imagination. Pittsburgh, PA.
2012 Paper Quilts. Mercer University. Atlanta, GA.
2012 All My Wacky Ideas. Naked Art Gallery. Birmingham, AL.
2011 Dedicated. Crazy Mocha Coffee Company. Pittsburgh, PA.
2010 Decatur Fine Arts. Agnes Scott College. Decatur, GA.
2010 Paper Quilts. Kentuck Art Center & Festival. Northport, AL.
2009 Georgia Artist Exhibit. Abernathy Arty Center. Sandy Springs, GA.
2009 Automata Shado-Boxes. Karvarna. Decatur, GA.
2009 Relationship Between Bees & Organic Farmers. Averitt Center for the Arts. Statesboro, GA.
2007 Seasons. Young Blood Gallery + Boutique. Atlanta, GA.
2007 Seven Deadly Sins with Seven Guilty Artists. Naked Art Gallery. Birmingham, AL.
2006 100 Boxes. Sabra Gallery. Atlanta, GA.
2006 Here Come the Mermaid. Fish or Cut Bait Gallery. Edisto Island, SC.
2006 Anatomy of a Bar Fly. Naked Art Gallery. Birmingham, AL.
2005 Tribute to Elvis. Naked Art Gallery. Birmingham, AL.
2005 Art Soup. Maitland Art Center. Maitland, FL.
2004 Electric Oddities. Naked Art Gallery. Birmingham, AL.
2004 Objects of Desire. Naked Art Gallery. Birmingham, AL.
2001 Paperlicious. Chef’s Garden/Jake’s Ice Cream. Atlanta, GA.
2000 Stories About Strangers. The Art Place. Marietta, GA.
2000 Katy DeMent, New Works. Sacred Grounds. Atlanta, GA.
1999 Paper Ladies’ Traveling Show. University of Kentucky. Lexington, KY.
1999 Pulp Function. Naked Art Gallery. Birmingham, AL.
Collections
Opelika Center for the Performing Arts Opelika, AL
Eastern Shore Art Center Fairhope AL
Christchurch Botanic Gardens Christchurch, New Zealand
Naked Art Gallery Birmingham, AL
Raiford Gallery Roswell, GA
American Visionary Art Museum Baltimore, MD
Whitespace Gallery Atlanta, GA
Burton Gallery Clarksville, GA
American Folk Art Museum New York City, NY
Art-o-Mat Chapel Hill, NC and Worldwide
Press
2019 Hands-on Fiber Conversation at the studio of Katy DeMent
2019 International Association of Hand Papermakers and Paper Artists (IAMPA) Members’ Journal “Papermakers Respond to Climate Change”
2019 American Craft Magazine November. “Crafting Conversations”
2019 International Association of Hand Papermakers and Paper Artists (IAMPA) “Crafting Conversations”
2019 Dassa McKinney students create 3-D state map with artists' help
2014 PGH Spotlight | The Paper Lady - Katy DeMent
2007 GEMC Georgia Magazine November. “Georgia’s Unique Products”
2006 The Porch Press July. “Summer Art Camps in the Village”
2006 The Porch Press July. “Australia Comes to Cook El”
2005 HGTV. Crafters Coast to Coast. (still airing)
2004 Black and White Magazine. “Electric Oddities @ Naked Art Gallery”
2003 Lark Books, Weekend Crafter. “Waxed Paper Wall Sconce”
2002 Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles Magazine July + December
2001 Atlanta Living + Arts from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “For Art’s Sake”
2000 Better Homes and Gardens. “Weekend Decorating Projects: Handmade Paper on Walls”
1999 Black and White Magazine January. “Arts Round Up”