Peace Paper Project is an international community-arts initiative that utilizes traditional
hand papermaking as a form of trauma therapy, social engagement, and community activism.
Peace Paper Project was founded by papermakers and book artists Margaret Mahan and Drew
Matott, along with art therapist Gretchen Miller, in 2011. Since 2011, Peace Paper Project
has conducted hundreds of workshops worldwide in conjunction with community leaders, mental
health professionals, and art therapists. Peace Paper Project has helped launch numerous
other paper making programs that also use papermaking as a form of healing and community
engagement.
Peace Paper Project maintains the St. Pauli Studio in Hamburg, Germany as their base of
operations, but through their portable studio model are able to travel internationally and
host workshops and interventions in public spaces. Peace Paper Project has a number of
long-standing initiatives, notably projects with veterans, refugees, Panty-Pulping, and Pulp
Pink, started by former intern Payton Hurley. More information about specific initiatives,
exhibitions, and the printing and pulping processes used can be found on the Peace Paper
Project website at: www.peacepaperproject.org.
As of 2019, the directors of the Peace Paper Project include artist-activist Drew Matott,
art therapist and trauma practitioner Gretchen Miller, and educator and photographer Stephen
DeSantis. The project is run through collaborations with artists, art therapists,
tool-makers, and institutions all over the world and more information about individuals and
institutions involved can be found on their website.
