Barbara J. Pankratz, Edmonton

Previous to moving to Edmonton in 1984 Barbara lived in the Northwest Territories. She learned to weave in 1978 when she and a partner opened a retail yarn store where they also taught weaving. In 1988 Barbara graduated from the Fine Arts Program majoring in fibre at Grant MacEwan College. Since graduating Barbara has taken part in many exhibitions with works that include weaving, handmade paper and surface design. Barbara has taught papermaking for about 15 years. She searches for ways to use her handmade paper in her work and in recent collages and books she has achieved this goal. From 1994 to 2001 Barbara worked on a project entitled 'Spirits of the Boreal'. The first body of work consisted of 5 large figures constructed out of foamcore and paper pulp and 6 trees or grouping of trees constructed out of saplings wrapped with copper wire, patinated then covered with a bark of handmade paper. This was put into the Boreal forest to decompose, then that process was documented. The documentation consisted of 10 handmade boxes housing an edition of 20 prints, which include photo-etchings, and digital prints from Polaroid transfers. The documentation also included 7 prints on 25" x 32" handmade paper. The Alberta Foundation for the Arts purchased one of the boxes of 20 prints. She will collaborating with Jeanne Germani on a coat based on the opera Filumena. Barb would like to note the technical support she recieved from Kathy Pavelich for the Filumena coat.