Strathmore Artist Papers™ now marketing RiverPoint®



RiverPoint 100 percent cotton printmaking paper is now marketed exclusively by Strathmore Artist Papers. This original RiverPoint paper is branded as 500 Series RiverPoint Cotton Printmaking and anchors a new line of printmaking papers from Strathmore®. In addition to the 500 Series, Strathmore and UW–Stevens Point worked together to develop two more papers, 300 Series Lightweight and 400 Series Heavyweight printmaking papers. Strathmore 300 Series Lightweight, 400 Series Heavyweight, and 500 Series RiverPoint® Cotton Printmaking Papers are soft, absorbent, strong, and ideal for a wide variety of printmaking techniques.

Learn more about or purchase Strathmore’s new line of printmaking papers.

A short history of RiverPoint

River Point Logo

 
A licensing agreement reached with Strathmore Artist Papers in July 2014 is just the latest chapter in a successful collaboration that has bridged departments within UW–Stevens Point, and linked the university with the private sector. The story begins several years ago, in early 2011, with an idea from Bob Erickson, professor of art and design: The university is home to the College of Fine Arts & Communication, where students and faculty use a lot of fine art paper, and to the Department of Paper Science & Engineering, where students learn papermaking. Could the paper science department make paper for the artists? The goal: Create a high-quality, archival art paper at an economical cost for students and faculty in the visual arts. The two departments, along with the Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology, initiated a project that culminated in the development of RiverPoint art paper. The project was possible because UW–Stevens Point boasts a pilot paper machine, a smaller version of the behemoths in Wisconsin’s commercial paper mills. Learn more about the pilot paper machine in this short video.
 RiverPoint Paper
Art faculty provided paper samples and described what they needed in a quality art paper. WIST and PS&E produced paper in small trial runs, which students and faculty then used in all sorts of ways to test its quality and performance with various media. Several additional development runs later we had a paper that was "just right" in spring 2012. Since then, UW–Stevens Point students and faculty have been using this archival paper to great success in everything from digital printing to drawing to watercolor.
 
The project began simply with the idea of making great value art paper for the UW-Stevens Point campus. However, the paper was so successful we decided to make it available more widely. We introduced the paper at Print: MKE, the 2013 Southern Graphics Council International Conference in Milwaukee (photos at right). The new paper generated considerable media interest, which led to a collaboration with Strathmore Artist Papers to market and distribute RiverPoint and to develop two additional grades of printmaking paper. 500 Series RiverPoint Cotton will continue to be made at UW-Stevens Point. 300 Series Lightweight and 400 Series Heavyweight printmaking papers are made in Wisconsin paper mills. The complete line of printmaking papers will be available at fine art and craft stores. Art work on the 300 Series pads is by UW-Stevens Point student Lanea Zagrezebski, and the art work on the 500 Series is by UW-Stevens Point graduate Shawn Ganther.
 

A versatile art paper

RiverPoint Paper  
500 Series RiverPoint Cotton art paper is ideal for a broad array of drawing and printing applications. It is 100 percent cotton, archival paper, internally sized to provide great results in both dry and wet media. Whether working in charcoal or watercolor, printing digitally or silk screening, create in confidence with RiverPoint paper. This smooth, durable paper is a versatile performer.
 
500 Series RiverPoint art paper is made by the Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology on the UW-Stevens Point pilot paper machine, the fastest student-run paper machine in the country.
 
Woodcut — Relief — Litho — Intaglio — Screen Print — Letter Press — Drawing (Wet and Dry Media) — Digital
 

Learn more about 500 Series RiverPoint and Strathmore's complete line of printmaking papers.

RiverPoint® is a registered trademark of the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System d/b/a University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Stories linked below highlight aspects of the RiverPoint collaborative project

Accomplished artist, 85, makes woodcut prints on RiverPoint paper

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Read about Aline Feldman, an artist who worked with woodcut printing for more than 50 years. When she discovered RiverPoint fine art paper, she decided to try it on a new print series she is creating. In an interview, she talked about her decades-long love affair with woodcut printing, her current projects and plans for new work. You can read the story in our news archive here. (Spoiler alert: She loves the paper.) Feldman's work is in numerous collections including the National Museum of American Art, and her gallery shows have been reviewed by the Washington Post, Baltimore Sun and other publications. 

We interviewed Ms. Feldman in 2014. Aline Feldman died peacefully in June 2018 after a long and illustrious career.  

 

 

RiverPoint art paper used to produce commemorative broadside

Jason Smith, communications director of the Wisconsin Academy and editor of the organization's quarterly magazine, Wisconsin People & Ideas, wrote a nice piece about some timely help from WIST to print a letter pressed broadside commemorating the term of Wisconsin Poet Laureate Max Garland. The story, "From Blindside to Broadside: Unexpected Collaborations Yield Support for the Wisconsin Poet Laureate," is on the Wisconsin Academy website: http://www.wisconsinacademy.org/magazine/blindside-broadside   

RiverPoint in the news

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Ben Meyer of WJFW Channel12 Rhinelander visited UW-Stevens Point and produced a news feature on RiverPoint fine art paper.
 
 
 
 


Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter John Schmid wrote about the collaboration that created RiverPoint art paper for this Sunday feature, which was published January 26.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Leah Kraus, with WSAW TV Channel 7 in Wausau, did a feature about RiverPoint fine art paper.
 
Nathan Vine, in the December 12, 2013, Stevens Point Journal, writes about how RiverPoint fine art paper was developed, and explains how an economic development grant will provide opportunity to expand markets. The grant from UW System also includes funding for equipment upgrades to the university's paper machine for lamination and coating to develop specialty packaging papers.