50th Anniversary
Dieu Donné Celebrates 50 Years of Collaboration and Innovation in Hand Papermaking
This year marks the 50th Anniversary of Dieu Donné, a nonprofit whose field-defining work in hand papermaking has shaped generations of contemporary artists. Anniversary celebrations begin this year with exhibitions, programs, and a landmark publication.
“Reaching fifty years is both a moment of reflection and a call forward. We are marking the anniversary through a sustained program that honors the artists, collaborations, and innovations that have defined the organization for five decades, and continues to shape the future of hand papermaking.”
About Dieu Donné
Founded in 1976 by Susan Gosin and Bruce Wineberg, Dieu Donné was established to explore the untapped potential of hand papermaking as a contemporary art form. Over five decades, the organization has collaborated with 1,000 artists, producing works that redefine paper as more than a surface for art. Today, Dieu Donné remains the field's preeminent institution, supporting emerging and established artists through residencies, fellowships, and educational programs.
“Since founding Dieu Donné in 1976, collaboration and experimentation have been at the heart of everything we do. These values have carried us forward for five decades and continue to shape the artists we work with, the partnerships we build, and the programs through which we share the art of hand papermaking.”
50th Anniversary Exhibitions
The Art of Paper: Selections of Handmade Paper Works from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation installation at the Bernard A. Zuckerman Museum of Art, Kennesaw, GA. 2026. Photo by Mike Jensen.
The Art of Paper: Selections of Handmade Paper Works from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation
A major traveling exhibition conceived and championed by Dieu Donné Co-Chair Susan Gosin, and co-curated by Gosin and Cynthia Nourse Thompson, with Brett Littman serving as lead curator. The exhibition traces the evolution of handmade paper as a primary artistic medium, placing Dieu Donné's collaborative model at the center of that history.
Touring venues:
Zuckerman Museum of Art
Kennesaw, GA
January 20 - May 1, 2026Asheville Art Museum
Asheville, NC
June 4 - November 30, 2026Chazen Museum of Art
Madison, WI
February 8 - May 9, 2027Parrish Art Museum
Water Mill, NY
September 19, 2027 - January 23, 2028
Firelei Báez, Patriarch, 2013. Pigmented linen on cotton base sheet.
Pioneers in Hand Papermaking: 50 Years of Innovation at Dieu Donné
The Grolier Club
47 East 60th Street, New York, NY
September 8 – November 28, 2026
Free and open to the public. Visit grolierclub.org for gallery hours.
Dieu Donné celebrates five decades of transforming paper into fine art with this landmark retrospective. Bringing together 80 works from the collections of Dieu Donné and Susan Gosin, founder, the exhibition traces a half-century of creative collaboration between artists and Dieu Donné's master papermakers — partnerships that redefined what paper can be and do.
Featuring two-dimensional works, sculpture, and artist books, each piece in the exhibition demonstrates the many possibilities that emerge when artistic vision meets fine craft. Throughout, visitors will encounter the hand papermaking techniques that shaped both the 20th and 21st century studio paper movement — offering a rare look at process as well as art.
PUBLICATION
Coming Soon – Summer 2026
Dieu Donné: Paper MAKING Art
By Susan Gosin, author and co-founder, Dieu Donné
A comprehensive retrospective volume tracing the history of hand papermaking and the transformative legacy Dieu Donné has established as a defining force in contemporary art.
Programs
All programs will take place at The Grolier Club, 47 East 60th Street, New York, NY, in conjunction with Pioneers in Hand Papermaking: 50 Years of Innovation at Dieu Donné, on view September 8 – November 28, 2026.
Tricia Wright, We Have No Prairies, 2024. Handmade cotton and abaca paper, crushed peat turf, moss, fungi, lichen, tree bark, and steel.
SEPTEMBER
Pioneers in Hand Papermaking: 50 Years of Innovation at Dieu Donné Opening Reception
Thursday, September 10 @ 6:00 - 8:00 PM
By invitation only.Curators' Exhibition Tour
Wednesday, September 16 @ 1:00 - 2:00 PM
Free and open to the public. No reservation required.
Susan Gosin and Cynthia Nourse Thompson lead a walk-through of the exhibition.Book Talk and Launch: Dieu Donné: Paper & Art
Wednesday, September 23 @ 6:00 PM
Registration details coming soon.
With artist Tricia Wright and author Susan Gosin.
This deluxe book was created for Dieu Donné's 50th Anniversary to showcase paper samples and artistic techniques that have been developed in the Dieu Donné studios and includes an editioned gold leaf work of art by Tricia Wright.Virtual Evening Artist Conversation
Wednesday, September 30 @ 6:00 PM ET
Registration details coming soon.
Lynda Benglis, Lunar Hornet, 2023. Handmade pigmented abaca paper, embedded aluminum wire, stenciled linen pulp paint, carbon black with acrylic medium.
October
Curators' Exhibition Tour
Wednesday, October 21 @ 1:00 - 2:00 PM
Free and open to the public. No reservation required.50th Anniversary Symposium
Thursday, October 15, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
By invitation only.
A full-day convening bringing together artists, curators, collectors, and critical writers to explore five decades of collaboration and innovation in hand papermaking. A livestream will be available day of the event.Virtual Evening Artist Conversation
Thursday, October 29 @ 6:00 PM ET
Registration details coming soon.
Howardena Pindell, Untitled #113, 2023. Handmade cotton and abaca paper with embedded intaglio printed paper dots.
NOVEMBER
Curators' Exhibition Tour
Wednesday, November 18 @ 1:00 PM
Free and open to the public. No reservation required.