 Hi, I'm Joan Harold here in the Longmont Museum's newest exhibit, Washi Transformed, New Expressions in Japanese Paper. For more than 1,000 years, Japan has produced some of the world's finest paper. Japanese paper makers still use the skills passed down through generations to create handmade paper known as washi. It's used in painting, calligraphy, origami, and other traditional art forms. Japanese contemporary artists are now using washi as the basis for their artwork. They take this supple yet sturdy natural fiber and layer, weave, die, twist, fold, and cut it to create highly textured hanging works. Washi Transformed showcases more than 30 expressive sculptures, dramatic installations, and two-dimensional works created by nine contemporary Japanese artists. All these artists use washi to create works that are unusual in size, unexpected in texture, and don't fit our expectations of paper art. Their art shows the endless contemporary uses of this ancient material. Washi Transformed is on view now through May 15th at the Longmont Museum. We hope you'll join us. Learn more at longmontmuseum.org.