Art professor Jade Hoyer ’07 transforms local plant fibers into handmade paper with Tyler Chodera ’25 and Miah Francis ’26
Hoyer’s project with Chodera and Francis merges art, ecology, and a hands-on approach to material making.

In the picturesque surroundings of Carleton’s Cowling Arboretum, an exciting research project started unfolding last summer that merges art, ecology, and a hands-on approach to material making. Led by Assistant Professor of Art Jade Hoyer ’07, and with the dedicated efforts of student researchers Tyler Chodera ’25 and Miah Francis ’26, project “Prairie Paper” is working to transform local plant fibers into handmade paper.

Supported by the Humanities Center’s Trustee Humanities Endowed Student Research Fund, the research aims to produce high-quality handmade paper using unconventional fibers. The project represents a convergence of artistic practice and ecological awareness, with hopes to produce an exhibition that will coincide with the Arb’s upcoming 150th anniversary celebrations.
The Prairie Paper project involves taking plant fibers and transforming them into paper through a labor-intensive process of harvesting, cooking, and beating the fibers. Hoyer, an artist in her own right who has long incorporated papermaking into her practice, describes the effort as an exploration of the potential for locally available plant materials to serve as suitable paper pulp.
Last summer, Hoyer and her team zeroed in on cattails, an abundant local species in southeastern Minnesota. Experimenting with different methods to prepare the cattail fibers, the team learned how to balance the cooking time and fiber preparation to achieve the best possible results.
“We had to figure out how long to cook the fibers, and how much physical preparation, such as chopping or beating the fibers, is necessary for making pulp,” Hoyer said.
The first batch of cattail pulp, she recounted, was undercooked and didn’t break down properly. However, through trial and error — cutting the fibers into smaller pieces, adjusting the cooking process, and testing different pulp combinations — the team eventually produced a successful batch.

“We’re talking about 25+ hours of labor from three individuals just to see if an experiment works, and that’s with plants that we already harvested and dried,” said Hoyer.
One of the most exciting moments for Hoyer came when Chodera, after many long hours working with the cattail fibers, texted her with the good news: the fibers were working.
“That was a big moment,” Hoyer said, “because we weren’t sure it would work, and it’s such a labor-intensive process.”
Hoyer is also enthusiastic about the collaborative nature of the project. For the first time at Carleton, she had two student researchers assisting her, which proved invaluable not only in sharing the physical labor but also in sparking new ideas and methods. For example, Chodera introduced the use of a paper cutter instead of hand-ripping paper into small squares, which Hoyer said was a game changer for efficiency.
Francis, who has a background in pen and ink as well as watercolor, introduced new insights into how the paper could be modified to suit various artistic media. By experimenting with different sizing agents — substances added to paper to reduce its absorbency — the team produced paper more suited to mixed media work.
“Miah’s background directly impacted the quality of the paper we made,” Hoyer said.

Having two student researchers has not only lightened the workload for Hoyer but also fostered a sense of community and shared purpose. Hoyer described how Chodera and Francis took shifts boiling cattail fibers during the hottest weeks of the summer, ensuring that the laborious process didn’t overwhelm either student.
The mutual learning between Hoyer and her student assistants was one of the most rewarding aspects of the project for her.
“To see how we collectively landed on exciting discoveries that I wouldn’t have been able to achieve by myself — it’s really invigorating for my studio practice,” Hoyer said.
Hoyer is quick to acknowledge the many resources the Carleton community has provided to make Prairie Paper a reality. From funding provided by the Humanities Center to the equipment and materials made available by the Department of Art and Art History, the project has benefited from the College’s robust support system. Furthermore, the expertise of Nancy Braker ’81, Puzak Family Director of the Cowling Arboretum and senior lecturer in biology, was instrumental in helping the team identify plants that might be suitable for future papermaking experiments at Carleton.