The Mill Paper and Book Arts Center in Rhinelander has announced the premiere of their Marilyn Sward Commemorative Summer Series that features classes and lectures from early June through August.

The theme this year is “Japanese Aesthetics and Wabi-sabi.” Enrollment is now open for a variety of classes from visiting artists who are nationally known in their field of expertise, including haiku poetry, papermaking, bookbinding and letterpress printmaking.

Participants may enroll in all of the classes in the summer series or register for classes individually. No prior experience is necessary to enroll in the classes.

The series commemorates the late Marilyn Sward, an artist, educator, co-author of the book The New Photography, and a summer resident of St. Germain. She was a co-founder of the Columbia College Center for Paper and Book Art in Chicago and served as director until her retirement in 2000, after founding Paper Press in Evanston. She also was a world traveler and taught at the Art Institute in Chicago. Marilyn Sward offered seminars at her Northwoods summer studio to area artists in hand papermaking and alternative photographic processes.

The first artist of the summer series was Tatiana Ginsberg, an artist, dyer and papermaker who taught the class Japanese Papermaking and Dyeing Handmade paper with Natural Dyes June 5-9. Papermaking done in the traditional Japanese style yields very thin sheets of paper, known as washi, which are very strong. The traditional art of natural dyeing of handmade paper, which Ginsberg studied from masters of the technique while a Fulbright Scholar in Japan, was taught on the days following the papermaking process. The class was held at Circle of Life Studio in Eagle River.

Lee Gurga, considered to be an American haiku master, will offer the class An Introduction to Haiku Poetry on June 18 and 19, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day at the Curran Building in Rhinelander. Gurga is an award-winning Haiku poet and author of several poetry collections and the book, Haiku, A Poet’s Guide, a copy of which is included in the registration fee.

Other offerings to be featured as part of the summer series include a lecture on Japanese aesthetics and wabi-sabi, a tea ceremony, classes in Japanese book binding techniques and letterpress printing. To view a full class schedule and enroll, visit themillbookarts.org/marilyn-sward-commemorative-summer-series/.