Crafted Connections: The Art of Handmade Brushes, Artist Books, and Boxes by Katherine Engen
Exhibition Dates: September 20 – November 30, 2025

Reception: Thursday, September 25, 2025, 5:30-7:30p, also celebrating 7th Biennial Wings and Water Exhibition

at the Sauk Prairie River Arts Center (105-9th Street, Prairie du Sac)

Crafted Connections: The Art of Handmade Brushes, Artist Books, and Boxes explores the intimate, tactile language of handmade tools and books as a bridge between the natural world and human experience. Each brush, meticulously crafted from bamboo, animal hide, and fur, embodies a process of transformation—burning, sanding, and oiling. These tools are not only conduits for creating art but are artworks in themselves, holding the essence of materials and the maker’s hands.

The artist books in this collection extend this intimate narrative, combining handmade papers and unique bindings to create vessels for stories, memories, and contemplation. Every page turn and brushstroke speaks to a meditative practice, inviting viewers to experience the slow, intentional creation of art that honors both tradition and personal expression. Together, these pieces form a dialogue that connects the viewer to the raw, organic origins of the creative process, emphasizing that every mark, every page, and every brush is a testament to the beauty of handcrafted art.