Don Widmer Biography

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Don Widmer is a book and paper artist whose work incorporates papermaking and artist bookbinding.  His papermaking utilizes detailed pulp painting with numerous layers of stenciled pulp.  His artist books feature structures that explore movement and light.  Don has exhibited throughout the Midwest, most recently at David Smith Studio, A+C Architects Studio, the Paper Discovery Center, Bridgeport Art Center, Tall Grass Art Gallery, Morgan Conservatory, Gallery Studio Oh!, and Kalamazoo Book Arts Center.  He has received several best of show awards and his work is represented in university, museum and library collections. Most recently, the Smithsonian purchased his artist book Darkness and Light, inspired by Etty Hillesum.  Widmer received his MFA in Interdisciplinary Book and Paper Arts from Columbia College Chicago.

• Outstanding Achievement, Third Ward Art Festival (September 2023)
• Honorable Mention, Art by the Falls (June 2023)
• Honorable Mention, Art in the Castle Charlevoix (April 2023)
• Best in Category, Third Ward Art Festival (September 2022)
• Judges' Selection, Cain Park Arts Festival (July 2022)
• Best of Paper Art, Art in the Barn (September 2021)
• Louise Renner Prize for 2-D Art, Park Forest Art Fair (September 2021)
• Best in Show, West End Arts Festival (September 2021)
• Merit Award, Third Ward Art Festival (September 2021)
• Best in Fine Art, 2020 Virtual Sugar Creek Arts Festival (July 2020)
• Honorable Mention, Arnold Grummer Paperfest III (October 2019)
• Second Place, Lakeview East Festival of the Arts (September 2019)
• First Place, Art on the Fox Fine Art Festival (June 2019)
• Best in Medium, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Fair (June 2019)
• Best in Show, Art on the Fox Fine Art Festival (June 2018)
• President's Award, Art on the Fox Fine Art Festival (June 2018)
• Best in Medium, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Fair (June 2018)
• First Place Fine Art, Spring Bloom Fine Arts Festival (March 2018)
• Judge's Choice Award, Greenwich Village Art Fair (September 2017)
• Second Place Mixed Media, Crosby Festival of the Arts (June 2017)
• Best in Medium, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Fair (June 2017)
• Best in Show, West End Art Festival La Grange (September 2016)
• Best in Medium, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Fair (June 2016)
• Best in Show, For the Love of Art Elkhart (March 2016) 
• Outstanding Achievement in Category, Buffalo Grove Art Festival (July 2015)
• Redhead Design Studio Honorary Award, East Lansing Art Festival (May 2015)
• Designers Choice Award, American Society of Interior Designers Illinois, One of a Kind Show, Chicago (December 2013)

• Don Widmer Interview (Art on the Air: NPR), Jan 29, 2023
• Don Widmer Interview (Rendezvous Arts), November 2022
• Interview with Artists Book House, April, 2021
• Artist Spotlight (Kaneland Arts Initiative), July 26, 2020 
• The I in Team Podcast (during Art on the Fox), June 22, 2019
• VoyageChicago Interview, Sep. 8, 2018
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