Ashley L. Schick works in printmaking and paper arts, inspired by the flora and fauna of her neighborhood walks. Her artwork has been exhibited nationally and internationally, has been installed in film sets, and is held in multiple private and university collections including Vanderbilt, University of Florida, Baylor, and the Renaissance Atlanta Airport Gateway Hotel. Schick was an artist’s assistant to sculptor Brian Dettmer and a resident artist in the Creatives Project’s Studio Program. She earned her MFA in Printmaking from SCAD, Atlanta. While at SCAD, she also worked as the lead printer and constructor for Kiki Smith’s artist book Color Noise. Schick has taught many art and STEAM workshops for students of all ages from children to adults at the High Museum of Art, Georgia Tech, SCAD, Atlanta Printmakers Studio, and the Lovett School. She has completed studio work at Ballinglen Art Foundation in Ireland, the UF Paris Research Center in France, and at the Skopelos Foundation for the Arts in Greece. Her book, Making Virtual Reality a Reality, co-authored with Alison Valk and Ximin Mi, will be published by ABC-CLIO in the summer of 2023. Schick lives and works in Atlanta, GA. Follow her work online: www.ashleyLschick.com or @ashleyLschick
| Award | Artist | Title |
| 1st Place | Jee Su Kim | Ha Ja |
| 2nd Place | Venesa Barnaby | Beyond Where the Clouds Form a Memory of your Screams |
| 3rd Place | Caroline Perkins | a pillow for my heart |
| Altered Book | Nicole Colón | The Little Prince |
| Librarian's Choice | Hsing - Chia Hsieh | Recover From Oblivion |
| Viewer's Choice | Nicole Colón | The Little Prince |
| Honorable Mention | Tianxing Xu | Coloring Book |
| Honorable Mention | Gretchen Harju | Impressions |
| Honorable Mention | Brigid Ashe-Moore | Dyke Diary |
| Honorable Mention | Jaehwang Yi | The viking and kraken |
May 17- August 24, 2023
A showcase of works by 2023 competition winners and selected competitors
SCAD Library, Atlanta
Medium: Handmade Korean traditional Hanji paper box with lid (constructed with chipboard); inkjet print on matte paper folded and assembled with signature binding; accordion style pages hand glued with image cutouts.
Artists' Statement: The intricate and complex construction hidden within its bland, untitled cover unravels the life of my grandmother, Ha Ja, which encompasses experiences of pain, sadness, and happiness. The book functions almost as a blueprint of Ha Ja's life, allowing the audience to intimately interact with the subject throughout each page.
Through the sequencing and presentation of the photographs, I seek to reflect Ha Ja's past and present lives, revealing her side of her life story that she was never given the courage or agency to articulate with her own voice. The unconventional design of the book requires some tenacity from the viewer to flip through the entire book that extends out on each four sides of the book. However, this type of intimate engagement with the viewer allows them to examine and appreciate the subject, very similar to discovering and acknowledging Ha Ja as a person, not just her physical embodiment, but also a collection of stories conveyed - one of suppression, resilience, perseverance, commitment, and dedication she experienced growing up as the eldest daughter, a mother, and a wife.
This work acts as a visual language for me to not only celebrate my grandmother's life but also to share her narrative with the world. It is a personal message to her that I understand her, see her, and that I am no longer the only one willing to finally acknowledge and listen to her story.
Medium: Handmade Korean traditional Hanji paper box with lid (constructed with chipboard); inkjet print on matte paper folded and assembled with signature binding; accordion style pages hand glued with image cutouts.
Artists' Statement: The intricate and complex construction hidden within its bland, untitled cover unravels the life of my grandmother, Ha Ja, which encompasses experiences of pain, sadness, and happiness. The book functions almost as a blueprint of Ha Ja's life, allowing the audience to intimately interact with the subject throughout each page.
Through the sequencing and presentation of the photographs, I seek to reflect Ha Ja's past and present lives, revealing her side of her life story that she was never given the courage or agency to articulate with her own voice. The unconventional design of the book requires some tenacity from the viewer to flip through the entire book that extends out on each four sides of the book. However, this type of intimate engagement with the viewer allows them to examine and appreciate the subject, very similar to discovering and acknowledging Ha Ja as a person, not just her physical embodiment, but also a collection of stories conveyed - one of suppression, resilience, perseverance, commitment, and dedication she experienced growing up as the eldest daughter, a mother, and a wife.
This work acts as a visual language for me to not only celebrate my grandmother's life but also to share her narrative with the world. It is a personal message to her that I understand her, see her, and that I am no longer the only one willing to finally acknowledge and listen to her story.
Medium: Handmade Korean traditional Hanji paper box with lid (constructed with chipboard); inkjet print on matte paper folded and assembled with signature binding; accordion style pages hand glued with image cutouts.
Artists' Statement: The intricate and complex construction hidden within its bland, untitled cover unravels the life of my grandmother, Ha Ja, which encompasses experiences of pain, sadness, and happiness. The book functions almost as a blueprint of Ha Ja's life, allowing the audience to intimately interact with the subject throughout each page.
Through the sequencing and presentation of the photographs, I seek to reflect Ha Ja's past and present lives, revealing her side of her life story that she was never given the courage or agency to articulate with her own voice. The unconventional design of the book requires some tenacity from the viewer to flip through the entire book that extends out on each four sides of the book. However, this type of intimate engagement with the viewer allows them to examine and appreciate the subject, very similar to discovering and acknowledging Ha Ja as a person, not just her physical embodiment, but also a collection of stories conveyed - one of suppression, resilience, perseverance, commitment, and dedication she experienced growing up as the eldest daughter, a mother, and a wife.
This work acts as a visual language for me to not only celebrate my grandmother's life but also to share her narrative with the world. It is a personal message to her that I understand her, see her, and that I am no longer the only one willing to finally acknowledge and listen to her story.
Medium: Black Matt Board and PVC Glue
Artists Statement: As an artist, I find myself drawn to exploring the inner workings of the mind. For me, the mind is a battleground where fears, terrors, and darkness wages war against my desire to live in the present moment. My latest artwork seeks to express this struggle by juxtaposing the intangible nature of the mind with the tangible reality of a graveyard.
The piece is made from black matt board and PVA glue, which helps to create a sculpted form that conveys the darkness that exists within us, both figuratively and literally. Through this artwork, I hope to encourage viewers to consider the complexities of their own minds, and to recognize that while the mind can be a source of turmoil, it can also be a place of great beauty and creativity. By confronting the fears and terrors that exist within us, we can emerge stronger and more resilient, capable of living fully in the present and embracing all that life has to offer.
Medium: Black Matt Board and PVC Glue
Artists Statement: As an artist, I find myself drawn to exploring the inner workings of the mind. For me, the mind is a battleground where fears, terrors, and darkness wages war against my desire to live in the present moment. My latest artwork seeks to express this struggle by juxtaposing the intangible nature of the mind with the tangible reality of a graveyard.
The piece is made from black matt board and PVA glue, which helps to create a sculpted form that conveys the darkness that exists within us, both figuratively and literally. Through this artwork, I hope to encourage viewers to consider the complexities of their own minds, and to recognize that while the mind can be a source of turmoil, it can also be a place of great beauty and creativity. By confronting the fears and terrors that exist within us, we can emerge stronger and more resilient, capable of living fully in the present and embracing all that life has to offer.
Medium: Woodcut on fabric
Artists Statement: a pillow for my heart reminisces on the fond memories I have of visiting my grandmother's house in Ozark, Missouri every year. Each page is constructed to feel like a pillow, so that the pages are as soft as the memories.
Medium: Woodcut on fabric
Artists Statement: a pillow for my heart reminisces on the fond memories I have of visiting my grandmother's house in Ozark, Missouri every year. Each page is constructed to feel like a pillow, so that the pages are as soft as the memories.
Medium: Book pages, with wire and tape on book base
Artists' Statement: The Little Prince is a story that is told through the eyes of a young prince and his knowledge about the world. For my concept, I wanted to display the playfulness and innocence of the prince but at the same time illustrate one of the many metaphors of life the book shows. The little prince sits staring at the horizon surrounded by the baobab trees which are extremely massive weeds that grow through his planet. The baobab trees represent problems in one's life, where if you don't treat them from the beginning, they turn into a bigger problem in the future.
Medium: Archival inkjet printing on Moab Entrada paper
Artists' Statement: Recover from Oblivion is a photobook conveying my longing for my family when I am far from home. The photographic medium has changed and consequently has affected our understanding of our collective memories with family. It is also a book about self-discovery, making me aware of what makes me become myself nowadays.
Medium: Archival inkjet printing on Moab Entrada paper
Artists' Statement: Recover from Oblivion is a photobook conveying my longing for my family when I am far from home. The photographic medium has changed and consequently has affected our understanding of our collective memories with family. It is also a book about self-discovery, making me aware of what makes me become myself nowadays.
Medium: Printing on paper
Artists' Statement: "COLORING BOOK" is the title of the exhibition, as well as the artist book produced for the exhibition. The artist expects the audience to enjoy coloring this book like a child, and also hopes to understand the whole Amusement Park series in such comfortable way. The artist uses paintings, printmakings, books and installations to build a nonexistent amusement park. The stories and emotions hidden behind these works are private and ineffable. They are the removed pages from a diary, the pieces stolen from someone else's puzzle
Medium: Printing on paper
Artists' Statement: "COLORING BOOK" is the title of the exhibition, as well as the artist book produced for the exhibition. The artist expects the audience to enjoy coloring this book like a child, and also hopes to understand the whole Amusement Park series in such comfortable way. The artist uses paintings, printmakings, books and installations to build a nonexistent amusement park. The stories and emotions hidden behind these works are private and ineffable. They are the removed pages from a diary, the pieces stolen from someone else's puzzle
Medium: wood, lichen, leaf, egg shells, surface, ibis jasper stone, acrylic paint, oolong tea, various papers including handmade papers (flax, milkweed, cotton) and (recycled paper, blue oyster mushroom mycelium, sawdust) and (mulberry).
Artists' Statement: A collection of rituals—to be performed with the change of seasons—connect individuals with their intuition. This slowing down through the sensory experience of tea drinking and meditation helps to align the mind with the heart. The scent and flavor profile of each oolong tea evokes a different season. Our senses expand our appreciation of the natural world—leaving a permanent impression on our souls.
Honorable Mention: Impressions by Gretchen Harju
Medium: wood, lichen, leaf, egg shells, surface, ibis jasper stone, acrylic paint, oolong tea, various papers including handmade papers (flax, milkweed, cotton) and (recycled paper, blue oyster mushroom mycelium, sawdust) and (mulberry).
Artists' Statement: A collection of rituals—to be performed with the change of seasons—connect individuals with their intuition. This slowing down through the sensory experience of tea drinking and meditation helps to align the mind with the heart. The scent and flavor profile of each oolong tea evokes a different season. Our senses expand our appreciation of the natural world—leaving a permanent impression on our souls.
Medium: Photography and digital collage
Artists' Statement: This photo book explores the themes of queer relationships from a lesbian's perspective. It expresses how blurred the lines can be between a friendship and a romantic relationship. And how that complicated and frustrating relationship turns into anger and resentment. Inside is several photographs in digital collage with an accompanying curated playlist as well as personal words and takeaways.
Medium: Photography and digital collage
Artists' Statement: This photo book explores the themes of queer relationships from a lesbian's perspective. It expresses how blurred the lines can be between a friendship and a romantic relationship. And how that complicated and frustrating relationship turns into anger and resentment. Inside is several photographs in digital collage with an accompanying curated playlist as well as personal words and takeaways.
Medium: Einstök beer can and printed hand drawing.
Artists' Statement: I wanted to try something new with materials that people wouldn't have tried. This simple mechanical movement and unprecedented shell will be a new beginning for the field of artist books. Also, my taste in the beverage industry was reflected.
Medium: Einstök beer can and printed hand drawing.
Artists' Statement: I wanted to try something new with materials that people wouldn't have tried. This simple mechanical movement and unprecedented shell will be a new beginning for the field of artist books. Also, my taste in the beverage industry was reflected.
Artists' Book Competition Panel Discussion, 2023
Artists' Book Competition Exhibit, 2023
Artists' Book Competition Exhibit, 2023
Artists' Book Competition Exhibit, 2023
Artists' Book Competition Exhibit, 2023
Artists' Book Competition Exhibit, 2023