Red Hot Fibre - About Us

Red Hot Fibre™ was established in 1996 by Lesa Hepburn and Gavin McCullagh to implement the first Red Hot Fibre Show in conjunction with the Papermakers of Queensland. This exhibition took place at the Brisbane Botanical Gardens - Mt Coot-tha,

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April 1997 to display and highlight paper-making and natural fibre art in Queensland.

The aim of Red Hot Fibre™ is to explore new formats, outlets and avenues for promoting paper making and natural fibre art through expanding the way people think, see and feel paper and fibre.

Red Hot Fibre undertakes:

direct service delivery to the community through workshops and exhibitions;
fibre arts project coordination and
equipment provision

Project coordination and support include:

managing fibre arts projects, and
liaison with other organisations undertaking community arts activities

Red Hot Fibre™ has recently acquired specialist papermaking equipment including a portable Hollander beater and an adapted food disposal unit for processing plant fibre pulps. This equipment is taken to and from workshops and can also be provided via short term loans or hire (cost recovery basis) to community organisations for papermaking workshops.

Red Hot Fibre™ undertakes projects, which provide the opportunity for the artists and craftspeople in our region to practice and develop their skills, while maintaining and developing new networks with each other and the organisations involved in the project.

Studio Red Strategic Plan 2004
In association with Redcliffe State High School, Red Hot Fibre coordinated the development of the Studio Red Strategic Plan. Click here to go to Studio Red Strategic Plan.

Red Hot Fibre '98
An exhibition of natural fibre paper making and artwork, Brisbane Botanic Gardens, April 1998, supported by Arts Queensland, Australian Paper and the American Book Store. 63 artists exhibited and over 2000 people attended the exhibition held during the 1998 Easter weekend. Click here to go to Red Hot Fibre '98 Exhibition page.

Scissors Paper Stone
This was a curated touring exhibition of 26 artists selected from Red Hot Fibre '98, supported by the Regional Galleries Association of Queensland, Noosa Regional Gallery, Fine Print Australian Paper and the American Book Store. This exhibition began touring in May 1999 and after being exhibited at twelve galleries throughout Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria the exhibition finished at the Queensland Museum, Townsville in July 2001.Click here to go to Scissors Paper Stone Exhibition page.

The Botanical Book project
A community arts project to produce hand made paper and hand bound books from local plant species in Redcliffe City, Caboolture and through Noosa Shires supported by Arts Queensland and the Australia Council and by the Redcliffe City Council through the Regional Arts Development Fund. To date approximately 80 persons have attended workshops, over 500 sheets of handmade natural plant fibre paper have been made and currently 150 people receive the bi-monthly Botanical Book newsletter. Click here to go to the Botanical Book Project page.

Taking Flight, Take a Leaf
A series of children's workshops in Redcliffe supported by the Redcliffe City Council. 402 children took part in these workshops

Booked
An exhibition of paper art and bookbinding by fourteen of the artists and volunteers involved in the Botanical Book project. The exhibition was held in JASU Gallery Redcliffe in August 2000. Click here to go to the Booked Exhibition page.

Narangba Family Centre
Workshops with grade 8 pupils from Narangba Valley High School

Brisbane City Council "Gold Program" Workshops
Zillmere, 60 participants

Cerebral Palsy Holiday Sibling Programs
Christmas 1999 holiday workshops for children with cerebral palsy and their siblings, Everton Hills, Cerebral Palsy League - North Region Child and Family Support Service

Example of New Zealand flax

"Boat of Millions of Years" (detail)
by Lesa Hepburn
Banana & poppy fibre handmade
paper, desert sand

Example of Philodendron fibre

"Paper Brick"
Lesa Hepburn
Natural Plant Fibre Papers