My name is Grace Sippy and my primary method of creating art is through printmaking. I earned a BFA in Printmaking at the University of Iowa and an MFA in Printmaking at the University of Alberta. For over 15 years, I have explored all the print disciplines, whether through my own practice or by way of teaching at the university level, workshops, and demos. Though my primary art form has been printmaking, over the years, different mediums have been part of my practice, such as drawing, photography, and artists' books.
If I had a double of myself, they would have learned all the disciplines of book arts (paper making, book forms/binding, letterpress, etc.); I have done a little of each of these things and have taught them, but I have never gone through a lot of formal training.
We recently asked Grace about their experiences at Highpoint and what it has meant for their creative practice.
Can you tell us about some of your current projects/ideas/inspiration?
My current work pursues a completely new exploration of concept, technique, and methodology, compared to what I have previously concentrated on for over a decade. Loss, grief, the ephemeral, and a deep longing for the past are themes sometimes experienced in Motherhood. It began with an artist book, 7 Seconds, that I printed and made imagery for while a Grand Marais Art Colony Juried Artist in Residence in 2020. Starting the book was a process of healing and processing a loss I had suffered a year before. Over the next two to three years, I slowly bound the book, ultimately completing it in 2023.
Since receiving the McKnight Artist & Culture Bearer Fellowship in Printmaking, I have been working on some paper sculptures and a collagraphic series incorporating text from 7 Seconds. Using garments once worn by my young children, I have transformed them into collagraphs and explored several ways of creating prints from them. Some exist as embossments, others inked and printed. Chine-collé and embroidery are used for other elements in the print: mimicking fabric, text on tags, or small garment details. The transformation of the garment to a printing matrix is a paradox, destroying the garment in the process but creating something new, a remnant of what was there. This currently untitled series presents a reflection of loss and grief: of hopes of having a child, of a child since grown, and the loss of a child.
Can you tell me more about your goals/process during your current McKnight Printmaking fellowship and what growth/changes/inspiration you have found along the way?
I have been highly motivated to get as much work done during the fellowship as possible for a few reasons. One is that the course of making this work is one of healing for me and of processing different aspects of Motherhood. These are things that cannot be forced or rushed, but the fellowship is a period where I get to have a lot of time to devote to it through artmaking. There is a dichotomous aspect to the work where part of me wants to feel heard, and part of me wants to hold a secret. Another reason to explore as much as I can is that I likely will not have as much time to devote to my practice after the fellowship ends.
The framework of graduate school keeps coming to mind—time, resources, support, starting a new vein of work, the spirit of exploration, etc. The work I’ve been creating during the fellowship has been very different than what I’ve been doing for a long time, so naturally, there’s been a lot of investigations. Paper, for example, a range of weights, textures, colors, etc. I’ve also been working on some paper sculptures, something I haven’t done in over a decade, and collagraph, a printmaking technique I haven’t done in a long time. Working with text and images created some challenges with the collagraphs. One was figuring out how to integrate them together in a way that made sense for the concept while considering aesthetics. For this series, I’ve used embossment, embroidery, letterpress, and chine-collé, among others. Collagraphs are wonderful because you can print them as intaglio plates, relief plates, or both at the same time. I’ve also been able to capture lots of detail with just embossing (also called blind embossing: running plate through the press with no ink on it.)
You've been involved with Highpoint in several different capacities. Could you talk about your experience, what it means to you, and the lessons learned?
I’ve gotten to experience many aspects of what Highpoint has to offer: co-op membership and exhibiting opportunities, receiving the Jerome Early Career Residency and McKnight mid-career fellowship, as well as teaching demos, samplers, workshops, and classes, so it has been very rich for me as an artist and individual. Community is one of the biggest benefits of being at Highpoint, and it feels like a special blend of workplace and family. I’ve been involved with HP for six years now; some friends have come and gone, and some remain. I remember a “regular gang” of co-op members—we all sat in more or less the same places at the work tables—and me feeling welcome. We’d have conversations while we worked, and I’d get to know them while they got to know me. That group has shifted somewhat, but it remains a warm memory for me.
Being able to scratch the teaching itch has also been very impactful. Before we moved to the TC, I was an assistant professor in printmaking at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point; I taught all levels and areas of printmaking and courses in typography and basic drawing. I even taught a broad course on book arts, with paper making, artist books, and printing. After a couple of years, I was let go due to major budget cuts, which left me discouraged and disillusioned. I had worked so hard and so long for that “dream job,” had done all the right things, and was still let go. It was one of several types of losses I experienced within a short period, and I learned nothing is guaranteed and to not put anything or anyone on too high of a pedestal. When I came to HP, I began teaching demos, samplers, and, eventually, full classes and workshops. It is not the same as teaching at the university level, but it’s still an outlet for my desire to help others, share knowledge, and connect through a common love of art. I don’t know what teaching and artistic practice will look like for me going forward, but I’m trying to keep an open mind.
HP provides so many great programs. The educator in me has a heart for all education-related programs. Anything that helps folks learn about and experience printmaking gets me excited. Being able to teach at HP is always so rewarding; I love to engage with students.
Has Highpoint or the co-op impacted your creative process or career?
Highpoint has definitely impacted my career as an artist and educator. Through the co-op, I’ve been able to continue my printmaking practice with more technical options than my home studio; I’ve also gotten to sell some work and gain some visibility, both as an artist and educator. The various programs I’ve been part of have led to further opportunities. In terms of impacting my creative process, having the space and equipment to explore what you could otherwise not afford through HP is huge. As I mentioned earlier, the McKnight alone has been an explosion of creative investigation for me.
Highpoint is. . . an epicenter—a major resource with a resounding impact.
gracesippy.com
Instagram.com/grace.sippy
Current/Upcoming Exhibitions:
McKnight Printmaking Fellowship Exhibition, opening March 7, 2025, at Highpoint
I will have a piece at Rosalux Open Door 19 at Rosalux Gallery. It runs from December 7th to 29th, with an opening reception on Saturday, December 7th, from 7 to 10 p.m.