Switch Grass Paper

A mobile papermaking studio in Chicago

Switch Grass Paper

A mobile papermaking studio in Chicago

What's Happening Now

We are excited for 2026 now that we are officially mobile. We spent 2025 reflecting on Switch Grass's mission and making some big studio changes and updates, such as adding a new fleet of smaller molds and deckles to make paper making easier to bring to you (scroll down to read our updated mission statement and vision for the organization). We are always looking for partnerships with public facing spaces. If you are a librarian, teacher, or someone affiliated with the Chicago parks, and you are interested in hosting a workshop, please reach out to us at switchgrasspaper@gmail.com. We will be updating this section with our offerings as they roll out as well as posting them on our Instagram.

Specific dates have not been determined yet, but we will be teaching a week long class at Ox Bow during June-July 2026 and a workshop at Bari Zaki Studio at around the same time. We are currently in the planning stages of brainstorming more classes and workshops in collaboration with the Chicago Park District, Roots and Rays in Beverly, and the Weaving Workshop in Little Village.

As always, thank you for supporting us along this journey! Paper making in 2026 promises to be full of invention and fun.

What's Happening Now

We are excited for 2026 now that we are officially mobile. We spent 2025 reflecting on Switch Grass's mission and making some big studio changes and updates, such as adding a new fleet of smaller molds and deckles to make paper making easier to bring to you (scroll down to read our updated mission statement and vision for the organization). We are always looking for partnerships with public facing spaces. If you are a librarian, teacher, or someone affiliated with the Chicago parks, and you are interested in hosting a workshop, please reach out to us at switchgrasspaper@gmail.com. We will be updating this section with our offerings as they roll out as well as posting them on our Instagram.

Specific dates have not been determined yet, but we will be teaching a week long class at Ox Bow during June-July 2026 and a workshop at Bari Zaki Studio at around the same time. We are currently in the planning stages of brainstorming more classes and workshops in collaboration with the Chicago Park District, Roots and Rays in Beverly, and the Weaving Workshop in Little Village.

As always, thank you for supporting us along this journey! Paper making in 2026 promises to be full of invention and fun.

About Us

Switchgrass Paper is a mobile papermaking studio founded by artists Aya Nakamura and Megan Diddie in the winter of 2023. Our studio highlights native plants and sustainable materials, connecting people to the land and cultivating an appreciation for local ecosystems and plant diversity in the Midwest. We experiment with papermaking and the materials enfolded, develop our own unique paths in this medium, and impart this open-ended approach through our mobile studio.

You’ll find us working with the Chicago Park District or with nonprofits like Roots and Rays to bring papermaking to neighborhoods throughout Chicago. Public spaces are invaluable for nurturing community and providing outlets for self-expression.

Hand papermaking connects people to each other, to the seasons, and to ancient practices. It is an alchemical process that transforms organic matter into a surface, vessel, dwelling, medium for transmitting sound, etc. Paper is embedded with endless possibilities for human expression. We hope to see and create with you soon!

Read more about our journey on the Switch Grass Blog page.

About Us

Switchgrass Paper is a mobile papermaking studio founded by artists Aya Nakamura and Megan Diddie in the winter of 2023. Our studio highlights native plants and sustainable materials, connecting people to the land and cultivating an appreciation for local ecosystems and plant diversity in the Midwest. We experiment with papermaking and the materials enfolded, develop our own unique paths in this medium, and impart this open-ended approach through our mobile studio.

You’ll find us working with the Chicago Park District or with nonprofits like Roots and Rays to bring papermaking to neighborhoods throughout Chicago. Public spaces are invaluable for nurturing community and providing outlets for self-expression.

Hand papermaking connects people to each other, to the seasons, and to ancient practices. It is an alchemical process that transforms organic matter into a surface, vessel, dwelling, medium for transmitting sound, etc. Paper is embedded with endless possibilities for human expression. We hope to see and create with you soon!

Read more about our journey on the Switch Grass Blog page.

As artists working with handmade paper, we have experimented with it to see what it can do. We have made books and sculptures from it, created shaped molds to give it new form, and embedded materials into it to add layers of meaning. We envision Switch Grass as a studio that empowers us to explore, share knowledge and connect.

Paper Making in Chicago

We would like to highlight other amazing papermakers and paper resources in Chicago. Some of them also run workshops. If you would like to be featured here please contact us.

Chicago Pulp

Artists Book House

Bari Zaki Studio

Molly Berkson

Paper Making in Chicago

We would like to highlight other amazing papermakers and paper resources in Chicago. Some of them also run workshops. If you would like to be featured here please contact us.

Chicago Pulp

Artists Book House

Bari Zaki Studio

Molly Berkson

Contact : switchgrasspaper@gmail.com