{"id":926,"date":"2025-12-08T21:41:37","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T21:41:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/gallery\/?p=926"},"modified":"2025-12-11T14:12:29","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T14:12:29","slug":"curator-qa-with-giselle-simon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/gallery\/2025\/12\/08\/curator-qa-with-giselle-simon\/","title":{"rendered":"Curator Q&A with Giselle\u00a0Sim\u00f3n"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Paper Engineering in Art, Science, and Education<\/em><\/a>, the fall 2025 exhibition in the Main Library Gallery<\/a>, features an array of unique items from University of Iowa Libraries collections that share the history of paper technologies and movable books. Giselle Sim\u00f3n, university conservator and director of Conservation and Collections Care<\/a> at the Libraries, co-curated the exhibition with Damien Ihrig and Elizabeth Yale. Her expertise in paper conservation and experience as an artist both contributed to her vision for the exhibition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the following questions and answers,\u00a0Giselle\u00a0shares her\u00a0thoughts on\u00a0curating for\u00a0the Main Library Gallery and some of\u00a0her\u00a0favorite discoveries.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Giselle
University Conservator and Director of Conservation and Collections Care Giselle\u00a0Sim\u00f3n. Photo: Sara Pinkham.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Question: What inspired you to co-curate this exhibition?<\/strong>\u00a0
Answer:\u00a0<\/strong>My\u00a0initial\u00a0interest in researching materials for a paper engineering exhibit was quite simple: I thought these things were cool! This one-sided view led me to realize I needed some\u00a0expertise\u00a0and thoughtful perspectives.\u00a0Co-curators\u00a0Beth\u00a0Yale<\/a>, associate professor of history and at the University of Iowa Center for the Book,\u00a0and Damien\u00a0Ihrig<\/a>, curator of the John Martin Rare Book Room<\/a>,\u00a0brought this in spades.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0

Q: As a conservator, what does this exhibit mean to you personally?\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0
A:\u00a0<\/strong>As a book conservator and sometimes visual artist,\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0always been in love with paper.\u00a0So\u00a0much\u00a0so\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0recently\u00a0learned how to make it.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0a constant in my work, whether\u00a0through\u00a0conservation treatment or my own art investigations. As with any craft,\u00a0there\u00a0are\u00a0layers of history, science, and\u00a0skill. The technical aspects of understanding paper\u2014down to the actual forming of sheets\u2014reinforce and inform\u00a0my conservation\u00a0treatment decisions.\u00a0Beauty,\u00a0strength, translucency,\u00a0and flexibility are all qualities I look for in both conservation and art making.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Giselle
Giselle\u00a0Sim\u00f3n prepares a cart of collections materials in the Main Library Gallery during installation for Paper Engineering in Art, Science, and Education<\/em>. Photo: Sara Pinkham<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Q: What do you like about having this exhibit in the Main Library Gallery on campus?\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0
A:<\/strong>\u00a0The\u00a0initial\u00a0inspiration for this exhibition\u00a0was\u00a0the anatomical and medical flap books\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0John Martin Rare Book Room\u00a0(JMRBR)\u00a0at Hardin Library for the Health Sciences<\/a>. This treasure trove of unique and fantastic printed materials\u00a0immediately\u00a0caught my attention when I first arrived at the UI Libraries in 2012. I was\u00a0also\u00a0on the team that helped design\u00a0and open\u00a0the\u00a0Main Library Gallery\u00a0in 2016.\u00a0So\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0terrific to see\u00a0a\u00a0project\u00a0featuring the JMRBR\u2019s flap books\u00a0materialize in this space.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0the exhibit I envisioned in my own mind when we were brainstorming about the future of our library exhibitions.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0

Q:\u00a0What are some of the most\u00a0surprising\u00a0things you learned during your research\u00a0for\u00a0the exhibit?\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0
A:\u00a0<\/strong>One of the surprising things to me was the fact that\u00a0the\u00a0different objects\u00a0we were interested in\u00a0made sense together, and that there was ease in choosing. Thanks to Damien and his knowledge of the collection\u00a0of\u00a0the JMRBR\u2019s\u00a0medical flap books\u2014which I feel are at the core of the show\u2014everything\u00a0came together easily. It seems like the content and connections we found grew from those selections.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0

Q: What are some of your favorite objects in the exhibit?<\/strong>\u00a0
A:\u00a0<\/strong>There are so many favorites.\u00a0I\u2019d\u00a0like to\u00a0point out Shawn Sheehy<\/a>\u2019s\u00a0A\u00a0Pop-Up Culinary Herbal<\/em>\u00a0[N7433.4.S5355 P82 2013]\u00a0from the Szathmary Collection in Special Collections and Archives. His\u00a0expertise\u00a0can be seen in this delightful romp through the garden. The genius is in\u00a0the paper\u00a0engineering\u00a0and\u00a0the subtle and simple movements that\u00a0identify\u00a0each plant. The paper comes alive.\u00a0We were fortunate to partner with the University of Iowa Center for the Book<\/a> (UICB) this fall to bring Shawn to campus as the Nadia Sophie Seiler Visiting Artist in November 2025. Shawn presented a public lecture, conducted demonstrations for students, and worked on his own project in the UICB studios.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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A Pop-Up Culinary Herbal<\/em>, by Shawn Sheehy. Chicago: Paperboy Press, 2013. Szathmary Collection [N7433.4.S5355 P82 2013], Special Collections and Archives, University of Iowa Libraries. Photo: Tim Schoon, University of Iowa Office of Strategic Communication.<\/figcaption>
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