Instructor and Staff Bios

Cindy Iverson's artist books and handmade paper installations have been exhibited nationally and her mixed media photo collages have been exhibited both nationally and internationally. Cindy completed her MFA in book and paper arts at Columbia College in 2004. Cindy has taught book arts, papermaking and alternative photography at Columbia College, The Evanston Art Center and the Phoenix Art Center. Cindy is a past member of the eyelounge gallery in Phoenix is the founder of The Paper Studio, a book and paper arts teaching space, in Tempe Arizona.

Gary Iverson is the co-found of the Paper Studio. He is an accomplished bookbinder and photographer whose work has been exhibited throughout the state. When he is not working at his day job (in which he is a degreed chemical engineer and MBA) he can be found teaching bookbinding and boxmaking classes as well as putting his engineering skills to fine use with all the hairbrained installation schemes Cindy seems to dream up.

Mike O'Connor rules our letterpress shop. He has been involved in letterpress printing since he was a teenager. He trained two years after high school to become a printer but a sudden career change found him as publisher of a community newspaper in Minnesota (it's a long story) until he retired and moved to Arizona. He has a print shop at his home and has been active in letterpress printing, including publishing two books. He is a co-founder of a national letterpress group (founded in 1958), the Amalgamated Printers' Association…an organization composed of letterpress printing enthusiasts—hobby printers, typecasters and letterpress collectors. http://www.apa-letterpress.com.

Adam Draper is our photographer, web guy, letterpress printer and all around designer of way cool things. Adam has a BFA in photography from Arizona State University is a fabulous fine art photographer. See more of his work on adamdraper.net.  Besides working with us he also works with KAET Channel 8 at Arizona State University. 

Donna Eyring is our amazing paper maker--Paper Thursday Donna. Not only is Donna an accomplished papermaker and bookbinder, she is also a ceramic artist who helps coordinate the empty bowls project in Phoenix and for years has assisted in coordinating the VNSA booksale. You should see the ginormous 2-ton reader's digest chair she made--it had to be moved on a semi-truck!

Anne Hernandez is the first person you will probably see or talk to when you contact The Paper Studio. Anne has a passion for paper, an eye for detail and has exquisite organizing talents. Most likely she rues the day when she called Cindy and asked her to call if she needed any help!