Five GA artists boldly redefining + challenging the boundaries of the book as an artistic medium
Eliza Bentz, Serena Perrone, Cynthia Nourse Thompson (Curator), Hannah Israel, Eileen Wallace, and Cynthia Lollis | Photo Credit: Kim Link Photography
These talented artists engage with the rich and intricate history of bookmaking while also exploring the vast possibilities of the form—structurally, conceptually, and politically. It is a privilege to witness such innovative practices that embody resilience, experimentation, and the transformative power of storytelling in its many varied expressions. — Cynthia Nourse Thompson, Consulting Curator
Cynthia Lollis (Decatur, GA)
Eileen Wallace (Athens, GA)
Eliza Bentz (Savannah, GA)
Hannah Israel (Columbus, GA)
Serena Perrone (Atlanta, GA)
From this 2026 cohort of artists, Eliza Bentz has been selected to represent Georgia in the 8th edition of the Women to Watch
Women to Watch 2027: A Book Arts Revolution will be a dynamic exploration of contemporary artists’ books: works of art in book form, encompassing innovative uses of paper and print, sculptural works and much more. Eliza is one of 16 artists selected by artist and scholar Tia Blassingame from among 62 global nominees. Women to Watch 2027: A Book Arts Revolution encourages audiences to rethink the nature of book arts by challenging assumptions about the medium and featuring works like Eliza’s that combines approaches and techniques.
Please join us in congratulating Eliza, a fiber artist, sculptor and educator from the barrier islands of Southeast Georgia. Drawing upon a millennia of craft history, Eliza considers her work a sort of haptic resistance, an antidote to the consumption and convenience of our industrialized and digital world.
Click below to learn more about the National presentation of Women to Watch: A Book Arts Revolution, opening April 9, 2027 at NMWA in Washington D.C.
ABOUT OUR CONSULTING CURATOR
Cynthia Nourse Thompson has curated more than 50 exhibitions since 2000. Prior to her current role as professor of art at Kennesaw State University, Thompson was associate professor and director of the graduate programs in book arts and printmaking and studio art at University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She has also served as associate professor and curator of exhibitions at University of Arkansas and curator and consulting director of visual arts at the Walton Arts Center both located in Fayetteville, Arkansas; twelve years as professor of book, print and paper arts and chair of fine arts at Memphis College of Art; and additionally worked at Dieu Donné Papermill, Harlan & Weaver Intaglio and Rutgers Center for Innovative Print and Paper now the Brodsky Center at PAFA. Thompson has been awarded numerous residencies including Yaddo, Columbia College Chicago Center for Book and Paper Arts, Women’s Studio Workshop, Visual Studies Workshop, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Penland Winter Residencies, and a Maker-Creator Fellowship at Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library. She also served as a visiting scholar and printer in residence with her collaborator David Charles Chioffi at the Bodleian Bibliographical Press in Oxford U.K. in May 2022. Thompson has also been visiting faculty at University of Georgia’s study abroad program in Cortona, Italy and Santa Reparata International School of Art in Florence, Italy. Thompson received her BFA in printmaking from the Maryland Institute College of Art and her MFA from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.
Follow our Instagram for ongoing updates about the Women to Watch program!
Georgia Public Broadcasting Feature: “What is Book Arts? Five GA Artists Explain the Form”
GPB's Kristi York Wooten speaks with curator Cynthia Nourse Thompson and the artists featured in the Georgia Women to Watch exhibition to learn about the process of creating fine art books.
Arts ATL Review: In ‘A Book Arts Revolution,’ Cynthia Nourse Thompson curates a refined selection of Georgia women artists
Please take a moment to read this thoughtful review of Georgia Women to Watch by Writer/Collector Kevin Storer. Installation and artwork photos also by Kevin Storer.
