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Student Narrative
I was inspired to create Voyager after having a conversation about snail migration with a scientist at the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia in 2023. At the time, I had been involved in a study at ANS where I assisted scientists in sorting collected snails by species to create a baseline of what lives in the Delaware River. As I classified the snails, I became particularly curious about how nonnative species from Japan ended up in this water way - how is it possible that snails travel vast distances when their bodies are tiny and their movements are unhurried? The scientist informed me that snails can be swept up in ocean currents, transported by maritime vessels, or can even hitch a ride on the back of a migratory bird.
Voyager recounts the tale of how a small, slow-moving snail might find itself on the other side of the world. This artist book follows the snail's adventure of a lifetime as it soars through the air on its feathered transport, a migratory bird, only to arrive weeks later in a new home. The narrative unfolds in a slow, meandering book form, mirroring the pace of a snail.
Publication Date
Winter 1-1-2025
Description
Entry for the 12th Baker & Whitehill Student Artists' Book Contest. Opening reception and award ceremony Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 6:30pm, Fleet Library, 1st Floor Main Reading Room. Juror: Gabrielle Reed.
Keywords
artists' books; Baker & Whitehill
Disciplines
Book and Paper
Student Status
Graduate student
Year of Graduation
2026
Major
Sculpture
Materials + Techniques
Graphite, ink, cyanotype on laser cut paper
Recommended Citation
Van Riet, Stephanie; Collections, Special; and Library, Fleet, "Voyager" (2025). 12th Baker & Whitehill Student Artists' Book Contest 2026. 51.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/bookcontest12th2026/51