Drew Cameron, a U.S. Army veteran and second-generation papermaker, will visit the University of Missouri to discuss and demonstrate creative work’s ability to interpret and share experiences.
Co-founder of Combat Paper, a collaborative artmaking project, Cameron will host a free public lecture 6-7 p.m., Sept. 8, at Wrench Auditorium in Memorial Union. He also will host several Combat Paper workshops while on campus. During these workshops, participants transform military uniforms into handmade paper.
“A uniform worn through military services carries with it stories that are woven in the threads,” said Cameron. “During these gatherings, participants connect in a very honest way, finding ways to translate complex memories into very human one-on-one experiences.”
Many of these workshops will take place in the classroom, where students in the College of Arts and Science will learn from and collaborate with Cameron.
“These workshops open new ways of thinking and expanding creative ways of communication, structure, and understanding,” Cameron explains. “It has the possibility of changing the way we see the world, the way we live, interact, and make sense of it.”
Cameron will host a free community workshop, open to veterans and civilians, 1-5 p.m., Sept. 13, in the School of Visual Studies Fibers Studio. Participants will directly engage with the process of transforming uniforms into paper. Because space in the lab is limited, workshop participants should register online in advance.
Cameron’s lecture and workshops are are sponsored by the Center for the Humanities, the Department of Textile and Apparel Management, and the School of Visual Studies.
Combat Paper: From uniforms into paper
What: Free public lecture with Drew Cameron, co-founder of Combat Paper
When: 6-7 p.m. on Sept. 8, 2025
Where: Wrench Auditorium in Memorial Union
The Veterans Humanities Initiative is a multi-part series of engagements that seeks to understand and process the veteran experience through creative writing, scholarship, and storytelling. Offered in collaboration with Missouri Humanities, many of the engagements are free and open to the public. To learn more about joining the Veterans Humanities Initiative as a participant, please contact Phong Nguyen at nguyenpv@missouri.edu.