About Us

The Paper Crane is an art web­site based in Chicago, Illi­nois. Founded orig­i­nally as an artist blog in 2008 by painter and cura­tor Dee Clements, The Paper Crane has grown into its own web­site that fea­tures the work of local and national emerg­ing and mid career artists, essays, artist inter­views and stu­dio visits.

The Paper Crane is named after the children’s book Sadako and the Thou­sand Paper Cranes. Based on a true story about Sadako Sasaki, a lit­tle girl that devel­oped leukemia after the Atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. While in the hos­pi­tal Sadako fol­lows an old Japan­ese belief that one who folds 1,000 paper cranes is granted a wish. She folds 644 before becom­ing too weak, later dying from her ill­ness. And as the story goes, Sadako’s friends come together to fold the rest and bury them all with her.

Thoughts, ques­tions, com­ments?? Email dee at