Snail’s Pace® artist Ashley M. Verkamp recognized as Indiana Artisan

June 21, 2012

St. Meinrad, IN--Abbey Press and Saint Meinrad Archabbey are proud to announce that staff artist Ashley M. Verkamp and her artwork for the company's Snail's Pace^® line have been admitted to the Indiana Artisan organization. Verkamp, a Ferdinand, IN, native, was among 76 artisans reviewed during the May jury session; only 18 were accepted.

Indiana Artisan is an economic development program launched in 2008 to help Hoosier artisans expand and promote their works and businesses. In 2010, the Indiana General Assembly passed a resolution naming the non-profit corporation the official organization for reviewing, recognizing and promoting Indiana's highest quality art and food artisans. The group currently includes 223 artisans from 57 counties.

With this approval from Indiana Artisan, Verkamp's original graphite, pen and ink, and India ink wash work from the Snail's Pace line may now carry the Indiana Artisan logo.

Verkamp views this designation as an honor and recognizes the influence being a native Hoosier has on her art. She says, "Here in Southern Indiana, I'm surrounded by so much rural beauty, and I spend a great deal of my time outdoors. This time spent in nature is reflected in my art and enriches a reserve of experience I draw from constantly in my creative work."

The Snail's Pace line is comprised of Verkamp's nature-themed artwork and celebrates the artistry of God's creation. The majority of the line's paper products are printed at Abbey Press, the 145-year-old printing facility owned and operated by Saint Meinrad Archabbey.

Abbey Press General Manager and creator of the Snail's Pace line, John Wilson, offers congratulations to Verkamp for her selection as an Indiana Artisan. "We are extremely proud of Ashley and pleased to see this recognition bestowed upon her," says Wilson. "Not only does Ashley bring a set of breathtaking skills to the artistic table, she also brings a matching passion for the beauty of all God's creation that has been valued for over 150 years by the monks of Saint Meinrad."

With Verkamp's acceptance to Indiana Artisan, she and Snail's Pace will have the opportunity to exhibit during the Indiana Artisan Marketplace, the organization's annual trade show. The event will be held April 5-7, 2013, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Exposition Hall.

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Snail's Pace is owned and operated by the monks of Saint Meinrad Archabbey. Drawing on the monks' 145 years of printing expertise and a long history of stewardship over the land, Snail's Pace has created a collection of socially and environmentally responsible paper goods featuring designs that celebrate the artistry of creation. The line of products includes greeting cards, gift wraps, gift bags, journals and more, all available for purchase at www.snailspacepaper.com (for wholesale buyers: www.snailspacewholesale.com).