An exhibition of distinctive paper arts from the cultures known as Pennsylvania German and Pennsylvania Dutch is on display through Oct. 30 at Penn State University Libraries’ Eberly Family Special Collections Library.

“Paper Paradise: Three Centuries of Pennsylvania German Fraktur and Scherenschnitte” features holdings from the collections of highly decorated calligraphic Fraktur and intricate Scherenschnitte (scissor cuts). These works often depict nature in intricate, symmetrical designs, with examples on display ranging from the 18th century the present.

Highlights include a 1748 copy of Martyrs Mirror, a decorated songbook with music and lyrics handmade in the Ephrata community in 1789 and examples famous Fraktur artist Johann Adam Eyer from around 1790.

The exhibition also includes work by contemporary artists Emily Decker, Patrick Donmoyer, Harriet Mether Rosenberg and Lynn Sommer.

An opening reception took place May 28 and included a paper-cutting demonstration and talks by some of the artists.

The exhibition was curated by Penn State faculty Julia Spicher Kasdorf and Christopher Reed, and organized by Rachael Dreyer, head of curation and engagement for Special Collections, with the support of the Max Kade German-American Research Institute at Penn State and of the Department of English and the dean’s office of the College of the Liberal Arts.