by Elissa | Sep 9, 2016 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, September 14, 2016, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
The September meeting will be held at UVM’s Special Collections in the basement of Bailey Howe Library. Click here to download a pdf of the directions to Special Collections.
Please note that in September we will not be meeting as usual on the second Wednesday at the Unitarian Church in Burlington.
Program: Visit to Special Collections at UVM
At this month’s meeting, University of Vermont Librarian Prudence Doherty will guide us through some of the amazing artists’ books held in the Special Collections Department. Not everyone knows that we have one of the finest collections of artists’ books in the nation, right here in Burlington.
Join us in a hands-on exploration that will stimulate your imagination and spark your creativity!
* Please bring a pencil, not a pen, if you plan to take notes.
August Meeting Reflections
We did a lot of sharing at the Studio Support and Workshop Time meeting. In fact, we hardly had enough time to get it all out there! We learned many new tips, tools, and techniques to invigorate our papers and surface designs.
We generated many new ideas for programs, and we agreed on a theme for next year’s exhibit – Correspondence. Don’t be scared, you don’t have to stick to the script on this one, but while you’re thinking of ideas for a new project, keep it in mind (and then send someone a postcard or letter.)
The time went by super fast, as we learned more about each other’s work, interests, and great deeds. Thank you to all those who brought their energy and ideas.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** The Book Arts Guild of Vermont is proud to be participating in this year’s Burlington Book Festival on September 16 – 17, 2016 at UVM’s Davis Center. This annual event celebrates the written word by offering readings, book signings, panels, workshops, demos, family activities, and special events.
We are planning to exhibit works from members to introduce the community to book arts, and increase awareness of book arts and our group. We will have an exhibit during the opening ceremonies on Friday September 16 as well as on Saturday during the day. During the exhibit time, we have also committed to demonstrating various book structures (not hands-on workshops).
Here are the opportunities for participation:
- Exhibit Artists’ Books: You can submit new work or something you have previously exhibited. Limited to 20 works. If you would like to submit work for the exhibit, please download the entry form and bring it, along with your work, to the September 14th Book Arts Guild meeting (at Special Collections). If you cannot attend the meeting but would like to submit work, please email Marcia by Monday, September 12th to make arrangements to get your work to her.
- Volunteers at the Book Arts Guild table for set up and/or break down: If you would like to help set up the exhibit on Friday night event, please email Jill. If you would like to participate by volunteering for a 2 – 3 hour slot at the Book Arts Guild table on Saturday (9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.), please email Marcia with your interest. If you would like to demonstrate a particular structure, please let us know. You won’t have to teach others to make the structure, just bring a book project you are working on and share your process with visitors.
*** B.A.G. member Nina Gaby has lots to share! Her work has been included in the book Memoir Your Way: Telling Your Story Through Writing, Recipes, Quilts, Graphic Novels, and More by the Memoir Roundtable, Sky Horse Publishing, 2016.
An essay made from her three dimensional book art work is a finalist in the DIAGRAM ESSAY CONTEST 2016 and may be published soon. And lastly, she’ll be exhibiting her work in the Vermont Technical College library this fall. She hopes to offer a lecture for the students.
She adds that she doesn’t mind bragging – “We work hard as artists with often little to show for it.”
*** B.A.G. member Elissa Campbell is teaching Leather Pocket Journals at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT on October 13 & 20, 2016 from 4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
You’ll learn how to create 5 bindings that use only leather, paper, and thread – no glue needed! For each binding, you will sew 3 sections of folded papers into covers cut from one piece of leather. These bindings are very flexible and allow the books to open completely flat, making them perfect for use as sketchbooks or journals.
Each sewing technique creates a different decorative sewing pattern on the spine and we will try out different closure methods. No previous experience required – this is a great class for a beginner.
To register, contact SPA via phone (802) 479-7069 or email.
*** The statewide Vermont Fall Open Studio Weekend is coming up next month with two weekends of artist studios – October 1 & 2 and October 8 & 9, 2016.
Two B.A.G. members will be participating in the event, each on different dates. Here’s the scoop:
- Amy Burns will be demonstrating at the Artists’ Mediums Art Shop in Cambridge VT on October 2 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. She’ll be demonstrating the Coptic stitch, among other things. The shop is #2 in the tour guide.
- During the weekend of October 1 & 2, Elissa Campbell will offer demonstrations and studio tours in Montpelier. She also has a selection of bookbinding supplies available for purchase. Her studio is #65 is in the tour guide.
You can find maps and directions to studios on the VT Crafts Council website.
Book Arts News
*** The Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA is hosting the exhibit Metamorphosis: The Art of Altered Books, now until November 6, 2016. The exhibit features mixed media artists who carve, gouge, fold, collage, and manipulate books to transform the printed pages into a sculptural object.
Exhibited works explore the materiality of the object, layers of meaning within, communication and cultural connections, design potential, and possible extinction of books in today’s tech-driven world. Exhibiting artists include Long-Bin Chen, Andy Hayes, Wendy Wahl, and Jacqueline Rush Lee.
For more information, please visit the Fuller Craft Museum’s website.
*** The North Bennet Street School is hosting a public lecture with Martin Frost on Tuesday, September 13 from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. – The Curious Art of the Secret Fore-edge Painting. Using books from his own collection, he will discuss the history of and techniques used in fore-edge painting. Frost has painted the edges of over 3,500 books, including examples of the scarce all-edge, split and two-way doubles. He also binds many of his books.
The event is free and open to the public. Registration is available online.
The North Bennet Street School is located in Boston, MA. For more information, please visit the NBSS website.
*** In celebration of her 65th birthday, Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord is holding an Open Studio event on September 17, 2016 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Susan is the author of Handmade Books For A Healthy Planet and Multicultural Books to Make and Share.
Work from the past 38 years will on view in both her studio and her home at 311 High Street in Newburyport, MA.
For more information, please visit Susan’s website.
*** In collaboration with The Ticknor Society, The Movable Book Society is holding its biennial conference in Boston on September 15 – 17, 2016. The Movable Book Society was organized in 1993 to provide a forum for collectors, artists, curators, book sellers, book producers, and others to share enthusiasm and exchange information about pop-up and movable books.
This year’s speakers include Matthew Reinhart, Shawn Sheehy, Laura Davidson, and Emily Martin. The conference also features hands-on activities, presentations, a silent auction, and a book sale.
For more information, please download the conference program or contact The Movable Book Society at info@movablebooksociety.org.
*** Vermont artist Janet Wormser has a stash of Japanese paper she doesn’t need and she’s offering it for sale.
Here’s what she has:
- Hosho Natural 16.5″ x 22″
- Hosho Professional 24″ x 36″
- Tosa Kasagami 15.5″ x 19″
She also has a 14″ x 18″ portfolio (0.75″ spine thickness) for sale for $5.00.
Please contact Janet if you’d like more information or you’re interested in buying something from her.
Book Arts Classes
*** The Eliot School is offering the series Wild Journals with Susan Porter in October and November. Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Transform plain, store-bought, hardbound sketchbooks into gorgeously rich, densely colored, printed, cut and folded journals. These dramatic works of art can incorporate text, collage, found objects, windows, flaps and surface design.
The skills you learn can also be used in any form of handmade book. Expect to get messy. Bring an apron or work shirt to protect your clothing.
You can sign up for individual sessions or the whole series.
- Getting Started – Color & Paint: October 6, 2016
- Cut-outs, Pop-ups & Extensions: Thursday October 13, 2016
- Stamps, Stencils & Simple Printmaking: October 20, 2016
- Layers, Pockets, Windows & Tags: October 27, 2016
- Collaged Covers & Pages: November 3, 2016
- Story, Text & Narrative: November 10, 2016
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
*** The North Bennet Street School is hosting two workshops in collaboration with this year’s joint conference of the Movable Book Society and The Ticknor Society. Both workshops are open to the public. Registration is required.
Making Pop-ups Using Origami Techniques with Joel Stern
Sunday, September 18, 2016
9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Using origami and pop-up techniques, this short workshop focuses on making paper-folded faces that can be incorporated into hand-made books. Models taught are of increasing complexity, with opportunity for students to create their own.
Paper Craft Meets Circuitry with Jie Qi
Sunday, September 18, 2016
1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Add electronics to your paper crafts to make them dynamic and interactive. Design and craft circuits on paper with Chibitronics Circuit Stickers, tiny peel-and-stick electronic parts that you can use to make interactive glowing paper craft projects. No circuit building or crafting experience necessary.
The North Bennet Street School is located in Boston, MA. For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
by Elissa | Aug 4, 2016 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, August 10, 2016, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
We meet at the Unitarian Universalist Society Church located at 152 Pearl Street in Burlington, VT. We will be in the Sophia Fahs Community Room, a large room located in the basement. Click here for more information on directions/parking.
Program: Studio Support and Workshop Time
Theme: Surface Decoration – Spicing Up your Paper
Studio Support and Workshop Time is two hours that you give yourself, in the company of fellow book- and paper-arts lovers, to learn, share and create in a supportive and encouraging environment.
To make these meetings even more valuable to our members, studio support meetings will have a theme or topic to serve as a focal point for sharing our collective wisdom.
Inspired by several recent additions to the Book Arts Guild library, the theme for our August meeting will be surface decoration: tips and techniques for creating interesting designs on paper. From paste paper and marbling to stamping and embossing, there are many, many ways to enhance or create beautiful designs on paper. What is your favorite? We invite you to share your go-to techniques, show some interesting tools you like to use, and bring in samples of papers you’ve created.
As always, there will also be group time for sharing something you’ve made and for asking questions or puzzling out challenges you may be having with a project or particular technique.
The remainder of the time will be devoted to creative work. Bring along a project or model from a previous meeting that you’d like to continue working on or develop further, bring a piece of your own to continue working on in the company of others, or bring some materials to explore the theme of the evening.
This session will offer the opportunity to continue practicing calligraphy as taught by Penne Tompkins in July. In addition to producing beautiful text, calligraphic letters can also become an interesting design element, and you are invited to explore the possibility of using calligraphy, as well as other techniques, for creating attractive designs on paper.
Suggested tools and materials:
For practicing calligraphy:
- Broad nib markers
- Ruler
- Pencil and eraser
- Paper
For exploring surface decoration:
- Plain paper/card stock to decorate
- Decorative paper to embellish
- Your favorite tools and materials for decorating and embellishing (e.g. markers, crayons, colored pencils, ink pads, rubber stamps, rubbing plates, waxed paper, ink, watercolors, etc.)
July Meeting Reflections
Our introduction to calligraphy proved to be a fascinating and fun evening. Penne Tompkins gave us a sense of what modern calligraphy is and how it is used today, showed us some of her own wonderful work, and helped us delve into the depths of lettering. We got some great tips, instruction, and help in beginning to find our own hand.
Once again, I have to say how lucky we are to have members with extraordinary skills and willingness to share them. Thanks to all who participated, and special thanks to Penne for being the evening’s presenter.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** The Book Arts Guild of Vermont is proud to be participating in this year’s Burlington Book Festival on September 17, 2016 at UVM’s Davis Center. This annual event celebrates the written word by offering readings, book signings, panels, workshops, demos, family activities, and special events.
We are planning to exhibit works from members to introduce the community to book arts, and increase awareness of book arts and our group. During the exhibit time, we have also committed to demonstrating various book structures (not hands-on workshops).
Here are the opportunities for participation:
- Artists’ Books exhibit: You can submit new work or something you have previously exhibited. Limited to 20 works. If you would like to submit work for the exhibit, please download the entry form and return it to Marcia by August 31st. Work will need to be delivered by September 10th. Artwork and entry forms can be brought to the August meeting for immediate consideration.
- Volunteers for set up, break down, and sitting/demonstrating: If you would like to participate by volunteering for a 2 – 3 hour slot on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., please sign up at the August meeting, or email Marcia with your interest. If you would like to demonstrate a particular structure, please let us know. The demo does not have to be a teaching thing, you could work on any project you’re currently working on.
*** B.A.G. member Elissa Campbell is teaching the Handmade Photo Album at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT on August 9, 2016 from 4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Share your vacation season, a summertime family reunion or wedding with a handmade photo album. In this workshop, you will learn how to create an elegant hard-cover album using bookcloth and handmade paper – this is a wonderful keepsake that can hold 4” x 6” photos from your recent vacation or family holiday gatherings.
No previous experience required – this is a great class for a beginner. You can even bring in your own cover materials to customize your book.
To register, contact SPA via phone (802) 479-7069 or email.
Book Arts News
*** The exhibit UNBOUND VOL. VI is open now through August 27, 2016 at the Artistree Gallery in South Pomfret, VT.
This juried show explores the idea of “the book” and all the ways artists use that format as a stepping-off point or as material to explore new ideas.
For more information, please visit the Artistree Gallery website.
*** The Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA is hosting the exhibit Metamorphosis: The Art of Altered Books, now until November 6, 2016. The exhibit features mixed media artists who carve, gouge, fold, collage, and manipulate books to transform the printed pages into a sculptural object.
Exhibited works explore the materiality of the object, layers of meaning within, communication and cultural connections, design potential, and possible extinction of books in today’s tech-driven world. Exhibiting artists include Long-Bin Chen, Andy Hayes, Wendy Wahl, and Jacqueline Rush Lee.
For more information, please visit the Fuller Craft Museum’s website.
*** The North Bennet Street School is hosting a public lecture with Martin Frost on Tuesday, September 13 from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. – The Curious Art of the Secret Fore-edge Painting. Using books from his own collection, he will discuss the history of and techniques used in fore-edge painting. Frost has painted the edges of over 3,500 books, including examples of the scarce all-edge, split and two-way doubles. He also binds many of his books.
The event is free and open to the public. Registration is available online.
The North Bennet Street School is located in Boston, MA. For more information, please visit the NBSS website.
*** The North Bennet Street School is hosting the final stop of the Guild of Book Workers‘ juried traveling exhibition, Vessel, now through August 31, 2016. The exhibit is in the NBSS Wingate Gallery.
The book as vessel inspires beautiful metaphor – a craft for traveling, a container, a holder, a receiver, a transporter. Across time and culture, the vessel is at the center of many ceremonies and rites of passage. Native American cultures regarded the vessel as a portal to a sacred realm. The book as craft is our vessel to sail the high seas, to hold our dearest memories, and to indicate the pulse of life. Guild of Book Workers members contributed works to interpret “vessel” in broad and unique ways.
The exhibition features approximately 50 works by GBW members. Selected works include fine and edition bindings, artist’s books, broadsides, and historical binding models.
The North Bennet Street School is located in Boston, MA. For more information about the exhibit, please visit the GBW website.
*** In collaboration with The Ticknor Society, The Movable Book Society is holding its biennial conference in Boston on September 15 – 17, 2016. The Movable Book Society was organized in 1993 to provide a forum for collectors, artists, curators, book sellers, book producers, and others to share enthusiasm and exchange information about pop-up and movable books.
This year’s speakers include Matthew Reinhart, Shawn Sheehy, Laura Davidson, and Emily Martin. The conference also features hands-on activities, presentations, a silent auction, and a book sale.
For more information, please download the conference program or contact The Movable Book Society at info@movablebooksociety.org.
Book Arts Classes
*** The North Bennet Street School is hosting two workshops in collaboration with this year’s joint conference of the Movable Book Society and The Ticknor Society. Both workshops are open to the public. Registration is required.
Making Pop-ups Using Origami Techniques with Joel Stern
Sunday, September 18, 2016
9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Using origami and pop-up techniques, this short workshop focuses on making paper-folded faces that can be incorporated into hand-made books. Models taught are of increasing complexity, with opportunity for students to create their own.
Paper Craft Meets Circuitry with Jie Qi
Sunday, September 18, 2016
1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Add electronics to your paper crafts to make them dynamic and interactive. Design and craft circuits on paper with Chibitronics Circuit Stickers, tiny peel-and-stick electronic parts that you can use to make interactive glowing paper craft projects. No circuit building or crafting experience necessary.
The North Bennet Street School is located in Boston, MA. For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
by Elissa | May 4, 2016 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 11, 2016, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
We meet at the Unitarian Universalist Society Church located at 152 Pearl Street in Burlington, VT. We will be in the Sophia Fahs Community Room, a large room located in the basement. Click here for more information on directions/parking.
Program: Jacob’s Ladder Books with Ann Joppe-Mercure
Join us in May as we explore the enchanting structure of Jacob’s Ladder to make a very unique book.
Under the expert guidance of Ann Joppe-Mercure, we will each will make a five-section Jacob’s Ladder book. Just like the old fashioned toy, the pages will flip back and forth, revealing different information in a mesmerizing fashion. Ann will provide the basic materials (mat board, ribbon, and paper squares).
Please bring the following tools and materials:
- See-Thru ruler for measuring
- Pencil
- Glue (or double-sided tape) to adhere the mat board squares together
- Scissors
- X-Acto knife or scalpel
- Cutting mat
- Fun materials to design your pages
April Meeting Reflections
Remember when we made the origami cubes back in December as a contribution to a group project? The project’s originator and designer, Valerie Hird, presented a video of her finished project, The Genesis Tree, at our meeting in April, and talked about her idea behind the project and how it came to be. Really good stuff here, an example of how important collaboration can be in a world so broken up by false perceptions. Watch the video here, and be proud of our group’s contribution.
During the workshop time, we had a lot of different projects going on, giving way to lively discussion as well as focused work. Without a planned program, there was the opportunity to find out more about each other, and to get work done that may otherwise sit on the worktable at home until we ‘get to it’. It was hard to get everyone out of the room at the clearing out time.
Thanks to all who participated, and a special thanks to Valerie.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** On May 28 & 29 (Memorial Day Weekend), the statewide Open Studio Weekend is offering a wonderful selection of book artsy studios for you to visit.
If you’re up for a tour, you can find your comrades in the following locations:
Elissa created a Google Map with all of the locations to help you with your tour. You can find maps and directions to studios on the VT Crafts Council website. You can also download a pdf of the 2016 Spring Event & Resource Guide. Please note that this is a really big file.
*** B.A.G.’s very own Ann Joppe-Mercure will be teaching The Art of the Book at Saint Michael’s College from July 5 – 15 (no class on 7/4).
Educators and students are invited to explore and create in this studio course addressing the art of the book. Participants will experiment with forms, structures, materials, and concepts as we investigate the limitless possibilities of the Book. By surveying the historical need to record and contain knowledge and by examining the work of contemporary book artist students will gain a foundation for their own creative expression of ideas and meaning. Students will make a working portfolio of paper treatments, book models and altered structures then create their own individual art books.
The class will be a working model of a 21st century collaborative community supporting the creative process through practice, constructive criticism, reflecting, and refining technique. The Common Core anchor standards of Craft and Structure and Integration of Knowledge and Ideas will be addressed.
No previous bookmaking or art experience required. Students who have previously taken GED 671 The Art of Bookmaking and/or GED 673 Science, Art and Bookmaking: Making Connections, are welcome in this class. A $50.00 materials fee is required and due at registration.
For more information, please visit St. Mike’s website.
Book Arts News
*** On Thursday, May 26th, Burlington City Arts is hosting a party in honor of those who participated in the The Genesis Tree project.
There will be a video tour of the tree and its assembly, as well as some of the outstanding examples of the origami cubes, boxes and birds. Parents, teachers and friends are welcome.
Please RSVP to Valerie Hird at valerieb.hird@gmail.com if you plan to attend the event.
*** The Rochester Institute of Technology’s Cary Graphic Arts Collection is hosting the Guild of Book Workers‘ juried traveling exhibition, Vessel, now through June 17, 2016.
The book as vessel inspires beautiful metaphor – a craft for traveling, a container, a holder, a receiver, a transporter. Across time and culture, the vessel is at the center of many ceremonies and rites of passage. Native American cultures regarded the vessel as a portal to a sacred realm. The book as craft is our vessel to sail the high seas, to hold our dearest memories, and to indicate the pulse of life. Guild of Book Workers members contributed works to interpret “vessel” as broadly or as narrowly as they wished.
The exhibition features approximately 50 works by GBW members. Selected works include fine and edition bindings, artist’s books, broadsides, and historical binding models.
For more information about the exhibit, please visit the GBW website.
*** On Thursday, May 12th at 5:30 p.m., the Rochester Institute of Technology’s Cary Graphic Arts Collection is presenting a lecture with Todd Pattison, Art, Craft and Conservation: De-mystifying A Book Conservator. Pattison is the Senior Book Conservator at the Northeast Document Conservation Center. A reception will follow the lecture.
Todd will discuss his work as a book conservator and how it relates to research and teaching in the field of bibliophily. He will also highlight his artistic contribution to the Vessel exhibition, as well as those of some of his peers, who are also professional book conservators around the country.
For more information, please visit the Cary Graphic Arts Collection’s website.
*** The Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA is hosting the exhibit Paper and Blade: Modern Paper Cutting, now through July 31, 2016. The exhibit celebrates the pioneering spirit of artists working in cut paper.
Exhibiting artists were selected for their passion for this humble material, their masterful techniques, and their innovative approaches to working in this media, and together they will present a collective vision of the future of paper craft. Participants includes Beatrice Coron, Maude White, Randal Thurston, Nikki McClure, Elizabeth Alexander, Bovey Lee, and Charles Clary.
For more information, please visit the Fuller Craft Museum’s website.
*** In collaboration with The Ticknor Society, The Movable Book Society is holding its biennial conference in Boston on September 15 – 17, 2016. The Movable Book Society was organized in 1993 to provide a forum for collectors, artists, curators, book sellers, book producers, and others to share enthusiasm and exchange information about pop-up and movable books.
This year’s speakers include Matthew Reinhart, Shawn Sheehy, Laura Davidson, and Emily Martin. The conference also features hands-on activities, presentations, a silent auction, and a book sale.
For more information, please download the conference program or contact The Movable Book Society at info@movablebooksociety.org.
Book Arts Classes
*** The Women’s Studio Workshop is offering The Medium as Message: An Adventure in Low Tech with Caroline Walp from July 11 – 15, 2016. The workshop will take place in Kingston, NY.
You will begin this workshop by learning letterpress basics, including setting type, mixing ink, and various ways of generating images by different means. You’ll also learn basic bookbinding techniques to make accordion or single signature artists’ books and/or zines.
In this immersive, multi-media class, students will learn the simplest and most direct ways of generating text and image as a multiples, using a table top letterpress, hand printing, lino cuts, hand stamping, rubber stamping, and other alternative printing processes. The emphasis will be on effectively transmitting your message into a publishable format.
For more information or to register, please visit the Women’s Studio Workshop website.
*** On June 25- 26, 2016, the New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers is excited to present Making Simple Finishing Tools with Jeffrey Altepeter.
For traditional design nothing really beats a collection of decorative finishing tools. But making your own tools can offer more immediate control in the design process, the ability to modify as you work, and the ability to do more unique work. Making tools is also gratifying and fun.
This workshop will offer an introduction to the materials, tools and techniques of making your own brass finishing tools for bookbinding. A combination of demonstration, discussion and hands-on practice will prepare students for continued experimentation and more advanced future projects.
The workshop will be held at Third Year Studio in Boston, MA. For more information or to register, please visit the GBW website.
*** Maine Media Workshops + College is offering Merging Content & Craft with Frank Hamrick on June 19 – 25. The college is located in Rockport, Maine.
The first part of this weeklong workshop will focus on learning four bookbinding methods: hardbound pamphlet, accordion, Japanese and Coptic. Each structure introduces various techniques materials, closure methods and sewing methods. In the second half of the workshop each student will take what they have learned to make a small artists’ book of content, be it image, text or some combination of the two.
You will work together one on one and in group critiques to edit, sequence and shape each person’s images and/or writing to create a book structure fitting for each body of work.
For more information or to register, please visit the Maine Media Workshops + College’s website.
by Elissa | Apr 7, 2016 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, April 13, 2016, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
We meet at the Unitarian Universalist Society Church located at 152 Pearl Street in Burlington, VT. We will be in the Sophia Fahs Community Room, a large room located in the basement. Click here for more information on directions/parking.
Program: Studio Support and Workshop Time
Studio Support and Workshop Time is two hours that you give yourself, in the company of fellow book- and paper-arts lovers, to learn, share and create in a supportive and encouraging environment.
The meeting will begin with some group time, both for sharing – something you’ve made, a great resource or tool you’ve found, a source of inspiration – and for asking questions or puzzling out challenges you may be having with a project or particular technique.
The remainder of the time will be devoted to creative work. Bring along a project or model from a previous meeting that you’d like to continue working on or develop further, or bring a piece of your own to simply continue working on in the company of others.
Not sure of what to bring? No worries! Every Studio Support and Workshop Time session will have suggestions, resources or materials for a project. This session will offer the opportunity to continue exploring (or discover the pleasure of making) the small lidded boxes presented by Elizabeth Rideout in March. There will be bookboard and templates available for crafting the boxes.
If you’d like to try your hand at one (or make a companion to the one you made in March), you’ll need to bring:
- A tool such as an X-Acto or scalpel capable of cutting bookboard
- Cutting mat
- Metal ruler
- Small, sharp scissors
- Glue
- Pencil and eraser
- Bone folder
- Decorative paper or book cloth for covering the box (one sheet approximately 12 x 24-inches, or two sheets of 12 x 12-inch scrap book paper)
You can also continue exploring the fun and fascinating possibilities of: Folded Page Book Sculptures (as presented by Marilyn Gillis in January), of Exquisite Corpse Books (as presented by Rebecca Boardman in May), Miniature Books (as presented by Jill Abilock in July) or rev up your creative juices and delight your friends by making collaged postcards (presented by Marcia Vogler in March).
Suggested tools and materials for these projects include:
- Drawing paper
- Pens
- Pencils
- Colored pencils
- Markers, Sharpies, Gel pens, etc.
- Glue sticks
- X-Acto knife
- Scissors
- Cutting mat
- Bone folder
- Ruler
- Magazine, calendar, catalog and other collage materials you like to work with
- Paints, inks, and rubber stamps and anything else you enjoy using for decoration or embellishment
March Meeting Reflections
The Box Making program with Elizabeth Rideout brought out a crowd eager to learn some tips from a professional. Elizabeth gave us an overview of the many sides of boxes (oh really I just couldn’t resist), their construction, uses, and opportunities for interpretation. Along with all that information, she provided us with materials and instructions to make our own mini box with lid.
We left with a sweet little reminder of the program, ready to be filled with a small treat. Thanks to all who attended, and special thanks to Elizabeth for visiting and sharing.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** The GENESIS TREE NY16 installation opened at the Nohra Haime Gallery in New York City on March 22nd. The 10′ x 14′ tree is made up of 4,000 hand-folded origami cranes, cubes and boxes.
The project, organized by Valerie Hird, was a crowd-sourced international outreach project representing diverse age groups and individuals from middle school students to retired seniors (and B.A.G. members!).
The exhibit is open now through May 9th. You can watch a video of the installation assembly on YouTube.
*** Lyna Lou Nordstrom is having a solo show at Brickworks Art Studios entitled Transitions and Variations. Pieces in the show include recent work in monotype, solarplate etching, and Jell-O print. An artist reception will be held on April 8th from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Several demonstrations will be held in conjunction with the exhibit:
- April 9: Jell-O Printing
- April 16: Monotype on the Etching Press
- April 23: Solarplate Printing on the Press
The show is open throughout the month of April. Brickworks Art Studios is located at 266 South Champlain Street in Burlington, VT (enter from the parking lot behind New England Floor Coverings/Vermont Art Supply at 277 Pine Street).
Book Arts News
*** The annual Book Arts Bazaar will be held on Sunday, April 10th from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the Wishcamper Center on the University of Southern Maine‘s Portland Campus. This festival with book artists, papermakers, bookbinders, printmakers, educators, and writers is dedicated to all things related to the book.
The free event is sponsored by USM’s Kate Cheney Chappell ’83 Center for Book Arts.
*** The Portland Public Library is hosting the exhibit Bound Together III: USM Book Arts from April 7 – 30, 2016. The show features the work of students from the University of Southern Maine‘s course, The Visual Book 2: Historical Influences in Contemporary Artist’s Books and members of the Kate Cheney Chappell ’83 Center for Book Arts Critique Group.
The pieces in the exhibit emphasize the relationship between content and form. Book formats and binding techniques include accordions, flag books, fans, pop-ups, altered books, tunnel books, and scrolls. Works include linoleum and gelatin prints, monotypes, digital prints, watercolor and acrylic painting, collage, and calligraphy.
For more information, please visit the Portland Public Library’s website.
*** The Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA is hosting the exhibit Paper and Blade: Modern Paper Cutting, now through July 31, 2016. The exhibit celebrates the pioneering spirit of artists working in cut paper.
Exhibiting artists were selected for their passion for this humble material, their masterful techniques, and their innovative approaches to working in this media, and together they will present a collective vision of the future of paper craft. Participants includes Beatrice Coron, Maude White, Randal Thurston, Nikki McClure, Elizabeth Alexander, Bovey Lee, and Charles Clary.
For more information, please visit the Fuller Craft Museum’s website.
*** Dartmouth College‘s Third Annual Edible Book Festival will take place on Monday, April 11, 2016 at Berry Library in Hanover, NH. The event was inspired by the International Edible Book Festival, which is held annually around April 1st, throughout the world.
Display and judging/voting starts at 2:00 p.m. and the winners will be announced at 5:00 p.m., followed by the eating of the entries. A panel of judges will determine the winning entries in each of three categories:
- Most Likely to Be Eaten
- Funniest/Punniest
- Most Creative
Visitors will vote for the winner in the People’s Choice category. For more information, please visit Dartmouth’s website.
*** Now through April 17th, Lesley University is presenting Reading with the Senses, an exhibition of 54 international contemporary artists’ books. The show is guest-curated by Ruth R. Rogers, Curator of Special Collections at Wellesley College.
In this exhibition, Rogers interrogates the books shown, to understand their effect upon the reader. Themes of time, space, movement, material presence, memory, language, and music are explored, and their persistence long after the viewing is over. Whether consciously or not, we are asked to read and comprehend not by text alone, but with our senses.
In conjunction with the exhibit, there will be a panel discussion on April 14th entitled What Do Books Awaken In Us? Participants in the panel include guest curator Ruth Rogers, book artist Robin Price, and SMFA librarian and artist book curator Darin Murphy. The focus will be inspired by the exhibit’s focus on how artists evoke a sensory response in their books, and how that is communicated to the reader.
Both events are being held at Lesley University’s Lunder Arts Center at 1801 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, MA.
Book Arts Classes
*** On June 25- 26, 2016, the New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers is excited to present Making Simple Finishing Tools with Jeffrey Altepeter.
For traditional design nothing really beats a collection of decorative finishing tools. But making your own tools can offer more immediate control in the design process, the ability to modify as you work, and the ability to do more unique work. Making tools is also gratifying and fun.
This workshop will offer an introduction to the materials, tools and techniques of making your own brass finishing tools for bookbinding. A combination of demonstration, discussion and hands-on practice will prepare students for continued experimentation and more advanced future projects.
The workshop will be held at Third Year Studio in Boston, MA. For more information or to register, please visit the GBW website.
*** The Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, MA is offering Pop-Up Travel Journal with Susan Porter on April 17 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Incorporate photos, tickets, labels and other ephemera from your travels to create a pop-up book. The book begins as a simple square but opens into a dramatic, multifaceted container that includes pockets, windows, pop-outs and other paper forms. A variety of media and techniques will be used including printmaking, collage, painting and drawing.
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
by Elissa | Feb 22, 2016 | bookbinding, Lecture
movement through arcana by Steve Kostell
On March 1 at 5:30 p.m., The Special Collections Department of the Bailey/Howe Library will host University of Vermont art professor Steven Kostell for a discussion of his work investigating forms of mediation, production and collaboration through explorations in art, design and the artist book.
Steven Kostell is an intermedia artist and designer whose work explores the convergence of traditional and experimental techniques in print and digital media, resulting in hybrid forms. His work is grounded in material-based production and image processing, involving papermaking, printmaking, artist books, and multi-channel audio/video installations.
Kostell’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally at such venues as the Center for Book and Paper at Columbia College, Chicago; the Qijiang International Printmaking Festival, Chongqing, China; Ozu Washi Gallery and the Oji Paper Museum, Tokyo, Japan; New Forms Festival, Vancouver, BC and the Laura Haber Gallery, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He received his BFA from Indiana State and his MFA from Arizona State University. Before coming to Vermont, Kostell taught at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
The presentation is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. For more information, email uvmsc@uvm.edu or call (802) 656-2138.
Click here for information about parking at UVM.
by Elissa | Dec 3, 2015 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, December 9, 2015, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
We meet at the Unitarian Universalist Society Church located at 152 Pearl Street in Burlington, VT. We will be in the Sophia Fahs Community Room, a large room located in the basement. Click here for more information on directions/parking.
Program: Studio Support and Workshop Time and Year-End Celebration/Pot Luck
It’s a party! In celebration of a wonderfully productive and creative year, with inspiring presenters and a super-successful 2015 show, the Book Arts Guild is hosting a year-end party for our December meeting. The guild will supply light dinner fare – wraps, veggies and dips, snacks and drinks. All you need to bring is your enthusiasm and holiday cheer (and perhaps some cookies or a dessert to share).
Along with the party festivities, there will be two exciting projects to participate in. The guild will be creating a collaborative Exquisite Corpse book to be completed and displayed at our upcoming exhibit. Submissions for the book are due at the January meeting, so this might be the perfect opportunity to get a head start on your creation. You are welcome to work in any 2-D medium, so bring your favorite drawing or painting tools and paper (or materials to collage an image). Rebecca Boardman will be on hand to provide templates, examples and guidance.
In addition, at the November meeting, B.A.G. members decided to participate in the Genesis Project, a crowd-sourced art installation led by artist Valerie Hird. The project celebrates diversity and cultural interconnections, which is a wonderful theme during this time of year.
Over 3,000 handmade origami cubes and birds will be used to create a life-sized tree at the Nora Haime Gallery in New York City. As a guild, we have committed to contributing origami cubes to the project (we have to submit a minimum of 100). The cubes need to be made from 6-inch squares cut from glossy magazine paper, preferably with images dominated by shades of red, yellow, blue, green, tan and light purple. Some text on the page is fine, too.
So bring in your favorite glossy magazines with colorful images, and join us in a folding fest! Jill Abilock will bring written instructions on folding the cubes (also known as “water balloons”), and will lead a folding demo for us. (You can also find an online tutorial here.) Jill will also bring in templates for cutting 6-inch squares from the magazine paper.
Things to bring to the December meeting:
A sweet treat to share (optional)
Materials for creating your Exquisite Corpse image:
- Paper
- Pens, pencils, colored pencils, markers, watercolors, etc.
- Collage materials and scissors, glue sticks, etc.
Materials for participating in the Genesis origami project:
- Light, glossy and colorful magazine paper
- Pencil
- X-Acto Knife
- Cutting mat
- Ruler
November Meeting Reflections
Writing this after the Thanksgiving holiday, I am grateful for the creative community that is the Book Arts Guild of Vermont.
Our November meeting filled the meeting room with joy, camaraderie, and cleverness as members shared skills and ideas. We learned new book structures, greeting card techniques, and even a smart gift bag enclosure to contain all those clever things.
Thanks to everyone for participating, and special thanks to those who prepared and shared!
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
Spring Exhibit at UVM Living/ Learning Gallery
Announcing our Spring 2016 exhibit: Book Works, book-related works by the Book Arts Guild of Vermont! The exhibit will take place at the Living Learning Center gallery on the UVM campus from February 15 – March 18, 2016.
We encourage all members and friends to participate in this broadly themed show. Work can include new or time honored techniques, book-related pieces and sculpture, and generally any work that can be ‘read’.
Important Dates:
- Deadline for submissions: January 15, 2016. Work can be brought to the January meeting or mailed to Marcia. For special arrangements, please contact Marcia.
- Set up: February 15, 2016. If you would like to help hang the show to see what goes on pre-show, please let me know.
- Opening reception and artists’ talk: February 18, 2016 at 5:30 p.m. This will be in place of our usual February meeting.
The exhibit entry form and additional information can be downloaded here.
We would love to provide studio support at the December meeting, prior to the show, where participants can seek help and advice on their projects, so bring in your work in progress to share with others, seek help, or ask for advice on techniques, finishing, etc.
For inspiration, try searching on Pinterest for book arts boards. Here are a few links to get you started:
After such a fantastic show last year at SEABA, we’re excited to see what comes next for everyone!
Book Arts News
*** On December 4 – 5, the first annual Northampton Book and Book Arts Fair will take place at the Smith College Campus Center in Northampton, MA.
The event includes exhibits, sales, book signings, demonstrations, lectures and features the leading antiquarian booksellers from the region and book artists, letter press printers, book binders, paper makers, wood engravers, stone cutters, and book designers.
The keynote speaker is Richard Minsky, a scholar of bookbinding and widely acclaimed as a pioneering book artist whose work is collected internationally by major museums and libraries. He is the founder of the Center for Book Arts in New York City.
For more information, please visit the event website.
*** Now through December 13th, the Middlebury College Museum of Art is presenting The Art of Storytelling: Five Tales from Asia, Then and Now. The exhibit includes a beautiful combination of ancient and modern illustration.
The five Asian tales at the center of this exhibition have inspired artists for centuries and continue to capture the imaginations of comics writers and graphic designers today. This exhibit explores many of the painted and printed interpretations of these compelling narratives from the sixteenth century to the present.
The works are drawn from the collections of the Middlebury College Museum of Art, the Harvard Art Museums, the Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College, and Harvard-Yenching Library, and are complemented by contemporary comics, illustrations, and other digital media.
*** The Paper Room (formerly known as Langdell Paper) at AVA Gallery and Art Center is holding its annual open studio on Saturday December 5th, from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. This event is part of AVA’s annual Open House.
Not only are there going to be 1,000’s of sheets of handmade paper available for purchase, but there will also be refreshments and fun paper-related conversation.
The AVA Art Center is located at 11 Bank Street in Lebanon, NH. The Paper Room is on the second floor in studio #209. For more information, please contact Richard at rlangdell@gmail.com.
*** The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers is looking for volunteers for an upcoming Girl Scout event. They will be partnering with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts offering programs for Cadette scouts (age 11-14) to earn a Book Artist badge. In addition, they will run a program for younger scouts.
The event will be held on Saturday March 26, 2016 at Camp Maude Eaton in Andover, MA. They will run a 3-hour program for Cadettes in the morning from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and then have a 2-hour program for younger girls from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. You can volunteer for just one program or make a day out of it and do both!
There will be an introduction and then five stations that the girls will rotate through which may include printing, accordion folds, a pamphlet, origami book, a scroll, decorating paper or a collaborative book, depending on the interests of the volunteers. Each rotation will last for about 30 minutes. The younger girls will have similar programming in a shorter time frame with possibly only four rotations. If you have a book arts technique or project that you’d like to see done with the Girl Scouts please make some suggestions.
You do not need to be a member of the NEGBW to volunteer. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Todd Pattison at bookandtile@att.net.
*** On Saturday, December 5th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., the Friends of the South Burlington Community Library are having a book sale at Wheeler House, in Burlington, VT. Books are priced at 3 for $1.00 – if you’re into altered books, then this is a great way to stock up.
Wheeler House is located at 1100 Dorset Street.
Book Arts Classes
*** On February 1 – 5, 2016, the North Bennet Street School is offering Introduction to Blind and Gold Tooling on Leather with Samuel Feinstein.
In this week-long intensive, students learn the fundamentals of blind tooling and gold tooling on leather, focusing on straight lines and using BS Glaire to affix the gold. Line-work is one of the most important, fundamental, and versatile decorative techniques used on tooled bindings, and it is used in both traditional and contemporary designs. Students also have time to explore the use of curved lines and small decorative tools within a limited scope. A final plaquette will be completed using the techniques covered.
This is an introduction for beginners as well as a step forward for those who would like to build on their existing knowledge. The goal of this workshop is to familiarize you with the processes involved and prepare you for further practice.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
*** The North Bennet Street School is also offering a Paste Paper Workshop with Amy Lapidow on Saturday, December 12th.
In this one-day workshop, we explore a variety of recipes, papers and techniques to make decorative paper using a combination of adhesive and colorant, commonly called paste papers. Paste paper is regularly used in bookbinding and can be used for other paper projects.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
