by Elissa | Jan 9, 2022 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, January 12, 2022, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
This month’s meeting will once again be held via Zoom, an online conference program. If you’ve never attended a Zoom meeting before, check out this video – it will go over the basics of how to join a meeting.
Stay safe!
The B.A.G. Board
In continuing with our tradition of choosing a theme for our meetings every year, the B.A.G. Board has selected the theme of Woven for 2022.
Weaving is one of the oldest surviving crafts in history, and is an integral part of all of our lives. We wear woven clothing, we sit on woven seats, we use and admire woven baskets.
In the paper and book world, there are many examples of paper weaving, woven book covers, and woven structures. Here are a few resources to get your brain churning:
The possibilities are kind of endless!
During the meetings this year, guest presenters will guide you through techniques to get you started on your woven explorations. The simplest methods can produce exciting results and we can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Program: Woven Paper Hearts
At our January Zoom meeting we will start the theme for the year of Woven by making variations of woven paper hearts with Penne Tompkins and Becky Boardman. We will also look at some remarkable examples of where you can take these basic structures.
Here’s a list of what you’ll need to complete the project:
- Text weight papers in contrasting colors and/or patterns. Origami paper works well too.
- Scissors or X-acto knife
- Cutting mat
- Some form of adhesive – glue stick, adhesive dots, etc.
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Templates (print these out in advance of the meeting)
- Hole punch and string if you want to make a hanging ornament (optional)
We hope to see you there!
If you plan to attend the meeting, please contact Elissa so she can send you the Zoom meeting details.
December Meeting Reflections
Who wants to do that again?
Not only was it super fun to make a zine, it was even more fun to see and hear how others approached it. The end results were totally amazing and informative. We learned about QR codes, huipil, cricuts, alternative folds, and French doors – all just fabulous.
Best of all, we learned a lot about each other, which is the whole point of getting together!
Thanks to all who participated and attended. Each month seems to be a record for attendance, and as we enter the new year seemingly farther away from in-person meetings, the time we spend together seems more important.
B.A.G. Library Corner
Let’s kick off the new year with a tutorial from the Book Arts Guild’s own Amy Lapidow! Featured in her book Book Art Studio Handbook with co-author Stacie Dolan, the pretty Woven Album would be a great book to capture memories from throughout your year.
The structure is a modified Jacob’s Ladder construction, can be adjusted to fit as many leaves as you like, and is flexible enough to add inclusions and stay flat. The possibilities are endless with this project
If you have ideas for books to feature or if you have a library book in your possession you’d like to share something from, email Sally at salblanch@gmail.com.
You can check out and download the project here.
B.A.G. News
*** Support the Book Arts Guild of Vermont by becoming a member!
The Book Arts Guild of Vermont is supported by its members and you have kept us going for more than fifteen years. Our organization is solely run by volunteers and we do what we do because we love the book arts and we love B.A.G.. We continue to be inspired by our community, and the enthusiasm and talents that you bring to our meetings.
Membership dues are our main source of income and we hope that you will show that you value what we have to offer – quality programming, future exhibits, and more – by becoming a member. You get so much value out of your $35.00 and attending just one meeting can give you your full money’s worth.
*** New this year – you can now pay your dues using Venmo!
Our account is BAGofVT, listed under businesses.
Just to give you an idea of where membership dues go, here’s a breakdown of B.A.G.’s annual expenses:
- Zoom subscription: $149.90 per year
- Vimeo subscription: $84.00 per year
- Rent: $50.00 per month when we can return to in-person attendance
- Presenter honorarium: $35.00 per meeting
- Website and email newsletter: $100.00 per year
- Presenter reimbursement for supplies: Varies
We hope that you will renew your membership to help us with our annual expenses. You can download our membership form and send it in with your payment by check of $35.00 made out to the Book Arts Guild of Vermont:
Book Arts Guild of Vermont
c/o Ann Joppe-Mercure
10 Brookwood Dr
South Burlington, VT 05403
Thank you so much for your continued support of the guild. We wouldn’t be here without you.
*** B.A.G. member, illustrator, and cartoonist Amy Burns will have her work on display from February 16 – March 31 at Espresso Bueno in Barre, VT. Alongside Amy’s framed works, originals, prints, cards and comics will be work by mixed media painter Keilani Lime.
Work is available for viewing and purchase during the following hours:
- Monday – Friday: 7:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
- Saturday – Sunday: 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Espresso Bueno is located at 248 N Main Street.
*** B.A.G. member, bookmaker, and printer Jane Ploughman will be co-teaching Decorative Paper & Book Structures with artist Susan Smereka.
In this introductory workshop, you’ll learn the process for paste paper, Gelli plate printing, and Japanese marbling, called Suminagashi. The decorative paper you make will be incorporated into book structures such as single sheet, a single flag, and accordion with a hard cover.
For your final book project, you will be working on content. If you have some bookbinding experience, this workshop will not only refresh your knowledge, but give you some new skills.
The workshop will take place at Susan Smereka’s studio space in Burlington, VT (Howard Street off of Pine), with your choice of dates:
- January 21 – February 18, Fridays 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
- March 1 – March 29, Tuesdays 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
For more information, please contact Susan at susansmereka@gmail.com.
*** Elissa Campbell is teaching Pop-Up Basics: The Movable Book at CraftStudies on January 29. The workshop will take place at A Lucky Girl Studio in Norwich, VT.
If you want to add more magic to your cards and artist books, then give pop-ups a try! Also known as paper engineering, pop-ups use cuts and folds to create motion and energy in paper structures.
Through the creation of a series of pop-up cards, students will learn the basics of three-dimensional construction, including box supports, props, and straddles, then bind these cards into a book, which will become a handy reference for future work.
No previous experience is required. You’ll feel more comfortable in the workshop if you have experience using an X-Acto knife.
For more information or to register, please visit the CraftStudies website.
Book Arts News
*** Bech Evans is selling two hand-crafted book presses that were inspired by antique cast iron nipping presses.
The interior dimensions of the yellow press are 10″ high by 11 3/8″ wide. Bed and three platens are 3/4″ baltic birch and measure 11″ x 13″. A durable clear finish was applied over the paint and on the bed and platens.
The frame of the pink press is shaped from laminated baltic birch. A durable clear finish is applied over the paint. The screw is a Jorgensen 12″ press screw.
Both presses are available for purchase on Craigslist (click on the links above). Prices are negotiable.
For more information or to buy a press, please contact Bech at (601) 985-8482.
*** Join the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center for their 14th annual Illustrated Accordion exhibition.
Each year the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center (KBAC) sponsors a non-juried exhibition The Illustrated Accordion, showing in the KBAC Gallery in spring. Open to all emerging and established artists, this exhibition focuses on books created in the accordion form.
The Illustrated Accordion exhibition focuses on books created in the accordion form. The structure of an accordion book is simple: a long piece of paper is folded into pages that can be read like a book or spread open and displayed like a banner. Featuring works of book artists from all over the world, the books in this exhibit take this book form to a new level.
Entries are being accepted online, now through January 24, 2022.
For more information about the exhibition, please contact Katie Platte at katie@kalbookarts.org or (269) 373-4938.
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** Kit Davey has a number of online classes available during the month of January. Here are two of them:
On January 10, Kit is teaching How to Make a Pop Up and Out Book. When you open the pages of this book a card is pushed up and out, just like a toaster.
On January 15, Kit is teaching How to Make an Interlocking Folds Book. This sculptural book is made with two strips of folded paper which “lock” into each other.
In both classes, she will show you the easy steps to make the book and finish it in class.
For more information or to register, please visit Kit’s website.
*** The Jaffe Center for Book Arts is offering Exposed Sewing with Decorative Guards & Self-Locking Wrapper with Karen Hanmer on January 22.
For centuries paper has served as a quick, elegant, and economical covering material for books. This versatile material can create structures ranging from pocket notebooks to conservation friendly bindings to a case durable enough for a heavily-used manual.
Exposed Sewing with Decorative Guards features colorful link stitch sewing and slivers of decorative paper visible on the spine. The covers are hooked around the first and last signatures before sewing, then sewn normally along with rest of the text block. A quick-to-construct self-locking flap keeps the text block clean and secure.
This workshop is appropriate for intermediate binders, beginners who are ready for a fast-paced workout, and anyone who wants to add more paper cases to their repertoire.
For more information or to register, please email John Cutrone at jcutrone@fau.edu.
*** The Center for Book Arts is offering Paper-cutting on Stage: Kamishibai and Paper Theaters with Béatrice Coron on January 27.
A paper-cut stage can take many forms including a tunnel book, multi-layered card, or an artist book. The class will draw inspiration from examples of paper stages from Japan, Victorian England, and more.
Students will consider how the kind of stories they want to tell can inform the structure they choose for their paper stage. Then Coron will share paper-cutting techniques that will allow students to create their own unique paper stages.
The class will also discuss various methods of activating a paper-cut stage like stop animation, video, and live performance. Finally, Coron will share tips, tricks, and resources to help students continue paper-stage-making in the future.
For more information or to register, please visit the CBA website.
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering the Paired Station Binding with Rosae Reeder on January 27.
Similar to a Coptic binding, the paired station binding has an exposed spine featuring a decorative sewing. With multiple sewing stations along the spine, the paired station binding can be used to sew sections or gatherings of pages, as well as single sheets.
In this virtual workshop, learn how to make a paired station binding using a combination of sections and single sheets with a soft paper cover. Traditional Coptic bindings, thread variations, and methods for adding boards to make a hardcover binding will be discussed.
While all skill levels are welcome, this multiple-section binding is technical and basic bookbinding experience may be helpful.
For more information or to register, please visit the MCBA website.
by Elissa | Sep 4, 2020 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, September 9, 2020, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
This month’s meeting will once again be held via Zoom, an online conference program. If you’ve never attended a Zoom meeting before, check out this video – it will go over the basics of how to join a meeting.
Stay safe!
The B.A.G. Board
Program: Sharing from the Mail Art Challenge
With seventeen B.A.G. members taking up the challenge to send Mail Art, our September Zoom meeting will be a sharing of the mail we received. If you wish to share, have your Mail Art pieces ready to hold up to the camera for a quick show and tell.
Our meeting will surely be a feast for the eyes and spirit!
Things to bring:
- Received mail art
- Enthusiasm
If you plan to attend the meeting, please contact Elissa so she can send you the Zoom meeting details.
August Meeting Reflections
Our August meeting was a balance of challenges and meditative acts of sewing signatures. Marcia Vogler led the workshop and again highlighted the versatility of the accordion. Using the concertina as the spine, Marcia demonstrated how to sew signatures into the mountains or the valleys for different results.
Once we found the pattern there was quiet concentration as we stitched. (Of course we were on Zoom and everyone was on mute – but we could all feel the calm.)
Marcia ended with multiple variations of how to include covers demonstrating her craftsmanship and abundance of creativity.
Thanks Marcia!
Book Arts News
*** The Camden Public Library is hosting a virtual exhibit of work by the Midcoast Maine Book Arts Group through the month of September.
The exhibit, Structure & Narrative encompasses two concepts about artists’ books for viewers to consider. First, each book is a made object -something that has a material aspect, a structural component, and a nod to what a book does: invite the viewer in. The second idea is the narrative: What is the story being told, how is it being told, and what are the aspects of narrative that a viewer can discern?
For more information and to view the books in the exhibit, visit the library’s website.
*** On Tuesday, September 8 at 6:00 p.m., the Camden Public Library will host artists from the Midcoast Maine Book Arts Group for a special event, Zoom Into the Book Arts Studio.
This will be an opportunity to virtually visit the studios of Rebecca Goodale, Cynthia McGuirl, Joelle Webber, and Dudley Zopp. You’ll learn about their work and some of the tools and processes they use. The event will provide you with an intimate look at the artists’ work spaces from the comfort of home. A Q&A session will follow each studio visit.
Please email jpierce@librarycamden.org to request a Zoom link to attend.
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** BookArtsLA has a number of online courses coming up during the month of September:
September 26: Drumleaf Binding with Anne Covell
The Drumleaf Binding is an ideal structure for featuring photographs, prints, or drawings that span the spread of a book. In this binding, individual folios are folded, stacked, and glued at the spine and tipped at the fore-edge. There is no sewing to interrupt the images. The spine remains flexible, allowing open pages to lay flat.
In this workshop, students will complete one hardcover binding with a decorative Japanese tissue spine. Students in this class will be provided with a descriptive handout and materials list in advance of the class to allow students to bind along with the instructor during the demonstration.
September 27: Packed Tacket Binding with Anne Covell
The packed tacket binding, dating to the 2nd century AD, is one of oldest known multi-quire sewing styles. Composed of an exposed spine that combines coils of thread that snake up and down the spine, this structure combines speed and simplicity with flexibility and durability of form. Few tools and little to no adhesives are required to make this binding. Emphasis in this class will be on signature punching and sewing methods.
Students in this class will be provided with a descriptive handout and materials list in advance of the class to allow students to bind along with the instructor during the demonstration.
For more information or to register, visit the BookArtsLA website.
*** Papermaker and letterpress printer Radha Pandey is offering the following online papermaking workshops during the month of September:
September 18: Paper from Plants
In this class, participants will learn how to process plants for papermaking. There are several plants that are good for making into paper and fall is the best time to harvest what you have in your yard or in neighbourhood.
Participants will learn how to identify which part of the plant might be good for papermaking, how to process the plant for fiber by steaming, stripping, cooking, or all three, how to process fiber into pulp and how make simple sheets of paper from materials you may have around the house.
September 26 & 27: Natural Indigo Vats
In this class, participants will learn how to set up two types of natural indigo vats, the fruit vat and the ferrous vat. We will cover the history of Indigo in India, how to be conscientious when sourcing this and other dyes, using natural indigo for a range of projects on paper and cloth, reviving the vat for re-use over a long period, as well as safe disposal of the vat after you are finished with it.
This class will not cover shibori or resist-dyeing in detail, but will provide general information and resources on these techniques.
For more information or to register, visit Radha’s website.
*** The Pyramid Atlantic Art Center is also offering online workshops during September. Here’s a few to check out:
September 17: Long Stitch Binding with Aubrey Dunn
In this workshop, you’ll learn how to make a soft-cover journal using the long stitch. This book structure binds the pages and cover directly together, eliminating the need for any glue. You will also learn some of the many possible variations to this stitch, making it highly decorative. This is a fantastic book making foundation for more complex stitches, especially if you are interested in binding with leather.
September 26 & 27: Clay Resist and Indigo Printing with Gretchen Schermerhorn
In this workshop, students will learn how to make a clay-resist paste, print and paint with it on fabric, and then overdye their work with organic indigo. Day one will be spent learning how to mix the non-toxic clay-resist paste and the various, inventive methods of applying it. This will include block-printing, screenprinting, stenciling, and direct painting. Day two will cover how to make and maintain a vat of organic, fructose indigo, and the techniques for dyeing.
Students will learn how to build layers of pattern and imagery with additional resist to create varying shades of beautiful indigo blue. At the end of class, each student will leave with their samples, recipes, and trade secrets to continue developing the techniques at home. This workshop includes a kit that will provide all of the necessary ingredients for the resist and indigo vat.
For more information or to register, visit the Pyramid Atlantic Art Center website.
*** The San Francisco Center for the Book is also offering a number of online workshops via Zoom. Here is a selection of what’s available during the month of September:
September 14, 21, & 28: Introduction to the Artist’s Book with Matt Runkle
In the first of three sessions, we’ll look at an overview of artist’s books, discussing definitions, concepts, and numerous examples from the form’s history. We’ll then learn a simple book structure, which students will then develop into a “book sketch” as homework.
The second session will involve learning several more advanced book models and structures, as well as a couple low-tech printing techniques (stenciling, image transfers) that students can do at home. Students will then pick a model that they’ll begin to develop with content for a mockup that they may hope to later develop into a more finished edition.
In the final session, students will share their works in progress. The instructor will help them address any hurdles they face on their way to completing an artist book edition, discussing strategies for furthering and expanding concepts developed during the class. We’ll wrap up by talking about some of the practical considerations when embarking on a content-based book project and how they relate to the book artist’s many roles: author, illustrator, editor, publisher, printer, and binder.
September 19: Papercutting Basics with Béatrice Coron
During this workshop, participants will discover the multiple facets of papercutting by making their own samples of different techniques.
Learning basic principles of designing with full and empty shapes, each student will explore adapting pictures they collected to papercutting. Tips and tricks will be shared.
For more information or to register, visit the SFCB website.
by Elissa | Oct 5, 2017 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, October 11, 2017, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
The October 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 October we will not be meeting as usual at the Unitarian Church in Burlington. In addition, the meeting will start 1/2 hour earlier than our normal meeting time, at 6:00 p.m.
Program: Field Trip to UVM Special Collections
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.
September Meeting Reflections
Our very special guest, Carolyn Shattuck, presented us with a fascinating evening full of insight and inspiration. She spoke clearly about her need to express her life and experiences through the making of artist books. Why I Make Books gave us a glimpse into not only her process, but her motivation and ability to express deep emotions.
Thank you, Carolyn, for sharing all of it with us. Also, thanks to all who attended.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
Book Arts Guild of Vermont 2018 Show news!
We will have 2 shows in 2018! The first will be at Studio Place Arts in Barre from May 22 – June 30, where we will be exhibiting in the second floor gallery. The exhibit will be in conjunction with the exhibit in the main gallery, Talk to Me / Tell Me / Word.
Spoken, written, and signed language is distinctively human. There are currently 6909 living languages, though half are in danger of extinction and are expected to disappear in this century.
What do the connected sounds and symbols of words suggest for the visual arts? We’re thinking of diverse languages and letterforms (real or invented), new communication technologies, censorship, graffiti, collage, and urgent written/spoken messages. We will be creating a Tower of Babel in the center of the gallery, and welcome proposals for this structure in whole or part.
The second show will take place in June at Frog Hollow Vermont Craft Gallery on Church Street. This will be a great opportunity to get exposure for our group in the heart of Burlington.
*** B.A.G. member Elissa Campbell is teaching the Peek-a-Boo Journal at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT on October 28th from 12:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
In this workshop, participants will create a journal with a double-needle coptic binding, an intricate stitch that will be visible on the spine of the book. Not only is the coptic binding beautiful, but it also allows books to remain flat when opened. The book covers will include a cut-out window, which offers many opportunities for personalization – photos, pressed flowers, theater tickets – if it’s flat, you can use it.
To register, contact SPA via phone at (802) 479-7069 or email.
*** If you missed the visit to the Book Arts Workshop at Dartmouth College a few months ago, here’s your second chance. Debra Kraemer has kindly set up another visit for the BAG members for November 18, 2017. More details to come, so save the date!
We will be visiting Rauner Special Collections Library to see a selection of handmade books from their and the Sherman Art Library collections.
Book Arts News
*** On Tuesday, October 10th, Peter and Donna Thomas (a.k.a. the Wandering Book Artists) will stop by the North Bennet Street School to share their one-of-a-kind artist books.
In honor of the 40th anniversary of making their first book, Peter and Donna are traveling across the country visiting exhibits that commemorate their work.
You can read more about their adventures on their blog.
*** Clemente Orozco, director of Impronta Casa Editora, an independent book publisher and cultural venue in Guadalajara, Mexico, specializing in hand-printed books, will be giving a public lecture at Dartmouth College called Arts of the Book and Book Artists in Mexico: A Panoramic View.
Orozco, a Dartmouth graduate of the class of 1985, has had a long career as an artist. In addition to overseeing design and production at Impronta, Clemente illustrates many of the books and has many years of experience as a printer, book designer, and artist in both the United States and Mexico.
The lecture will take place in the Current Periodicals Room at Baker Library on Wednesday, October 18th from 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. with a reception to follow.
On October 20th, from 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., Clemente will be printing at the Book Arts Workshop (in Baker Library, right around the corner from the Orozco murals).
Dartmouth College is located in Hanover, NH.
*** On October 20, 2017, the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts will host Fresh Cuttings, a lecture with Béatrice Coron. The artist will discuss her exploration of storytelling in artist books, installations, and public art.
Coron’s cut designs are made of paper, glass or metal and range in size from small to monumental. Her work is held in collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and the Library of Congress.
The Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is located in Portland, Maine. The lecture will be held from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. in the University Events Room on the 7th floor of the Glickman Family Library.
For more information, please contact Rebecca Goodale at (207) 228-8014 or goodale@maine.edu.
*** From November 3 – December 22, the North Bennet Street School will host Heroic Works, the third International Bookbinding Exhibition from Designer Bookbinders in the United Kingdom. The exhibit includes 28 prizewinning bindings and 9 works by binders from the United States.
184 binders from 31 countries participated in the competition by binding a book of their own choosing on the theme of myths, heroes, and legends. These works reflect a remarkable range of styles, materials, and approaches to great classics of world literature, as well as modern texts.
The exhibit is free and open to the public on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. The North Bennet Street School is located in Boston, MA.
Book Arts Classes
*** On Saturday, October 21st, the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is hosting a workshop with Béatrice Coron, Cutting Edges. The workshop will be held in the Multi-Purpose Room in the Wishcamper Center at the University of Southern Maine in Portland.
During this intensive class of serious fun, participants will discover the incredible variety of applications of this art form from fine arts to public art commissions. Through different exercises students will learn how to adapt reference images into papercuts and produce works as different as black and white scenes, color collage, pop-ups, wearables, and stencils.
Cutting different papers and experimenting with scale, we will keep an open mind to adapt them to other materials and explore new territories. Tips, tricks and resources will be provided. No experience necessary.
For more information, please contact Rebecca Goodale at (207) 228-8014 or goodale@maine.edu.
*** The Eliot School is offering Bookbinding Sketchbooks with Johanna Finnegan-Topitzer on Sunday, October 29th from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Make a custom blank book for sketching, writing or collecting images or photographs. Cut, fold and bind pages using the “sewn on tape” binding method. This yields a board-bound book in which the spine is uncovered, revealing the folded edge of the folios connected by decorative stitching over French tape.
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
*** On November 18 & 19, the North Bennet Street School is offering Italian Tacketed Stationery Bindings with Katherine Beaty.
During this workshop, you will explore the structure of early Italian tacketed stationery bindings based on the Medici family account book collection at Harvard Business School’s Baker Library. From the 14th through the 19th centuries, tacketed stationery books were used for day, letter, and account books. These books were designed for daily use and had to live up to the task.
In this 2-day workshop, you will construct the most common style of tacketed stationery binding: a limp vellum binding with laced overbands and a fore-edge flap. The textblock will be sewn over split thongs, which will lace through the front cover and be secured under the overbands. The cover will be reinforced with stiff leather overbands, secured to the cover with decorative alum tawed lacings. During this workshop, you will discuss terminology, binding variations, and examine images from the Medici collection.
Participants should have previous bookbinding experience, and be comfortable using paper, parchment, and leather.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
by Elissa | Sep 9, 2017 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, September 13, 2017, 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: Why I Make Books – Artist Talk with Carolyn Shattuck
Resilience
Please join us for the opportunity to meet celebrated book artist Carolyn Shattuck, who will speak about how she has progressed over 20 years of bookmaking. Carolyn will share her process with us and show many of her amazing books, from origami books and flexagons to pop-ups and a Women’s Project.
Born in Montreal, Canada, Carolyn originally trained as a nurse and worked in psychiatry. She began her art career when she moved to the United States in 1971. After a short stay in the U.S., Carolyn’s husband was drafted into the Vietnam War, and she and her husband moved to Okinawa, Japan, where they lived for three years. During those years, Carolyn became influenced by the history and beauty of Japanese prints. After returning to the United States, Carolyn earned an M.F.A. in painting at Bard College.
In the late 1990s, Carolyn organized an exhibition with three artists called, A Country of Souls: Reflections on Early New England Gravesites. The purpose of the traveling show was to develop an awareness of the mystery of death and dying issues. The intriguing folk art of the Puritans that Carolyn discovered while visiting New England cemeteries has generated a lifelong vocabulary that is threaded throughout her work in book arts. Many University Collections, as well as The Smithsonian Museum, have collected her books.
Carolyn currently lives in Vermont, where she teaches and makes books that relate to social and environmental issues.
August Meeting Reflections
Our Coptic Book Extravaganza brought out a lot of friends and members to share in Amy Burns‘ riff on coptic sewing. Luckily there was no beer served with the beer coasters she provided as covers – it was hard enough keeping us under control without the addition of alcohol! Amy was patient with us all anyway, and calmly and cheerfully led us through the sewing procedure. Success was had by all!
As part of the Extravaganza, Jill Abilock gave us an overview of her work with coptic bindings, and showed us how versatile and creative they can be.
Thanks, Amy and Jill for your preparation and presentation, and thanks to all who participated in the evening.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
Book Arts Guild of Vermont 2018 Show news!
We will have 2 shows in 2018! The first will be at Studio Place Arts in Barre from May 22 – June 30, where we will be exhibiting in the second floor gallery. The exhibit will be in conjunction with the exhibit in the main gallery, Talk to Me / Tell Me / Word.
Spoken, written, and signed language is distinctively human. There are currently 6909 living languages, though half are in danger of extinction and are expected to disappear in this century.
What do the connected sounds and symbols of words suggest for the visual arts? We’re thinking of diverse languages and letterforms (real or invented), new communication technologies, censorship, graffiti, collage, and urgent written/spoken messages. We will be creating a Tower of Babel in the center of the gallery, and welcome proposals for this structure in whole or part.
The second show will take place in June at Frog Hollow Vermont Craft Gallery on Church Street. This will be a great opportunity to get exposure for our group in the heart of Burlington.
*** Congratulations to Nina Gaby, 1st prize winner, and Marcia Vogler, 2nd prize winner in this year’s juried exhibit UNBOUND: VOL VII at the ArtisTree Gallery in South Pomfret, VT. The winning entries were chosen from over 300 submissions.
You can read about the exhibit in this review in Seven Days.
*** If you missed the visit to the Book Arts Workshop at Dartmouth College a few months ago, here’s your second chance. Debra Kraemer has kindly set up another visit for the BAG members for November 18, 2017. More details to come, but put the date in your calendar.
We will be visiting the Book Arts Workshop, the Preservation Studio, and the Special Collections department in the library.
*** B.A.G. member Elissa Campbell has two classes coming up at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT:
The Paste Paper Photo Album
Saturdays 9/23/17 & 9/30/17
12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
In this workshop, you will learn how to create an elegant hard-cover photo album using bookcloth and paste paper that you’ll make yourself! This is a wonderful keepsake that can hold 4″ x 6″ photos from your recent vacation or family holiday gathering. Different methods will be demonstrated to guide you as you create your own paste papers with vibrant colors. We’ll use methyl cellulose in a paste recipe that’s easy to recreate on your own.
Peek-a-Boo Journal
Saturday 10/28/17
12:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
In this workshop, participants will create a journal with a double-needle coptic binding, an intricate stitch that will be visible on the spine of the book. Not only is the coptic binding beautiful, but it also allows books to remain flat when opened. The book covers will include a cut-out window, which offers many opportunities for personalization – photos, pressed flowers, theater tickets – if it’s flat, you can use it.
To register, contact SPA via phone at (802) 479-7069 or email.
Book Arts News
*** On Sunday, September 10th, the Shelburne Museum will be screening Pressing On: A Letterpress Film.
The modern world was born on a printing press. Once essential to communication, the 500-year-old process is now in danger of being lost as its caretakers age. From self-proclaimed basement hoarders to the famed Hatch Show Print, Pressing On: The Letterpress Film explores the question: why has letterpress survived in a digital age?
The screening will take place from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. in the Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education Auditorium and will be followed by a printing demonstration.
The Shelburne Museum is located in Shelburne, VT.
*** Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord is holding an Open Studio event on September 16th 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.
Featured work will include Susan’s Spirit Books and her series Words for Our Time. Her studio is located at 311 High Street in Newburyport, MA.
For more information, please visit Susan’s website.
*** Clemente Orozco, director of Impronta Casa Editora, an independent book publisher and cultural venue in Guadalajara, Mexico, specializing in hand-printed books, will be giving a public lecture at Dartmouth College called Arts of the Book and Book Artists in Mexico: A Panoramic View.
Orozco, a Dartmouth graduate of the class of 1985, has had a long career as an artist. In addition to overseeing design and production at Impronta, Clemente illustrates many of the books and has many years of experience as a printer, book designer, and artist in both the United States and Mexico.
The lecture will take place in the Current Periodicals Room at Baker Library on Wednesday, October 18th from 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. with a reception to follow.
On October 20th, from 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., Clemente will be printing at the Book Arts Workshop (in Baker Library, right around the corner from the Orozco murals).
Dartmouth College is located in Hanover, NH.
*** On October 20, 2017, the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts will host Fresh Cuttings, a lecture with Béatrice Coron. The artist will discuss her exploration of storytelling in artist books, installations, and public art.
Coron’s cut designs are made of paper, glass or metal and range in size from small to monumental. Her work is held in collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and the Library of Congress.
The Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is located in Portland, Maine. The lecture will be held from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. in the University Events Room on the 7th floor of the Glickman Family Library.
For more information, please contact Rebecca Goodale at (207) 228-8014 or goodale@maine.edu.
Book Arts Classes
*** On September 16 & 17, the North Bennet Street School is offering Italian Paper Bindings with Bill Hanscom.
Explore the history and use of inexpensive paper-covered book structures beginning at the advent of the printed book in Europe and continuing through the industrial revolution of the nineteenth century. Participants will create four models of bindings commonly used in the Italian region including a plain wrapper, laminated case wrapper, basic long-stitch, and paper case.
Models will incorporate decorated and handmade papers, as well as historically-employed sewing techniques and end-sheet constructions. Structural variations and decoration will be examined through images and historical examples from the instructor’s collection.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
*** The North Bennet Street School is also offering Edge Decoration with Erin Fletcher from September 30 – October 1, 2017.
Explore a variety of ways to decorate the edges of a text block. Decorating an edge is more than just applying pigment, students learn how to properly trim and sand edges in addition to preparing pigments such as acrylic, gouache and powdered graphite. We will also explore striped edges, simple gilding and gauffering (tooled impressions).
For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
*** From October 1 -7, 2017, Snow Farm in Williamsburg, MA is offering Fiber Techniques for Book Artists with Natalie Stopka.
Add fiber arts techniques to bookmaking and bring a world of color, pattern, and texture to your work! Learn to prepare and fix natural dyes to fabric and paper for accessible, sustainable color. Use these fibers to create a bound book exploring the synergy of fiber arts, book arts, embroidery, and needle weaving. Bring materials to test in the dye pot or incorporate into your binding. All levels welcome.
For more information or to register, please visit Snow Farm’s website.
*** On Saturday, October 21st, the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is hosting a workshop with Béatrice Coron, Cutting Edges. The workshop will be held in the Multi-Purpose Room in the Wishcamper Center at the University of Southern Maine in Portland.
During this intensive class of serious fun, participants will discover the incredible variety of applications of this art form from fine arts to public art commissions. Through different exercises students will learn how to adapt reference images into papercuts and produce works as different as black and white scenes, color collage, pop-ups, wearables, and stencils.
Cutting different papers and experimenting with scale, we will keep an open mind to adapt them to other materials and explore new territories. Tips, tricks and resources will be provided. No experience necessary.
For more information, please contact Rebecca Goodale at (207) 228-8014 or goodale@maine.edu.
by Elissa | Aug 4, 2017 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, August 9, 2017, 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: Coptic Books Galore!
Although originally booked as Studio Support and Workshop Time, our August meeting has morphed into a Coptic book extravaganza!
Amy Burns will kick off the meeting by guiding us through the steps needed to finish the mini Coptic books we started during the June meeting.
Once complete, we will go over the process again and make another Coptic book. Jill Abilock will demonstrate an alternative method of attaching the covers and sewing the pages; you are welcome to try out the alternative or get more practice using the method Amy demonstrated in June. Either way, you will leave with sharpened skills and a mini-Coptic book or two!
Materials for Amy’s mini-Coptics will be available for people who were unable to attend the June meeting. In addition, Jill will bring book covers and pages from hard-cover books discarded by libraries that she has cut into the perfect size for making portable, collaged Coptic-bound art journals. Jill will also provide punching templates and thread for sewing the art journals.
Our Coptic extravaganza will conclude with a show and tell, so please bring in any Coptic books you’ve made that you’d like to share!
Please bring the following tools:
- Scissors (to trim your thread)
- Awl
- Old phone book, cutting mat or punching pad
- Bone folder
- Curved bookbinders or upholstery needles (two or four) (if you have them – if not, there will be needles available to borrow)
Request to more experienced members: Not everyone has specialized tools, like an awl, curved needles, or a bone folder. If you happen to have extra, it would be wonderful if you could bring them in to share with a neighbor who doesn’t. Thanks!
July Meeting Reflections
The opening reception of the B.A.G. exhibit, Correspondence: Bookworks at SEABA on Pine Street, was well attended by members, friends, and family. Hearing the artists talk about their work was fascinating, and gave the audience a chance to hear about the inspiration and challenges behind the works.
The exhibit came together so beautifully, with intriguing and lovely work that represents what a talented and faithful group of artists we belong to. Thank you all for participating, and thanks to SEABA for hosting.
You can view images from the opening and the exhibit on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** We were saddened to hear that the B.A.G. exhibit, Correspondence: Book Works, will have to close earlier than planned on August 7th due to conflicting show dates. If you have not yet seen the show at SEABA on Pine Street, please try to arrange to see it before then.
Gallery Hours:
- Monday – Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Saturday – Sunday: Closed
*** In April, a group of B.A.G. members traveled to Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH for a fun-filled day of book arts. We began with a tour of the letterpress studio with Sarah Smith, Book Arts Workshop Program Manager where we were shown some of their vast collection of type, presses and work by both Sarah and her students.
We then headed over to Rauner Special Collections Library where we met with Morgan Swan, Special Collections Education and Outreach Librarian who spoke with us about Dartmouth’s unique collection of handmade artists’ books including unique book structures, letterpress editions and sculptural gems.
We had time to peruse 30 artist books, ask questions about how Dartmouth chooses what to purchase, look up specific artists whose work we were interested in and enjoy handling & exploring all the books at our leisure.
Sarah Smith & Morgan Swan would be happy to have BAG members come again another time, perhaps this fall. We should set a date!
You can view images from the visit on the B.A.G. blog.
Book Arts News
*** ArtisTree Gallery‘s 7th annual juried exhibit, UNBOUND: VOL VII, is open now through August 26, 2017.
The broad theme of UNBOUND VOL. VII encompasses all of the possibilities of what we may think or may not think a “book” is. Is it story? An entry to another world? An exploration? What does it indicate? This juried show looks to explore this 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 send an email to gallery@artistreevt.org or visit the ArtisTree Gallery’s website.
*** On October 20, 2017, the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts will host Fresh Cuttings, a lecture with Béatrice Coron. The artist will discuss her exploration of storytelling in artist books, installations, and public art.
Coron’s cut designs are made of paper, glass or metal and range in size from small to monumental. Her work is held in collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and the Library of Congress.
The Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is located in Portland, Maine. The lecture will be held from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. in the University Events Room on the 7th floor of the Glickman Family Library.
For more information, please contact Rebecca Goodale at (207) 228-8014 or goodale@maine.edu.
Book Arts Classes
*** The Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, MA is offering Japanese Screen & Chinese Atlas Books with Annie Silverman on August 19 from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Make a Japanese screen book by hinging rigid elements together into a beautiful concertina form. Fill your screens with collage and painting projects. Next, fold paper pages into small packets with multiple surfaces to create your own Chinese atlas book. Work into small surfaces and packets with collage, paint and text manipulation, then open up your atlas to reveal a larger page.
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
*** On September 16 & 17, the North Bennet Street School is offering Italian Paper Bindings with Bill Hanscom.
Explore the history and use of inexpensive paper-covered book structures beginning at the advent of the printed book in Europe and continuing through the industrial revolution of the nineteenth century. Participants will create four models of bindings commonly used in the Italian region including a plain wrapper, laminated case wrapper, basic long-stitch, and paper case.
Models will incorporate decorated and handmade papers, as well as historically-employed sewing techniques and end-sheet constructions. Structural variations and decoration will be examined through images and historical examples from the instructor’s collection.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
*** From October 1 -7, 2017, Snow Farm in Williamsburg, MA is offering Fiber Techniques for Book Artists with Natalie Stopka.
Add fiber arts techniques to bookmaking and bring a world of color, pattern, and texture to your work! Learn to prepare and fix natural dyes to fabric and paper for accessible, sustainable color. Use these fibers to create a bound book exploring the synergy of fiber arts, book arts, embroidery, and needle weaving. Bring materials to test in the dye pot or incorporate into your binding. All levels welcome.
For more information or to register, please visit Snow Farm’s website.
*** On Saturday, October 21st, the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is hosting a workshop with Béatrice Coron, Cutting Edges. The workshop will be held in the Multi-Purpose Room in the Wishcamper Center at the University of Southern Maine in Portland.
During this intensive class of serious fun, participants will discover the incredible variety of applications of this art form from fine arts to public art commissions. Through different exercises students will learn how to adapt reference images into papercuts and produce works as different as black and white scenes, color collage, pop-ups, wearables, and stencils.
Cutting different papers and experimenting with scale, we will keep an open mind to adapt them to other materials and explore new territories. Tips, tricks and resources will be provided. No experience necessary.
For more information, please contact Rebecca Goodale at (207) 228-8014 or goodale@maine.edu.
