by Elissa | Sep 5, 2019 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, September 11, 2019, 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: Developing Your Personal Writing Style, Part 2 and Sharing Books from Postcard Swap
Our meeting will have two parts this month!
Bring in your postcard challenge book to share. Get ready to be amazed!
AND
Meta Strick and Penne Tompkins will continue our development of hand-written text on the page with an exploration of Capitals. These large single letters have many centuries of history. We will have lots of examples, and we will provide a step-by-step process for making your own fancy, dramatic initials, sometimes called versals.
For our members who have examples of Decorated Capitals that they wish to share, please bring them.
If you have been practicing your individual lettering style and would like to bring it, Penne and Meta will be happy to look at it, provide feedback, and offer enthusiastic appreciation.
Please bring the following:
- A few sheets of unlined paper
- A pencil
- Some colored markers.
- Optional: small set of pan watercolors, a brush, and a small water cup
August Meeting Reflections
Hand lettering experts Meta Strick and Penne Tompkins gave us a crash course in personalizing our own handwriting at the August meeting.
With tips and tricks, they allowed participants to feel more comfortable with their own hand lettering skills and encouraged everyone to use this new skill in art projects. But of course, the key to all of this is practice, practice, practice!
Even in the short meeting session, we saw how repetition can lead to expertise (or at least improvement).
It was a record turnout in August! Thanks to everyone who attended and participated, and a big thanks to Meta and Penne! We are looking forward to the continuation of the letter arts program in September.
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 once again participating in this year’s Burlington Book Festival on Saturday, September 28th at the Fletcher Free Library. This annual event celebrates the written word by offering readings, book signings, panels, demos, workshops, family activities, and special events.
We’ll be manning a table from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and during that time, we’ll be offering two mini workshops at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. We’re looking for volunteers to man the table for two-hour time slots – 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., and 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
We also have display space available for member work.
Please contact Marcia to volunteer and/or if you have any work to show.
*** Carolyn Shattuck has a retrospective show, Into My Space, open now through September 7th at Compass Music and Arts Center. The exhibit covers the 30+ years of her career as an artist. Work on display ranges from paintings to prints, collages to handmade books, and small to large works.
Compass Music and Arts Center is located at 333 Jones Drive in Brandon, VT.
*** Elissa Campbell recently participated in a group bookbinding project sponsored by Janine Vangool, publisher, editor and designer for Uppercase Magazine.
Vangool gave unbound copies of Ephemera, a volume in her Encyclopedia of Inspiration series, to sixteen bookbinders who had to create covers based on the contents.
Each book is unique in approach, incorporating different covering materials, bookbinding structures and ornamentation techniques. You can check out the bindings online.
Book Arts Classes
*** The North Bennet Street School in Boston is offering Secret Belgian Binding – Three Ways with Erin Fletcher on September 14 & 15. The Secret Belgian binding can be constructed quickly with few tools and virtually no equipment. It opens flat and works best with thinner text blocks.
This workshop explores the Secret Belgian structure and ways to modify it. On day one, students put together two variations of this non-adhesive structure: one with exposed stitches and one with hidden stitches. On day two, students explore modified versions of the Secret Belgian binding developed by book artist, Anne Goy by playing with the length of stitching and incorporating Tyvek.
For more information, please visit the NBSS website.
*** Also at the North Bennet Street School is Traditional Ethiopian Bookbinding, taught by Bill Hanscom on September 28 & 29. This two-day workshop will begin with a presentation detailing the traditional methods and materials of the Ethiopian scribe and bookbinder. Students will then construct two historical models.
The first will be a basic binding with bare wooden boards demonstrating the fundamentals of the unsupported link stitch, board attachment and repair, and the construction of a ləbas (a protective cloth over-cover). The second will be a full leather binding with inlays of patterned cloth and traditional endbands of interwoven leather strips.
Basic tooling techniques as well as common designs and motifs will be discussed and demonstrated. Students will be given the opportunity to decorate their bindings as time allows.
For more information, please visit the NBSS website.
*** On Sunday, September 22nd, The Eliot School of Fine & Applied Arts in Boston is offering Star Books with Cristina Hajosy.
A handmade star book can be presented as an artist’s book or as a hanging ornament. Excite viewers with the visual movement and performative qualities of this unusual book structure. Learn basic bookmaking techniques and experiment with hand-marbled papers, mixed media and collage scraps to customize your books.
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
by Elissa | Sep 5, 2018 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, September 12, 2018, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 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: Hardcover Basics with Ann Joppe-Mercure
Join us in September for a fun and informative hands-on foray into hard cover bindings. Ann Joppe-Mercure will share her simple and elegant methods for making hinged hardcover bindings with book cloth and paper.
We will make hard covers with soft spines for a small accordion book and a sewn signature book. Then we will practice making a covered hard spine cover to hold post-it-notes. All three items will be useful for future reference or as small handmade gifts.
Ann will provide the cardboard, glue, book pages and post-it-notes, along with extra papers and book cloth.
Please bring:
- Bone folder
- Awl
- Scissors
- Needle
- Sewing cord
- X-Acto knife
- Ruler
- Cutting mat
- Glue brush
- Glue stick
- Book cloth and any special papers (if you have them)
Note: If you have extra tools, it is always appreciated if you can bring them to share with others who would like to participate but may not have tools of their own. Thank you!
But wait, there’s more!
Elissa Campbell will once again be bringing in her advance copy of Hedi Kyle‘s much-anticipated book The Art of the Fold: How to Make Innovative Books and Paper Structures.
This book is not due to hit stores until October, so this is your chance to check it out before getting it for yourself.
August Meeting Reflections
The August meeting brought some new faces to our group, and we are always thankful for that. We had time for short introductions, and surprisingly, everyone seemed to have ‘paper’ in their statements. It’s reassuring to know we have like minded people surrounding us.
Jill Abilock was kind enough to offer personal tutoring for her version of the coptic binding, as well as kits for those of us who missed her previous instruction (June meeting). Thanks, Jill!
It is a reminder that there are endless variations to the structures we learn, and that experimentation can bring wonderful results. The studio support and workshop time format gave the participants an opportunity to chat about , well, paper, and also about current and future happenings for our group, notably the Burlington Book Festival and the Northampton Book and Book Arts Fair. Read about the opportunities to participate in the News Section.
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 October 12 – 14, 2018 at the UVM Alumni House Silver Pavilion. This annual event celebrates the written word by offering readings, book signings, panels, workshops, demos, family activities, and special events.
The Book Arts Guild has been enthusiastically invited to exhibit original works at the festival to introduce the community to book arts and increase awareness of our organization. We will have an exhibit during the evening opening ceremonies on Friday, October 12 as well as on Saturday, October 13 throughout the day. During the exhibit time, we have also committed to demonstrating various book structures (not hands-on workshops).
In addition to very generously providing the Book Arts Guild exhibit space free of charge, the Burlington Book Festival is also offering Book Arts Guild members the opportunity to sell original artists’ books and book-related work with no commission or fee.
Here are the opportunities for participation:
- Exhibit/Sell Artists’ Books:
You can submit new work or something you have previously exhibited. 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 12th Book Arts Guild meeting. If you cannot attend the meeting but would like to submit work, please email Jill Abilock by Monday, September 10th to make arrangements to get your work to her.
- Volunteer at the Book Arts Guild exhibit and/or help with set up and/or break down:
Book Arts Guild Exhibit volunteers at the at the 2016 Burlington Book Festival found the experience fun and rewarding. Opportunities at the upcoming festival include:
–> Friday evening set-up
–> Saturday morning set-up
–> Exhibit Volunteer (2 – 3 hour shift)
–> Saturday evening break down
Please email Jill if you would like to volunteer!
*** The Book Arts Guild of Vermont has once again reserved table space at the Northampton Book and Book Arts Fair in Northampton, MA. The Fair will take place Friday, November 30th from 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., and Saturday, December 1st from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Smith College.
This is an opportunity for the Book Arts Guild to spread the word about book arts, show and sell work, and meet other like minded book people. Last year, a group of members stayed at an Airbnb during the show and had a great time together.
If you are interested in participating by manning the table, helping to set up and break down, and/ or having work shown, please contact Marcia.
*** Elissa Campbell is teaching Find Closure, a leather journal class at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT on September 22, 2018.
Consider this workshop the equivalent of a Closure Dressy Bessy. First you’ll complete a soft cover, leather book using a variation of the long stitch binding. Then comes the fun part – you’ll experiment with a variety of ways to secure those books. You’ll explore ways to use buttons, leather straps, and metal hardware to create up to 5 closures per book (as time allows).
Bring your own embellishments (buttons, ribbons, etc.) that you’d like to use for closures – there will be time for discussion and problem-solving as a group.
Register online or contact Studio Place Arts at (802) 479-7069.
Book Arts News
*** On September 7th from 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., the Free First Friday at the Shelburne Museum brings you an opportunity to see Crystal Cawley‘s marvelous work in the Hat and Fragrance building (there are some cool samplers too) for free!
And as a bonus, she will have an artist talk at 6:00 p.m. for you to learn about her innovative multimedia creations after which you can join the artist to view her work. The talk is at the Pizzagalli Center.
Pre-registration is not required, but is appreciated.
*** Now through October 8th you can view BOOKS: MATTER and MAGIC at the gallery at GreenTARA Space. The show is about books, their making, and the spirit behind them.
Genese Grill‘s painted work Almandal Grimoire: The Book as Magical Object is a large-scale set of written and drawn on wood panels, while Diane Gayer‘s Of Earth and Being is a book of photographs at the intersection of man and nature and was printed on the Heidelberg Press at Villanti Printers, Milton, VT. While very different in production and finished entity, both books speak to the magical realms of existence.
GreenTARA Space is located at 3275 US Route 2 in North Hero, VT, in the center of the Village. For more information, please call (802) 355-2150.
*** On Friday October 12th at 4:00 p.m., the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts will host Building A Sustainable Visual Art Practice, a lecture with Andrea Dezsö.
Andrea Dezsö is a visual artist who works across a broad range of media including drawing, painting, artist’s books, embroidery, cut paper, animation, sculpture, site-specific installation and public art. Dezsö’s permanent public art has been installed in two New York City subway stations, at the United States Embassy in Bucharest, Romania and at CUNY BMCC Fiterman Hall in Lower Manhattan. Community Garden, Dezsö’s mosaic in the New York City subway was recognized as Best American Public Art in 2007 by Americans for the Arts.
Dezsö exhibits in museums and galleries around the world. She is Associate Professor of Art at Hampshire College in Amherst, MA and maintains studios in NYC and in Western Massachusetts.
The Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is located in Portland, Maine. The lecture will be held 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 29 & 30, the North Bennet Street School is offering Medieval Long and Link Stitch Bindings with Bill Hanscom.
Long-and link-stitches connect the text block directly to the limp parchment cover and can be used individually or in combination to create striking exposed-sewing patterns on the spine.
After examining models and images of historical bindings, participants choose from a number of templates and create two structures using traditional techniques and features such as fore-edge flaps and string-and-button closures.
Bookbinding 101 or equivalent experience is a prerequisite.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
*** On Saturday, October 13, 2018, the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is hosting a Tunnel Book workshop with Andrea Dezsö. The workshop will be held in room 424 in Luther Bonney Hall at the University of Southern Maine in Portland.
When popped open tunnel books reveal miniature, multi-layered worlds viewers can peek into as into dioramas. Structurally, tunnel books belong in the same family as carousel books and toy theaters and were extremely popular during the Victorian era. In this class students will create a fully developed one-of-a-kind artists book of their own design, based on a four-layer, hand-cut and assembled single scene tunnel book developed by Dezsö using either a subtractive (paper cutting), an additive (collage) method or a mix of the two;
Students will learn to rapid prototype by first creating a tunnel book model to understand the form, followed by creating their fully developed books. Students will be encouraged to consider composition, layering, materials and to treat form and content as an interdependent whole as they create their one-of-a-kind tunnel books. All levels welcome.
Register online or call (207) 780-5900.
*** The Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, MA has two book arts classes coming up this fall. Here’s the scoop:
Paper Marbling with Cristina Hajosy will take place on Sunday, September 16th from 9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Create beautiful swirls and mottling colors on paper with several forms of marbling. Learn Turkish- style marbling on water thickened with carrageenan (Irish moss). Experiment with a range of materials, colors and papers to create lovely, unique designs.
Marbled paper is striking when used as book end papers, portfolio covers, and more. Beginner to advanced students welcome.
Wild Journals with Susan Porter will take place from October 4 – November 8. Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Create colorful, textured art journal pages, using paint, printmaking techniques, stamping, stenciling and collage. Transform your pages into intricate, multilayered surfaces. Add dimensions by cutting and folding. Add extensions, pop-outs, windows and pockets. Make each page a one-of-a-kind canvas for words, drawings, images and photographs. Bring a blank journal; all other materials will be provided.
For more information about the classes, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
by Elissa | Aug 4, 2018 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, August 8, 2018, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 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…Upcycled Coptic-Bound Artist Journal Continued
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 is 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.
In June, Jill Abilock led us in creating Coptic-bound artists journals from upcycled library books and shared an alternative method for attaching covers to Coptic-bound books. During this studio support session, Jill will be on hand to guide us through the the steps needed to finish the Coptic-bound journals we started during the June meeting. Please be sure to bring the materials (text pages, covers, template and thread) that Jill provided in June. If you were unable to attend the June meeting, Jill has a few extra kits available, and can share the basics of her unique cover attachment method as time permits.
To work on the Coptic journals, please bring the following tools:
- Scissors (to trim your thread)
- Awl, pin vise or needle tool
- Old phone book, cutting mat or punching pad
- Bone folder
- Curved bookbinders or upholstery needles (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!
But wait, there’s more!
In addition to the planned Coptic fun, Elissa Campbell will also be bringing in her advance copy of Hedi Kyle‘s much-anticipated book The Art of the Fold: How to Make Innovative Books and Paper Structures.
This book is not due to hit stores until October, so this is your chance to check it out before getting it for yourself.
July Meeting Reflections
OH wow. I am reflecting all of the awesomeness that our group has produced! It’s so bright, like a huge full moon in the summer sky.
The meeting was filled with positive energy, fueled by the talented artists who shared their work from our two shows. It’s so inspiring to find out the story behind each piece, the skill required, and the thought process each artist takes to create their art and to express their ideas.
Thank you, all you talented people, for sharing your intent, work habits, quirkiness, etc. We look forward to next year’s show! And in the meantime, it is always welcome at our meetings to show something you’re working on, to ask questions, get feedback, or simply bask in the admiration of others. That’s what we’re here for.
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 October 12 – 14, 2018 at the UVM Alumni House Silver Pavilion. This annual event celebrates the written word by offering readings, book signings, panels, workshops, demos, family activities, and special events.
The Book Arts Guild has been enthusiastically invited to exhibit original works at the festival to introduce the community to book arts and increase awareness of our organization. We will have an exhibit during the evening opening ceremonies on Friday, October 12 as well as on Saturday, October 13 throughout the day. During the exhibit time, we have also committed to demonstrating various book structures (not hands-on workshops).
In addition to very generously providing the Book Arts Guild exhibit space free of charge, the Burlington Book Festival is also offering Book Arts Guild members the opportunity to sell original artists’ books and book-related work with no commission or fee.
Here are the opportunities for participation:
- Exhibit/Sell Artists’ Books:
You can submit new work or something you have previously exhibited. 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 12th Book Arts Guild meeting. If you cannot attend the meeting but would like to submit work, please email Jill Abilock by Monday, September 10th to make arrangements to get your work to her.
- Volunteer at the Book Arts Guild exhibit and/or help with set up and/or break down:
Book Arts Guild Exhibit volunteers at the at the 2016 Burlington Book Festival found the experience fun and rewarding. Opportunities at the upcoming festival include:
–> Friday evening set-up
–> Saturday morning set-up
–> Exhibit Volunteer (2 – 3 hour shift)
–> Saturday evening break down
Please email Jill if you would like to volunteer!
*** Other Alphabets: Dimensional Memoir is BAG member Nina Gaby’s solo show opening on September 7th in the Rebecca Lawrence Gallery at the AVA Gallery and Art Center. Gaby currently works in mixed-media, focusing on single edition artist books which explore the intersection of narrative and object.
The show runs through October 3rd and offers a two-day workshop in conjucntion with the show where participants will concieve and construct their own dimensional memoir in words and clay.
The AVA Gallery and Art Center is located at 11 Bank Street in Lebanon, NH.
For more information visit AVA’s website.
*** B.A.G. member Elissa Campbell was recently accepted to teach at the 2019 Focus on Book Arts conference in Forest Grove, OR. The conference is held very other year and offers workshops taught by the very best in the fields of bookbinding, printing, decorating papers, paper making, books design and publishing.
In addition, she was also accepted to teach in the summer of 2019 at the Morgan Conservatory in Cleveland, OH. The Morgan Conservatory is the largest arts center in the United States dedicated to every facet of papermaking, book arts and letterpress printing and to cultivating the talents of established and emerging artists.
*** Chelsea Linder over at the Artists’ Mediums Art Shop wanted us to pass along that as a framer, she (obviously) cuts archival matboard. If you’ve got small projects or things that don’t require heavy bookboard, you can get archival 4 ply mat pieces for super cheap. Chelsea mentioned that she’s got many small pieces (5×7’s @ 5¢ and 8×10’s @ 10¢ each).
The Artists’ Mediums Art Shop is located at 286a Old Route 15 in Cambridge, VT.
Book Arts News
*** The New England Chapter of The Guild of Book Workers is hosting a gilding demonstration on Thursday, August 9th from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Dust off your tools and break out your gold. Recent North Bennet Street School graduate Jon Simeon presents an informal summer weeknight gilding demo at the Washington Street Art Center. Come see what he’s working on and get an up close tutorial on French gilding techniques. An onlay tutorial may follow if there’s time.
Admission is $10.00 per person at the door. Please note that this is a demonstration only event.
The Washington Street Art Center is located at 321 Washington Street in Somerville, MA. For more information please call (617) 623-5315.
*** ArtisTree Gallery‘s 8th annual juried exhibit, UNBOUND: VOL VIII is open now through August 25, 2018.
The broad theme of UNBOUND: VOL VIII 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.
Big congratulations to B.A.G. members Marcia Vogler, Dorsey Hogg, Nina Gaby, and Debra Kraemer for having their work juried into the exhibit!
For more information, please send an email to gallery@artistreevt.org or visit the ArtisTree Gallery’s website.
*** The New England Chapter of The Guild of Book Workers will hold its annual meeting at Dartmouth College on August 10 – 11. On Friday evening, there will be a tour of the Rauner Special Collections Library followed by a reception with light refreshments. On Saturday, participants are invited to attend two half-day workshops with Bill Hanscom and Sarah Smith. The annual meeting will take place during lunch.
Here’s the scoop on the workshops:
Freestyle Composition with Sarah Smith
In this visit to the Book Arts Workshop at Dartmouth College we’ll make letterpress printed posters/decorative paper. One of our Vandercook presses will be set up with a large wood type word cloud and another Vandercook will be set up with a smattering of relief images from our eclectic collection. We’ll get creative with the layering of prints between the presses and you’ll go home with a bunch of fun papers to work with on your books (or to hang on the wall)!
Blizzard Books with Bill Hanscom
Learn to make three variations of Hedi Kyle’s Blizzard Book: The Blizzard Book, Blizzard Pocket, and Blizzard Boxes. Participants will use a variety of utilitarian and decorative papers to fold up wonderful structures that are part book, part container with lots of potential for artistic experimentation and decorative embellishment. You will also have the opportunity to use rubber stamps and stencils to add some color and excitement to your origami creations.
The workshops are limited to 20 participants, but all members are welcome to attend the annual meeting on August 11th. Please register for lunch if you plan to only attend the meeting. To register, please click here.
For more information, please visit the NEGBW website.
*** From June 11 – October 1, 2018, the John J. Burns Library at Boston College is hosting the exhibit Dreams of Art & Glory: Book Arts by the Roycrofters.
Roycroft, a reformist community of craftspeople and artists, was created by Elbert Hubbard in 1895, in the village of East Aurora, NY. The artisans who worked there were known as Roycrofters. When Hubbard was unable to find a publisher for his book Little Journeys, he set up a private press to print the book himself, founding Roycroft Press.
His championing of the Arts and Crafts philosophy of work attracted many craftspeople to East Aurora, and he formed a community of printers, furniture makers, metalsmiths, leathersmiths, and bookbinders.
The exhibition focuses on the printing and bookbindings executed by the Roycrofters, and includes an array spanning the modest *Little Journeys* pamphlet series, to beautifully printed and hand-decorated text-blocks, as well as books bound in stunning modelled leather bindings.
The John J. Burns Library is located at 140 Commonwealth Avenue in Chestnut Hill, MA.
Book Arts Classes
*** Sunset Lodge Workshops is hosting Hand Bookbinding with Juliayn Coleman from September 2 – 8. Sunset Lodge is located on Lake Damariscotta, ME.
In this hands-on bookbinding workshop, you will make one simple nonadhesive book each day. The structures will range from the earliest binding styles to contemporary, and they are geared towards beginner through intermediate skill level.
In addition to the binding, you will explore at least three different ways to decorate paper for the covers of your books: paste paper, suminagashi, and plant printing. The goal is to create a harmonious set of beautiful books, learn simple structures that you can take home and repeat on your own, and let your creative mind explore the medium of bookbinding.
Workshop space is limited to 12 Hand Bookbinding students. A list of bookbinding tools and what to bring will be sent upon registration.
For more information and to register, please contact Noah Kahn by email or call (510) 427-0297.
*** The Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, MA has two book arts classes coming up this fall. Here’s the scoop:
Paper Marbling with Cristina Hajosy will take place on Sunday, September 16th from 9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Create beautiful swirls and mottling colors on paper with several forms of marbling. Learn Turkish- style marbling on water thickened with carrageenan (Irish moss). Experiment with a range of materials, colors and papers to create lovely, unique designs.
Marbled paper is striking when used as book end papers, portfolio covers, and more. Beginner to advanced students welcome.
Wild Journals with Susan Porter will take place from October 4 – November 8. Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Create colorful, textured art journal pages, using paint, printmaking techniques, stamping, stenciling and collage. Transform your pages into intricate, multilayered surfaces. Add dimensions by cutting and folding. Add extensions, pop-outs, windows and pockets. Make each page a one-of-a-kind canvas for words, drawings, images and photographs. Bring a blank journal; all other materials will be provided.
For more information about the classes, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
by Elissa | May 4, 2018 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 9, 2018, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 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: Exhibiting, Pricing and Photographing Your Work – You Are Worth It! with Marcia Volger
Exhibiting, pricing, and photographing your workIn anticipation of our upcoming shows, several B.A.G. members have raised the following questions:
- How do I price my work?
- How do I know if it’s good enough to exhibit?
- How should I photograph my work?
At May’s meeting, B.A.G. Exhibit Chair Marcia Vogler will share basic strategies she has developed for pricing her own work and will lead a discussion on the topic. She’ll also share tips for photographing your work.
In her own words:
I hear groans when people talk about pricing their work for a show. Why? It’s so simple! Let’s review the basic strategy, then get into the nitty gritty of the artist’s age old question: Is my work good enough? We will find the answer: You are worth it.
In addition, let’s discuss presenting your work through photographs. Many shows require photos for submissions, or for publicity. We’ll review some basic considerations and make a checklist for success.
If there is time after the discussion, we will shift into hands-on bookmaking mode. Bring one of the tunnel book model templates from the last meeting to work on, bring a project you are currently working on, or bring something you’ve been hoping to get creative collaboration on, and create in warm and convivial company!
Things to bring:
- A tunnel book model or project to work on
- Personal supplies and tools
April Meeting Reflections
Oh wow. So. Many. Ideas.
Members and friends really came through with exciting structures and innovative ways to execute them. While some of us shared work in progress, plenty of us shared models and instructions of different forms of tunnel books.
The meeting couldn’t have gone any faster; there was so much to see and learn. We even had a husband and wife team who showed how collaboration between the engineer and the artist can be transformative.
Thank you all for your participation, encouragement, and inspiration. And welcome and happy birthday to our new members!
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** Book Arts Guild of Vermont 2018 exhibits opening within the next month!
Your work never fails to amaze and impress us and we’re looking forward to seeing what new pieces you’ve cooked up.
Entry forms are available online for both of the exhibits (see below for details). Feel free to bring your work to the May B.A.G. meeting to avoid having to put it into the mail.
Here’s the scoop on the exhibits to refresh your memory:
Beyond Words: Artworks by the Book Arts Guild of Vermont will be held at Studio Place Arts in Barre from May 22 – June 30, where we will be exhibiting in the second floor gallery. Here’s the description for the exhibit:
Books can take on a language of their own, as shown in the multimedia work of this group of artists that use shape, structure, and materials to get their message across.
Important dates:
- Entry deadline:May 9, 2018. Click here to download the entry form.
- Opening: May 22, 2018
- Opening Reception: Thursday, May 24, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
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Closing: June 30, 2018
The Art of the Book will be held at Frog Hollow Craft Gallery on Church Street from June 1 – June 30. This will be a great opportunity to get exposure for our group in the heart of Burlington. Since the theme of the show is wide open to interpretation, you are free to submit the work of your choice.
Important dates:
- Entry deadline: May 22, 2018. Click here to download the entry form.
- Opening: June 1, 2018, 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
- Closing: June 30, 2018
We’re looking forward to seeing your submissions!
*** On May 26 & 27 (Memorial Day Weekend), the statewide Open Studio Weekend is offering a wonderful selection of book and paper arts studios for you to visit.
If you’re up for a tour, you can find members of your tribe in the following locations:
Copies of the the 2018 Spring Event & Resource Guide will be available at the May B.A.G. meeting.
Elissa created a Google Map with all of the locations to help you with your tour. Maps and directions to studios will be available on the VT Crafts Council website in the next week or so.
Book Arts News
*** ArtisTree Gallery is accepting submissions for their 8th annual juried exhibit, UNBOUND: VOL VIII. The theme of the show is simple – an exploration of what a book can be…art using books as a material or a format. The exhibit will be presented in conjunction with the Bookstock Literary Festival in Woodstock, VT.
This call for submissions is open to all 2D, 3D, installation, assemblage, film and video artists who are working in New England or New York who are 18 years of age or older. All artwork must be original in concept, design and execution. Note: Reproductions, if used as mixed media, will be considered.
The deadline for submission is June 29, 2018. All submissions must be made through their online entry form.
For more information, please read the online exhibit prospectus.
You can also contact Gallery Director Adrian Tans at gallery@artistreevt.org.
*** Artist Guylaine Couture is curating an exhibition and sale of Papertoys from October 27 to December 1st, 2018 at Arprim, centre d’essai en art imprimé in Montreal.
Papertoys are paper objects (or, as their name suggests, toys), often related to urban culture. They may represent diverse things such as characters, plants or modern artworks. They are often useless, but generate an emotional response that triggers the need to collect them.
Creating a Papertoy design is a great challenge for an artist. This type of creation is usually popular and widely circulated, as people enjoy the manual labour at the heart of assembling a Papertoy. The techniques used to create the toys include, without restrictions, laser or ink printing, silkscreen, risograph printing, etc. All pieces to be cut, folded and assembled, as well as the instructions, are printed on a few sheets of paper.
The proposal deadline is June 16th. Criteria for selection include creativity, originality and design, allowing an easy manipulation and assembly.
Requirements for submission:
- All parts of the Papertoy must be printed on paper, cardboard or any other material of 8.5″ x 11″ and be easy to cut, fold and assemble.
- Plan pages must include assembly instructions.
- The assembled Papertoy must not be bigger than 20 x 20 x 20 cm.
- Sale prices for the works must be under $100.00. Artists will receive 60% of the profits from sales.
The registration form is available online. Once completed, please send your proposal to Guylaine Couture at gycouture@gmail.com.
*** Editions Studio in Seattle recently hosted its first Business of Book Arts webinar focusing defining your product, your target market, and your style.
You can access the webinar on YouTube. The next webinar in this quarterly series will air in July.
Editions Studio is also the facilitator of the Are You Book Enough challenge on Instagram.
Book Arts Classes
*** Maine Media Workshops + College is offering Pop-Ups for Miniature Books with Shawn Sheehy from August 12 to 18, 2018.
By definition, a miniature book cannot be more than three inches in length, width, or depth. Working within this small format, students will learn how to bring drama and excitement to their pop-up book by inserting impossibly large images into a small package. Students will use cardstock and simple hand tools to build and bind, using a pop-up specific technique, a variety of structures that move above, beyond, and behind the page. Students will have time to experiment with their own ideas and recieve engineering advice from the instructor.
No experience is necessary, but previous experience in fiber arts and/or paper craft will speed your progress. This content readily accommodates beginners and advanced makers alike. You will leave the class with a completed popup book and a good understanding of the basics of popup engineering. Once you’ve tackled the skills in small format, you’ll be able to scale up for future projects!
For more information or to register, please visit the Maine Media website.
*** From June 11 – 15, the North Bennet Street School is offering Miniature Bookbindings with James Reid-Cunningham.
Miniature books present difficult design and structural challenges to the bookbinder. A true miniature is less than three inches tall, and during this course, the student will construct three books of diminishing size: a long stitch binding with decorated boards, a lapped component binding, and an accordion in a wrapper with a tongue and slot enclosure.
The course will contrast the utility of case binding, accordion, and non-adhesive structures for miniature books, with a concentration on flexibility and book action. We will analyze materials and techniques suitable for small format books. The limitations inherent in small-scale books will challenge students to do precisely executed and finely detailed work.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
*** The North Bennet Street School is also offering Traditional Ethiopian Bookbinding with Bill Hanscom on June 16 & 17. This two-day workshop will begin with a presentation detailing the traditional methods and materials of the Ethiopian scribe and bookbinder. Students will then construct two historical models.
The first model will be a basic binding with bare wooden boards demonstrating the fundamentals of the unsupported link stitch, board attachment and repair, and the construction of a l?bas (a protective cloth over-cover). The second will be a full leather binding with inlays of patterned cloth and traditional endbands of interwoven leather strips.
Basic tooling techniques as well as common designs and motifs will be discussed and demonstrated. Students will be given the opportunity to decorate their bindings as time allows.
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.
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