by Elissa | Jul 6, 2018 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, July 11, 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: Gallery Talk meets Show and Tell – Prepare to be Inspired!
Pats on the back and hugs all around – the Book Arts Guild just concluded two amazing exhibitions of members’ work. Both shows (at Studio Place Arts in Barre and at Frog Hollow Craft Gallery in Burlington) feature pieces that intrigued and delighted viewers.
Please join us in July as we explore together the wonderful pieces that appeared in both shows. Contributing artists are invited to talk about the pieces that were displayed, sharing their inspirations, their aspirations and their processes.
Expect to take home new ideas and an invigorated appreciation of the creative process.
Things to bring:
- Curiosity
- A sense of adventure!
June Meeting Reflections
In June, Jill Abilock took us on a two-hour hands-on adventure into the world of Coptic bindings, a stitch dating back to the 2nd century AD.
She guided us through the steps of a method that is her own personal twist on both the binding and cover attachment: her method requires punching fewer holes in the cover, has no thread lines on the inside of the cover that might mar the first or last pages of the book, and delightfully incorporates embellishments as an intrinsic part of the binding.
Jill brought in samples of her own work, which were both elegant and inventive, incorporating unusual materials like wire, fancy paper clips and beads. She provided upcycled materials cut to size from discarded library books for everyone to use to create their own mini artist journal, and templates to take home should they want to make another one.
Thanks to everyone who came to the meeting and even more to Jill for sharing her talents!
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** We’re so sad that both B.A.G. exhibits are over now, but we can always dream about next year!
All pieces that were shown in both the Frog Hollow and SPA exhibits will be at the July meeting for pickup…unless you sold them, in which case – good for you!
* If you are unable to pick up your work at the meeting, please contact Marcia to make alternative arrangements.
For those of you who missed our exhibits, don’t worry! You can view images of all of the pieces in both the SPA exhibit and the Frog Hollow exhibit on the B.A.G. blog.
Book Arts News
*** ArtisTree Gallery‘s 8th annual juried exhibit, UNBOUND: VOL VIII, will open on July 27th and run through August 25, 2018. This exhibit is opening in conjunction with the kick off of the 10th annual Bookstock Literary Festival in Woodstock, VT.
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.
An opening reception will be held on Friday July 27th, from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
For more information, please send an email to gallery@artistreevt.org or visit the ArtisTree Gallery’s website.
*** Now through July 22nd, Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord has fourteen of her Spirit Books on exhibition in the Hunnewell Building Visitors center at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.
The Spirit Books connect my experience of the inherent spirituality and mystery of nature with the long-standing tradition of books as testaments of faith and belief. I gather twigs, branches, vines, and roots and use them to cradle stitched wordless books made of handmade papers from around the world.
The Arnold Arboretum is located at 125 Arborway in Boston, MA (Google map). For more information, please visit The Harvard Gazette’s 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.
*** Now through October 31st, artist Crystal Cawley has work on display in the Hat and Fragrance Textile Gallery at the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, VT.
Cawley merges materials and ideas ranging from collections of old greeting cards and puzzle pieces to discarded library books and worn household textiles, drawing our attention to objects that might otherwise be overlooked. Visitors will encounter more than two dozen works combining the artist’s interests in the form and history of clothing and the possibilities of paper and fabric sculpture with traditional handiwork like embroidery, spinning, and letterpress printing.
For more information, please visit the Shelburne Museum’s website.
Book Arts Classes
*** The second annual Artist Book Intensive will be held at 26 Split Rock Cove in South Thomaston, ME from August 3 – 5, 2018. The event is sponsored by Midcoast Book Arts.
What is an Artist Book? Do artist books require words? Or images? What about structure as a part of the content? Yes, yes, and yes. Because artists’ books are works of art that use the form of the book. They may be published in small editions, though they are often produced as one-of-a-kind objects. And their subject matter is as varied as any other art form.
Three book making structures and two decorative techniques for book covers and/or content in your books will be taught. All materials will be provided, along with a notebook containing the instructional information covered in the workshops and additional resources.
For more information, please visit the Artist Book Intensive website.
*** 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.
*** The Women’s Studio Workshop is currently running its Summer Art Institute with workshops focusing on printmaking, papermaking, and book arts. They offer you time to focus on your work, become energized and inspired, learn new skills, and meet a new community of like-minded artists.
Here’s a sampling of what’s coming up:
Unfolding Practice with Arzu Mistry will take place from August 6 – August 10. This workshop is based on the artist book Unfolding Practice: Reflections on Learning and Teaching, created by Arzu Mistry and Todd Elkin.
This workshop is for artists from a variety of disciplines, who are interested in sharing and developing processes of reflective practice, and to take a deep dive together into methods of using accordion books as sites for multi-disciplinary reflection, inquiry and art practice. Using a range of book forms and screen-printing techniques, you will document, reflect, plan, and think expansively about your practice as artists.
We’ve Got the Blues: Indigo Dyeing for Paper & Cloth with Mary Hark will take place from August 20 – August 24.
Participants will be immersed in studio production, making use of this powerful and historic color on handmade paper and a variety of textiles. Experienced dyers are encouraged to bring works-in-progress and ideas for new projects. Beginners will be introduced to the process of papermaking with fibers that are appropriate for this immersion dye process – such as Asian fibers, flax, abaca, and linen cloth – as well as shibori resist dye techniques.
Each participant will be supported and encouraged as they use these processes and materials to expand their creative practice with the breadth of possibility offered by the indigo vat. Studio work will be complemented by discussion of the historic and contemporary use of indigo; informal critiques of works-in-progress; and technical information for papermaking and dyeing in home studios and classrooms.
Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of what this color can mean, a portfolio of beautiful samples of indigo blue on cloth and handmade paper, completed work, and the information necessary to continue on this path.
For more information about the workshops or to register, please visit the Women’s Studio Workshop website.
by Elissa | Apr 2, 2015 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, April 8, 2015, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Please note that this month’s meeting will be held at the SEABA Center Gallery at 404 Pine Street in Burlington. Click here to get directions using Google Maps.
Program: Book Works Exhibit and Artists’ Talk
The Book Arts Guild of Vermont‘s annual member exhibit, Book Works, is now on display during the month of April. Please join us at the SEABA Center Gallery to view the incredible work and hear the artists’ inspiration and methods.
If you have a piece or pieces in the show, we would love to have you share a brief commentary about your work. The show looks fantastic, and we have already received rave reviews from those who have previewed it.
See you at the opening on Friday, and then again for the meeting on Wednesday!
March Meeting Reflections
Our March meeting was full of inspiration, creativity and comradeship. Marcia Vogler presented a very personal journey she has taken as an artist and a friend with her Postcard a Day commitment. She created a post card every day to send to a friend challenged by cancer. Her process of creating a collage to delight her friend and writing a short note enriched the her life and the life of her friend. Marcia shared her collection of postcards now returned to the artist. We were all inspired and filled with a sense of the power of art to connect and express caring.
For the workshop we all created individual postcard using special papers and magazine pages. Marcia demonstrated and talked us through her process so we all felt confident enough to start. The challenge set forth by Marcia was to not only make a post card but to send it. As Marcia said, “who doesn’t like receiving mail?”
Thank you Marcia for sharing your artistic and spiritual journey.
Look for Marcia’s Postcards at our Book Works exhibit.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** Announcing our Spring Show! Book Works, book-related works by the Book Arts Guild of Vermont
The Spring 2015 exhibit from the Book Arts Guild of Vermont is entitled Book Works, and includes work from members and friends interested in the structure and format of books. The artists redefine the normal concept of the book, using various mediums and techniques to construct or reconstruct pieces that tell a story, and can be ‘read’ in some way by the viewer. A group of books altered by folding and manipulating pages represents the outcome of the guild’s monthly meeting program where members share skills and encourage creative work. Other works represent the broad definition of the book as explored by painters, textile artists, and paper lovers.
The exhibit will take place at the SEABA Center Gallery at 404 Pine Street in Burlington during the month of April. The opening will be on First Friday Art Walk, April 3rd, and we will have a gallery talk on April 8th that will serve as our April meeting. We are thrilled to have a South End location for the show, and excited to have the opportunity to increase awareness of the book arts.
Help us get the word out! Click here to download the postcard as a jpeg file. Click here to download the postcard as a pdf file.
*** The Book Arts Guild of Vermont‘s show at SEABA is highlighted in the April edition of ART MAP BURLINGTON, a guide to art happenings in Burlington. Look for the dramatic black and white photo of Marcia Vogler’s altered book.
Book Arts News
*** The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers is looking for volunteers for a Girl Scout Book Artist event on April 12th at Camp Rice Moody Lodge, 29 Rice Rd Reading, MA. This program will run from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
They will be partnering with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Mass. and the program is for Cadette scouts (age 11-14) to earn a Book Artist badge.
There will be an introduction and then five stations that the girls will rotate through which may include printing, accordion folds, a pamphlet, origami book, a scroll, decorating paper or a collaborative book, depending on the interests of the volunteers. Each rotation will last for about 30 minutes. If you have a book arts technique or project that you’d like to see done with the girl scouts please make some suggestions.
You do not need to be a member of the NEGBW to volunteer. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Todd Pattison at bookandtile@att.net.
*** The annual Book Arts Bazaar will be held on Sunday, April 12th from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the Wishcamper Center on the University of Southern Maine’s Portland Campus. This festival with book artists, papermakers, bookbinders, printmakers, educators, and writers is dedicated to all things related to the book.
The event is sponsored by USM’s Kate Cheney Chappell ’83 Center for Book Arts.
*** Bookstock is looking for book artist vendors for their literary festival during July 24 – 26. Last year’s vendors were made up primarily of authors and publishers but they’re interested in adding more book artists this year. The festival is held in Woodstock, VT.
For more information, please contact Mitzi Wilson at Mitziw@hotmail.com or (802) 356-9957.
Book Arts Classes
*** From January 26 – 31, 2016, Daniel Essig will be teaching Wooden Books – Greek & Centipede Binding at the North Country Studio Workshops in Bennington, VT.
Easily master the centipede stitch by first understanding the structure and workings of this ornate 7th century Greek binding. Using simple hand tools to begin, we will drill, shape, and smooth our wooden book covers. Sealing the covers with milk paint will create a leathery appearance. We will adorn our books with the centipede stitch using two different colors of thread. This elegant sewing structure, combined with wooden covers, opens a wide range of possibilities for both the beginner and the advanced bookbinder.
Applications are now available and the review process begins June 1st. For more information or if you have any questions, please visit the NCSW website.
*** On May 9 & 10, 2015, Regina and Dan St. John of Chena River Marblers are teaching Boxes for Every Season and Occasion at Snow Farm in Williamsburg, MA.
Using simple tools and purchased or recycled cardboard, paper, and cloth, students will learn how to design, then make and decorate boxes and containers of all shapes and sizes. Learn about folding, scoring, creasing, and cutting, along with powerful templates, jigs, and approaches to accurate measurement without rulers. Cover the surfaces of the containers with various decorative materials and produce a unique 3-D work of art.
For more information or to register, please visit the Snow Farm website.
*** On April 25, 2015, the North Bennet Street School is offering a Secret Belgian Binding workshop with Erin Fletcher in Boston.
Students construct two variations of a non-adhesive structure known as a secret Belgian binding. This structure is simple and quick to construct. It opens flat and is perfect for blank journals, poetry or short stories.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
by Elissa | Mar 5, 2015 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, March 11, 2015, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
We meet at the Unitarian Universalist Society Church located at 152 Pearl Street in Burlington, VT. We will be in the Sophia Fahs Community Room, a large room located in the basement. Click here for more information on directions/parking.
Program: Collage Inspiration: Postcard-a-Day with Marcia Vogler
Join us in March for a creative, hands-on session with Marcia Vogler, who will share her techniques and inspiration for Postcard a Day – a daily practice of collage and written word that has helped her stay in touch with both herself and ailing friends.
Using painted papers, magazine tears, used calendar pages, or simply paper scraps, we will create simple collages – abstract or representational – that can be made quickly into mail art to be shared with others. Marcia has sent an original postcard to friends receiving chemotherapy and/ or radiation treatments almost every day since August 2011. She continues because it has become an important part of her day. Examples of her work can be found here and here.
Come for a fun, creative evening, and leave with art that will make someone else’s day special!
Please bring:
- Glue stick
- X-Acto knife
- Scissors
- Cutting mat
- Collage materials you would like to work with
- Markers, colored pencils, etc.
- Paints, inks, and rubber stamps and anything else you would like to use to embellish your card(s)
February Meeting Reflections
The cold and snowy winter weather did not deter our hardy group from coming out for the February meeting. We started with some sharing time, allowing participants to get to know each other and express their intention for the meeting. We then moved on to creative time, where people pulled out projects and ideas, and worked happily in each others’ company.
Whether we actually got something done, or just enjoyed the spirit of the meeting, the time passed quickly. New relationships were formed, and new projects formulated. Look for more information on an upcoming collaborative project!
Studio Support and Workshop Time is a new format for our meeting, and we would be interested to know what comments you may have.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** Call for Entries: Book Works, book-related works by the Book Arts Guild of Vermont!
Entries are due on March 20th! If you are not bringing your entry to the March 11 meeting, please make sure to make arrangements with Marcia to receive your entry!
The theme for our annual exhibit, entitled Book Works, is an intentionally broad one, and can include any work that is related to book arts. We encourage all members and friends to participate, especially those who have not exhibited previously. Work can include new or time honored techniques, book-related pieces and sculpture, and generally any work that can be ‘read’. Start working on your pieces now!
If you have been working on a folded book sculpture based on Marilyn’s workshop and intend to submit it to the show, please let Marcia know. We would like to group these together as an example of what can be gained from attending our meetings.
The exhibit will take place at the SEABA Center Gallery at 404 Pine Street in Burlington during the month of April. The opening will be on First Friday Art Walk, April 3rd, and we will have a gallery talk on April 8th that will serve as our April meeting. We are thrilled to have a South End location for the show, and excited to have the opportunity to increase awareness of the book arts.
Entries will be due on March 20th, but may be brought to the March 11th meeting. Entries are free for BAG members, and $10.00 each ($25.00 for 3) for non-members. The gallery takes a 30% commission on sales. Click here to download the entry form.
Book Arts News
*** The annual Book Arts Bazaar will be held on Sunday, April 12th from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the Wishcamper Center on the University of Southern Maine’s Portland Campus. This festival with book artists, papermakers, bookbinders, printmakers, educators, and writers is dedicated to all things related to the book. The event is sponsored by USM’s Kate Cheney Chappell ’83 Center for Book Arts.
Book arts related vendors may register for a table before March 15th. Please download this PDF for more information and the registration form.
You may also contact Rebecca Goodale at goodale@maine.edu or (207) 228-8014 for more information.
*** Bookstock is looking for book artist vendors for their literary festival during July 24 – 26. Last year’s vendors were made up primarily of authors and publishers but they’re interested in adding more book artists this year. The festival is held in Woodstock, VT.
For more information, please contact Mitzi Wilson at Mitziw@hotmail.com or (802) 356-9957.
Book Arts Classes
The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers is sponsoring a workshop with Jim Croft to be held at the North Bennet Street School in Boston, MA. The workshop, Wooden Boards and Cloth Spine – Long Stitch Binding, takes place on March 14 – 15, from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
A textile spine is strong, flexible and doesn’t care how many holes you punch into it. Using wood for covers results in a quickly made, durable book. To make it, you need only a bone folder, thread, needle, and maybe an awl. The book can be made with a rounded spine that has a natural shoulder, if desired.
Students will begin the class making their own case by splitting and shaping their boards. As the case dries, students will be treated to a bonus demonstration on shaping bone tools with the opportunity to start their own tool. The workshop will progress through the sewing structure to complete their bindings.
Registration is available online. For more information or if you have any questions, please email negbwprograms@gmail.com.
*** The Center for Contemporary Printmaking is also offering Experimental Bookbinding with Roni Gross on March 25 – 27 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Participants will experiment with letterpress printing using nontraditional techniques like pressure printing and monotypes. Participants will also learn to create flag books and concertina bindings using the prints made on the lettterpress. No previous experience necessary.
For more information or to register, please visit the CCP website.
by Elissa | Feb 5, 2015 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 11, 2015, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
We meet at the Unitarian Universalist Society Church located at 152 Pearl Street in Burlington, VT. We will be in the Sophia Fahs Community Room, a large room located in the basement. Click here for more information on directions/parking.
Program: Studio Support and Workshop Time
Do you have a box or folder of projects from earlier meetings – ones that you’d like to finish or explore further, but haven’t quite found the time? Perhaps a technique you learned sparked an idea for a new piece of work, but you’d like some assistance on how to begin or advice on applying the technique.
Studio Support and Workshop Time is two hours that you give yourself, in the company of fellow book- and paper-arts lovers, to learn, share and create in a supportive and encouraging environment.
The meeting will begin with some group time, both for sharing – something you’ve made, a great resource or tool you’ve found, a source of inspiration – and for asking questions or puzzling out challenges you may be having with a project or particular technique.
The remainder of the time will be devoted to creative work. Bring along a project or model from a previous meeting that you’d like to continue working on or develop further, or bring a piece of your own to simply continue working on in the company of others.
Not sure of what to bring? No worries! Every Studio Support and Workshop Time session will have resources or materials for a project. This session, we will offer the opportunity to continue exploring the exciting possibilities of folded-page book sculptures as presented by Marilyn Gillis in January. We still have a stack of hard cover books donated last month for everyone to use, or you can bring few old paperbacks (preferably an inch or more in thickness) to use.
Even if you missed the meeting last month, come try it out – the technique is fairly simple and easy to learn, and as we discovered from the beautiful pieces Marilyn brought in to share with us last month, the possibilities are endless!
Folded book sculptures don’t requires special tools, but a pencil, bone folder, ruler, X-Acto knife and small cutting mat might come in handy. You might also want to bring supplies for decorating your sculpture, such as glue (glue sticks, Aleene’s Fast Tack), decorative paper, ribbon, “fancy-cut” scissors, ink pads or markers, feathers, dried or silk flowers, etc.
January Meeting Reflections
At the January meeting, Marilyn treated us to a wonderful presentation of her folded sculptural pieces created from repurposed books. She led us through her work by explaining her creative process as well as the various techniques she used to create each piece. After demonstrating some simple folding processes, she let us loose to work on our own books.
As simple as Marilyn made it look and sound, we found that there is more to it than just starting to fold. It requires planning and inspiration to create pieces like hers. Thanks, Marilyn, for a great meeting, and thanks to everyone who ventured out on such a cold evening!
We want to encourage everyone to keep folding and working on the book you started at the meeting, or on a new piece. Our plan is to create an exhibit of members’ folded books at the Spring Show at SEABA as an example of what goes on at our meetings. Hopefully, this will encourage and inspire new participants, and expand our membership.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** Announcing our Spring 2015 exhibit: Book Works, book-related works by the Book Arts Guild of Vermont!
The theme for our annual exhibit, entitled Book Works, is an intentionally broad one, and can include any work that is related to book arts. We encourage all members and friends to participate, especially those who have not exhibited previously. Work can include new or time honored techniques, book-related pieces and sculpture, and generally any work that can be ‘read’. Start working on your pieces now! If you have ideas but just can’t get yourself going, or if you are stuck on a problem and need advice, bring them/ it to the monthly meeting and let’s help each other out.
The exhibit will take place at the SEABA Center Gallery at 404 Pine Street in Burlington during the month of April. The opening will be on First Friday Art Walk, April 3rd, and we will have a gallery talk on April 8th that will serve as our April meeting. We are thrilled to have a South End location for the show, and excited to have the opportunity to increase awareness of the book arts.
Entries will be due on March 20th, but may be brought to the March 11th meeting. Entries are free for BAG members, and $10.00 each ($25.00 for 3) for non-members. The gallery takes a 30% commission on sales. Click here to download the entry form.
Book Arts News
*** Bookstock is looking for book artist vendors for their literary festival during July 24 – 26. Last year’s vendors were made up primarily of authors and publishers but they’re interested in adding more book artists this year. The festival is held in Woodstock, VT.
For more information, please contact Mitzi Wilson at Mitziw@hotmail.com or (802) 356-9957.
Book Arts Classes
*** The Center for Contemporary Printmaking is offering Unique Artist’s Books with Eckhard Froeschlin, a visiting instructor based in Scheer, Germany on March 2 – 5 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Using prints in a book reminds us that the back side exists, as the print becomes a page and part of a three-dimensional and movable object. In this four-day workshop, participants will make books using prints and text to communicate their ideas. Etchings, woodcuts and other types of fine prints, should be prepared for this workshop, merging handwritten texts with poetry, or with block texts (carved into a printing plate), or even with handset type. The aim of this workshop is to create a small edition of artist books.
For more information or to register, please visit the CCP website.
*** The Center for Contemporary Printmaking is also offering Experimental Bookbinding with Roni Gross on March 25 – 27 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Participants will experiment with letterpress printing using nontraditional techniques like pressure printing and monotypes. Participants will also learn to create flag books and concertina bindings using the prints made on the lettterpress. No previous experience necessary.
For more information or to register, please visit the CCP website.
by Elissa | May 2, 2013 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 8, 2013, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
The May 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 May we will not be meeting as usual on the second Wednesday at the Unitarian Church in Burlington.
Program: Visit to UVM Special Collections
Librarian Prudence Doherty will guide us through some of the amazing artists’ books held in the Special Collections Department at UVM. 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.
Reflections on April’s Meeting
April’s B.A.G. meeting was full of rich chocolate treats and rich inspiration for committing to making art. April is edible book celebration time and we had delicious treats including Lord of the Ring Dings and the Invisible Man.
As good as the food was, Marcia Vogler‘s sharing of her postcard a day initiative was the real inspiration of the evening. Marcia has been making collaged postcards with messages and sending one a day to friends while they’re going through challenging times.
Her postcards were exquisite and the whole undertaking beautiful on so many different levels. Marcia shared her process and we all had time to create postcards of our own. It was a very enjoyable evening and one that will resonate within our hearts and our stomachs too.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
 *** B.A.G.’s 2013 spring exhibit, There’s No Place Like Home, will be hosted by Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT. The show will take place at the same time as an exhibit on children’s literature in the Main Floor Gallery.
Members are encouraged to submit work for this exciting show. This is a great opportunity to get your work out there, whether you are a first time exhibitor or a seasoned artist. The theme is very accessible, and brings up many references that are unique to each person.
Beyond the reference to the Wizard of Oz, the idea of ‘home’ can suggest family, rooms, objects, memories, and dreams, just to mention a few. Start now with some brainstorming and word association techniques presented by Stephanie Wolff at the September meeting, and generate content for your book.You can download the entry form here. If you would like to bring your work to the May 8th meeting instead of mailing it, please email the entry form and your accompanying artist statement to Marcia to indicate that you will be bringing it then.
The exhibit will be in SPA’s Third Floor Gallery from June 4 – July 6, 2013. The opening will be on Thursday June 6, 2013 from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (please note that this is a date change). |
*** On May 25 & 26 (Memorial Day Weekend), the statewide Open Studio Weekend is offering a wonderful selection of book artsy studios for you to visit.
If you’re up for a tour, you can find your comrades in the following locations:
Elissa created a Google Map with all of the locations to help you with your tour. You can find maps and directions to studios on the VT Crafts Council website. You can also download a pdf of the 2013 Spring Vermont Open Studio Tour Guide. Please note that this is a really big file.
*** B.A.G. member Nancy Stone will exhibit her handmade books in the exhibit Drawn to Music. Nancy’s work will include Line Notes, a window installation of seven translucent accordion books traced from her sketches of performing musicians; Vibrations, a suite of six triptych-books of watercolor paintings developed from Line Notes; and Ecclesiastes III, a suite of diverse pop-up, white-on-white books based on “A time for war; a time for peace”, etc.
The show runs from June 4, 2013 – August 29, 2013 at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Burlington, VT. The opening is on Friday June 7, 2013 from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. with an artists’ talk at 6:30 p.m. Summer hours are Tuesday – Friday, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 pm. Jazz, folk and classical musical events will correlate with the exhibit.
*** B.A.G. Chair Elizabeth Rideout will be teaching Bookbinding Intensive: Simplified Binding With Leather Relief Cover on June 22 & 23, 2013, from 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at The Bindery Place, Shelburne Pond Studios in Shelburne.
Discover the joy of working with leather as you create a relief pattern in leather for the front cover of this book! Using professional sewing, cutting and pasting techniques, you will create a text block and encase it an elegant binding. In addition to showcasing your leather relief cover, this binding style offers the opportunity to create well-crafted books with a variety of cover possibilities.
For more information please contact Jill Abilock via Email at SixLoonsStudio@gmail.com or call (802) 238-0883. There are only 10 places in the workshop and it is filling up fast, so download the registration form and send it in soon!
*** B.A.G. member Elissa Campbell is teaching Leather Pocket Journals – The Sequel, at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT on June 4 & 11, 2013 from 4:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Some say that a sequel is never as good as the original – but not in this case!
In Leather Pocket Journals Part II, you’ll learn 5 bindings that use only leather, paper, and thread – no glue needed! For each binding, you’ll sew 3 sections of folded pages into covers cut from one piece of leather. These bindings are very flexible and allow the books to open completely flat, making them perfect for use as sketchbooks or journals.
Each sewing technique creates a different decorative sewing pattern on the spine and we’ll try out different closure methods. No previous experience required – this is a great class for a beginner. You can even bring in your own leather to customize your book.
To register, contact SPA via phone (802) 479-7069 or Email.
Book Arts News
*** ArtisTree Gallery and Pentangle Arts Council, in conjunction with the Bookstock Literary Festival, are looking for submissions for their upcoming exhibit, Unbound Vol III: Art Using the Book as a Material/Format. The show will be juried by book artist Erin Sweeney, owner of Lovely In The Home Press in Peterborough, NH
The broad theme of UNBOUND: VOL III 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 these ideas of “the book” and all the ways artists use its format as a stepping off point or as a material to explore new ideas.
This call for submission is open to all New England and New York residents of the U.S. who are 18 years of age or older. All artwork must be original in concept, design and execution. Submissions must be postmarked by mail or Emailed by June 15, 2013. For more information, please visit the ArtisTree Gallery’s website.
*** On May 9, 2013 at 6:00 p.m., The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers will be sponsoring a talk by Amy Lapidow and Stacie Dolin on their experience publishing their new book, the Book Arts Studio Handbook.
The longtime North Bennet Street School bookbinding workshop instructors have put together projects; techniques; and tools from information gleaned from their teaching experiences.
The talk will take place in the Radcliffe Room of the Schlesinger Library at Harvard University.
Book Arts Classes
*** Bill Hanscom will be offering a Books in Motion workshop on May 18, 2013, from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science in Boston.
Create books that burst open, tumble, spin, sway and dance! During this workshop we will explore the possibilities of movable parts within books. These elegant mechanical devices can stand on their own, in combination, or be used to enhance a variety of other book structures. We will explore the Flag Book, Blossom Book, Woven Flexagon, Exploding Map Fold Book, Jacob’s Ladder, Volvelles, and basic Pop-up construction.
Required tools: bone folder, utility knife, 12″ steel ruler, 12 x 18″ self-healing cutting mat, small brush for glue and pencil.
For more information or to register, please send an Email to gslisce@simmons.edu or call (617) 521-2803. The workshop will be held at 300 The Fenway.
*** Carol Barton will be teaching Book Arts: Paper Engineering and Sculptural Binding at the North Country Studio Workshops from January 28, 2014 – February 2, 2014. This is an ideal session for book artists, teachers, graphic designers, and anyone who likes to play with paper.
Discover the magic of the sculptural book through exploration of three-dimensional and pop-up forms. Learn how to use book structures to help convey your message. Participants will construct a series of pop-ups from simple to more complex glued structures, along with an accordion book, a carousel book, and a tunnel book.
Registration for 2014 opens June 15, 2013, so be sure to mark the date on your calendar!
*** The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers is also hosting two workshops in June with Paul Johnson in Maine (one workshop will be repeated):
- Spirit House – A Three Dimensional Pop-Up Model: In this workshop, you will make a 3D pop-up spirit house from paper. There are no folds – the whole structure (comprising over thirty separate parts) is made from hinges and dovetails joints and will fold down flat.
- Book as Architecture: In this workshop, you will make a pop-up gazebo in which there are no folds and therefore no paper ‘fatigue’. All sections are fastened together using a range of paper hinges, locks, and dovetail joints. Sections can be modified and redesigned as the model develops – you simply take out one section and replace it with another.
For more information, please download the registration form(s) below or contact Todd Pattison via Email: bookandtile@att.net.
