VT Book Arts Guild “MailB.A.G.” November 2018

Next Meeting: Wednesday, November 14, 2018, 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: Book Blitz and Card Tricks – Member-led Mini Workshops

Handmade pop-up cardJoin us for our always-popular annual November tradition: Member-led mini hands-on workshops in the form of a card or mini-book exchange that we call Book Blitz and Card Tricks. Get prepared now and join the fun!

Design a card or small/simple book structure that has a trick or two; maybe a pop-up, French doors or a window. Bring your completed card or mini-book, along with materials for six undecorated cards or mini-book structures to share. We will have an exchange and then engage in some decorating fun.

Please feel free to join in the fun even if you don’t have time to prepare cards or mini-books to bring. We do a similar program every November and there is always more than enough to go around. As in years past, expect to go home with some great new ideas, several new tricks up your sleeve, and a few new cards for the season.

Things to bring:

  • A decorated card/mini-book with a “trick” (optional)
  • 6 card structures of your card/mini-book “trick” to exchange (optional)
  • Glue
  • Scissors
  • X-Acto knife
  • Cutting mat
  • Ruler
  • Bone folder
  • Awl or needle tool
  • Decorative punches
  • Stamps and ink pads
  • Pens, pencils, markers
  • Decorative papers
  • Fun stuff!

October Meeting Reflections

Librarian Prudence Doherty at UVM Special CollectionsOur yearly field trip to UVM Special Collections was indeed special. We met at their new home in Billings Library, a newly renovated space with historic appeal. I was wowed by the impressive fireplace and the rotunda-like room.

Also impressive was the collection of artists’ books chosen for us by University of Vermont Librarian Prudence Doherty. Her introduction to each book gave us a vision of the artist’s intent, while our time alone with the work let us delve deeper into the meaning and content.

It was more about content this year, as many of the books concentrated on September 11 as well as social issues. A big thank you to Prudence for allowing us to enjoy these special books, and to everyone who attended.

Did you know you can visit Special Collections any time? You can make an appointment with Prudence if you are interested in a specific structure or topic, or just show up and browse the collection of Vermont ephemera.

You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.

B.A.G. News

Handmade ornaments

*** December Handmade Ornament Exchange

At our December meeting, we will host an ornament exchange where members and friends are invited to swap handmade baubles. Bring one, take one!

Here’s how it works:

  • Make an ornament to share – instruction or directions on how to make are optional.
  • Bring to the meeting, wrapped or unwrapped.
  • Swap for another ornament.

That’s it! The only rule is that the ornaments must be handmade.

Need inspiration? Check out these blog posts:

Get making!

Book Arts Guild of Vermont at the Northampton Book and Book Arts Fair*** 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.

Handmade paper ornaments by Rebecca Boardman*** Rebecca Boardman will be teaching The Art of Paper Ornaments at the Barnet Public Library on Tuesday, November 27th from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. All materials are included.

You will make up to four different ornaments along with the skills you need to make more of them on your own after the class.

To register, call (802) 633-4436 or email barnetpl@hotmail.com.

Handbound leather journal with 5 closures*** Elissa Campbell is teaching Find Closure, a leather journal class at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT on November 10, 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

*** The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers is looking for volunteers to teach simple bookbinding techniques and creative content at two upcoming Girl Scout events. Through these events, NEGBW volunteers will be helping Cadettes earn their Book Artist badge and potentially inspiring future bookbinders.

The first event will be held on Sunday, March 24, 2019 at Camp Rice Moody in Reading, MA. The second event will be held on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at Camp Cedar Hill in Waltham, MA. Each event generally lasts from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. and carpooling can be arranged.

If you are interested in volunteering or have any questions, please contact Lauren Telepak at negbwprograms@gmail.com.

*** November is offering two book-related events in the Boston area.

  • During November 16 – 18, the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair will be held at the Hynes Convention Center. Among the events is an exploration of the contemporary world of book arts in Kyoto and Japan, from the perspective of one who has devoted a good part of his professional life to the study and appreciation of the history of the Japanese illustrated book.

For more information, please visit the event websites.

Book Arts Classes

*** On December 15 – 16, the North Bennet Street School is offering Bookbinding 101 with Erin Fletcher.

In this two day class, students get a quick introduction to various bookbinding techniques by exploring three different book structures. The class begins with a simple pamphlet and continues with constructing two multi-signature books known as a flatback case binding and link stitch binding. Finally, students construct a box to house all of their creations. This class is a great way to familiarize yourself with bookbinding and is perfect for those who are curious about the craft.

All tools and supplies are provided for this class.

For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.

*** The Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, MA has two book arts classes coming up this fall. Here’s the scoop:

Altered Books Workshop with Cristina Hajosy will take place on Sunday, November 11th from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Transform books, old or new, into art objects. The book becomes a canvas, a sculpture or a reliquary of personally meaningful content. Draw inspiration from the book’s author or contents, or purely use the book as a structure. Incorporate paper cutting, collage, bookmaking and other processes. The instructor will have books on hand, or bring your own, along with small objects and images to include.


Paste Paper with Cristina Hajosy will take place on Sunday November 25th from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Paste paper is traditionally used for endpapers and book covers, offering a textural and colorful alternative to marbling. See some historical and contemporary approaches, then create your own. Start with a traditional method, then learn ways to make more creative and painterly versions.


For more information about the classes, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.


VT Book Arts Guild “MailB.A.G.” November 2017

Next Meeting: Wednesday, November 8, 2017, 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: Book Blitz and Card Tricks – Member-led Mini Workshops

Handmade pop-up cardJoin us for our always-popular annual November tradition: Member-led mini hands-on workshops in the form of a card or mini-book exchange that we call Book Blitz and Card Tricks. Get prepared now and join the fun!

Design a card or small/simple book structure that has a trick or two; maybe a pop-up, French doors or a window. Bring your completed card or mini-book, along with materials for six undecorated cards or mini-book structures to share. We will have an exchange and then engage in some decorating fun.

Please feel free to join in the fun even if you don’t have time to prepare cards or mini-books to bring. We do a similar program every November and there is always more than enough to go around. As in years past, expect to go home with some great new ideas, several new tricks up your sleeve, and a few new cards for the season.

  • Things to bring:
  • A decorated card/mini-book with a “trick” (optional)
  • 6 card structures of your card/mini-book “trick” to exchange (optional)
  • Glue
  • Scissors
  • X-Acto knife
  • Cutting mat
  • Ruler
  • Bone folder
  • Awl or needle tool
  • Decorative punches
  • Stamps and ink pads
  • Pens, pencils, markers
  • Decorative papers
  • Fun stuff!

October Meeting Reflections

Prudence Doherty, University of Vermont Public Services LibrarianOur yearly visit to UVM Special Collections is a highly anticipated meeting, and this year did not disappoint! Prudence Doherty, Special Collections Librarian, chose books related to the theme of race and freedom, issues that are so important in the current political climate. I was struck by the power of the works as well as their visual presence. The books engaged the viewer to interact with the message as well as the structure.

Prudence also talked about how the library staff chooses books to purchase for the collection, what they look for, and whether the work fits in the collection or fills a void. And last, she gave us a look at a variety of tunnel books to satisfy our book artists’ need to examine structure and construction.

Thanks to Prudence for giving us a powerful experience once again, and thanks to all who participated.

You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.


B.A.G. News

Handmade book ornament*** December Handmade Ornament Exchange

At our December meeting, we will host an ornament exchange where members and friends are invited to swap handmade baubles. Bring one, take one!

Here’s how it works:

  • Make an ornament to share – instruction or directions on how to make are optional
  • Bring to the meeting, wrapped or unwrapped
  • Swap for another ornament

That’s it! The only rule is that the ornaments must be handmade.

Need inspiration? Check out these blog posts:

Get making!

Northampton Book and Book Arts Fair*** Join us at the Northampton Book and Book Arts Fair!

The Book Arts Guild of Vermont will be participating in the 3rd annual Northampton Book and Book Arts Fair this December. We’ll have an exhibitor booth where we’ll be displaying and selling members’ work alongside other book artists, papermakers, paper marblers, and fine letterpress publishers. The fair is being held at the Smith College Campus Center (100 Elm Street/Route 9) in Northampton, MA.

We’re looking for B.A.G. member work for our display – it doesn’t have to be for sale. If you’re interested, please bring your work to the November meeting so that we’ll have more time to plan the layout of our booth. Please note that depending on how much work we have, we can’t guarantee that all pieces will be displayed – we’ll do our best to include as much as we can.

We’re also looking for volunteers to represent B.A.G. and sell work during the fair. The fair hours are Saturday December 2nd from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Sunday December 3rd from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. With enough people, we can break the time down into shifts.

If you would like to participate, please complete this survey. You can also sign up at our November meeting. There will be an opportunity to carpool and to stay at an Airbnb for Friday and/or Saturday night.

If you have any questions, please contact either Marcia Vogler at marciavogler@gmavt.net or Dorsey Hogg at dorseyhogg@gmail.com.

Book Arts Guild of Vermont visit to Dartmouth Special Collections*** If you missed the visit to the Book Arts Workshop at Dartmouth College a few months ago, here’s your second chance. Debra Kraemer has kindly set up another visit for the BAG members for November 18, 2017. More details to come, so save the date!

We will be visiting Rauner Special Collections Library to see a selection of handmade books from their and the Sherman Art Library collections.


Book Arts News

*** On November 14th, the North Bennet Street School is hosting a lecture with James Reid-Cunningham, Artistic Vision in Contemporary Bookbinding. A reception will be held at 6:00 p.m., followed by the lecture at 7:00 p.m.

Traditional bookbinding decoration was transformed during the 20th century by the incorporation of modern art styles. The resulting “design bindings” are an evocative and complex balance of craft and imagination. This presentation surveys the history of binding decoration and innovation in 21st century bookbinding.

The lecture is free and open to the public, but they would appreciate it if you RSVP to attend.

The North Bennet Street School is located in Boston, MA.

*** At 4:00 p.m. on November 17th, the New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers is presenting Tackets, Overbands, Lacings and Buckles: a lecture by Katherine Beaty on early Italian stationery bindings of Harvard’s Baker Library. This lecture is free and open to the public.

The Harvard Business School Baker Library houses the largest collection of early Italian business records outside of Italy. It includes 150 account books and day books of the Medici Family, 81 volumes from the Barberini Family, and many more. Presenter Katherine Beaty will talk about the use and structure of early Italian stationery bindings that were observed during recent conservation projects of the Medici and Barberini collections. These unique limp vellum bindings include unusual structural features, such as overbands, decorative alum-tawed lacings, spine and endband tackets, and different fastenings types, including ties, loop and toggle, and buckles.

The lecture will be held at the Harvard Weissman Preservation Center Library at 90 Mt. Auburn Street in Cambridge, MA.

*** From November 3 – December 22, the North Bennet Street School will host Heroic Works, the third International Bookbinding Exhibition from Designer Bookbinders in the United Kingdom. The exhibit includes 28 prizewinning bindings and 9 works by binders from the United States.

184 binders from 31 countries participated in the competition by binding a book of their own choosing on the theme of myths, heroes, and legends. These works reflect a remarkable range of styles, materials, and approaches to great classics of world literature, as well as modern texts.

The exhibit is free and open to the public on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. The North Bennet Street School is located in Boston, MA.

*** To celebrate the Heroic Works exhibit, the North Bennet Street School will host presentations by two Designer Bookbinders Fellows on November 3rd.

  • At 9:30 a.m., Sue Doggett will offer an informal, illustrated presentation about her approach to design binding, including a look at a recent commission binding of Lac de Pleurs. This presentation will include samples, a discussion of design, and plenty of Q&As.
  • At 12:00 p.m., Lester Capon will present an illustrated lecture entitled Extreme Bookbinding. This talk about the ongoing work preserving the Garima Gospels, a 6th century manuscript and the earliest known book in Ethiopia, will also include a description of work done on two 15th century vellum fans, all undertaken in the rock hewn churches of Northern Ethiopia. Lester will discuss the environment and unusual working conditions encountered.

The event is free and open to the public. Seating for the lecture is limited, so please RSVP here.

*** November is offering two book-related events in the Boston area.

For more information, please visit the event websites.


Book Arts Classes

*** The Eliot School is offering Paste Paper with Cristina Hajosy on Sunday, November 12th from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Paste paper is traditionally used for endpapers and book covers, offering a textural and colorful alternative to marbling. See some historical and contemporary approaches, then create your own. Start with a traditional method, then learn ways to make more creative and painterly versions. You may go on to use the papers you create in other of our book arts workshops.

For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.

*** On December 2nd, the North Bennet Street School is offering Travel Journals with Amy Lapidow.

Books that fit in your pocket! Add a pen loop, picture or pocket for memorabilia. Make it waterproof with Tyvek. Tie it up with beads and buttons, or close it with a magnet. This one day workshop explores the possibilities of a versatile book that goes wherever you go.

For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.


VT Book Arts Guild “MailB.A.G.” November 2015

Next Meeting: Wednesday, November 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: Card Tricks and Book Blitz: Mini Workshops in Cool Techniques

Handmade card

Join us for our always-popular annual November tradition: Member-led mini hands-on workshops in the form of a card or mini-book exchange that we call Book Blitz and Card Tricks. Get prepared now and join the fun!

Design a card or small/simple book structure that has a trick or two; maybe a pop-up, French doors or a window. Bring your completed card or mini-book, along with materials for six undecorated cards or mini-book structures to share. We will have an exchange and then engage in some decorating fun.

Please feel free to join in the fun even if you don’t have time to prepare cards or mini-books to bring. We do a similar program every November and there is always more than enough to go around. As in years past, expect to go home with some great new ideas, several new tricks up your sleeve, and a few new cards for the season.

Things to bring:

  • A decorated card/mini-book with a “trick” (optional)
  • 6 card structures of your card/mini-book “trick” to exchange (optional)
  • Glue
  • Scissors
  • X-Acto knife
  • Cutting mat
  • Ruler
  • Bone folder
  • Awl or needle tool
  • Decorative punches
  • Stamps and ink
  • Pens, pencils, markers
  • Decorative papers
  • Fun stuff!
BONUS: At the November meeting, we will also kick-off our first official BAG Collaborative Book Project: an Exquisite Corpse Book. Collaborative Project Coordinator Rebecca Boardman will explain the concept and distribute templates that you can take home and use to create an exquisite corpse to contribute to the book.

We’re planning to display the book at our upcoming Spring 2016 exhibit, Book Works (Living Learning Center Gallery, UVM campus, February 15 – March 18, 2016), and hope that everyone will be inspired to participate!


October Meeting Reflections

Jill Dawson

Jill Dawson literally lit up our evening, both with her innovative bookworks and her circuit- making instructions. We all came away with paper works that actually did light up, and a small bit of knowledge of the tech world.

Jill inspired  us to reach a little further into that world, and to explore the endless possibilities that new technology can afford the book and paper artist in all of us.

Thanks, Jill, for a dazzling evening.

You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.


B.A.G. News

Spring Exhibit at UVM Living/ Learning Gallery

Announcing our Spring 2016 exhibit: Book Works, book-related works by the Book Arts Guild of Vermont! The exhibit will take place at the Living Learning Center gallery on the UVM campus from February 15 – March 18, 2016.

We encourage all members and friends to participate in this broadly themed show. Work can include new or time honored techniques, book-related pieces and sculpture, and generally any work that can be ‘read’. We would love to provide studio support at meetings prior to the show, where participants can seek help and advice on their projects, so bring in your work in progress to share with others.
For inspiration, try searching on Pinterest for book arts boards. Here are a few links to get you started:

After such a fantastic show last year at SEABA, we’re excited to see what comes next for everyone!

More details about the show to come!


Book Arts News

*** Now through December 13th, the Middlebury College Museum of Art is presenting The Art of Storytelling: Five Tales from Asia, Then and Now. The exhibit includes a beautiful combination of ancient and modern illustration.

The five Asian tales at the center of this exhibition have inspired artists for centuries and continue to capture the imaginations of comics writers and graphic designers today. This exhibit explores many of the painted and printed interpretations of these compelling narratives from the sixteenth century to the present.

The works are drawn from the collections of the Middlebury College Museum of Art, the Harvard Art Museums, the Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College, and Harvard-Yenching Library, and are complemented by contemporary comics, illustrations, and other digital media.

*** The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers will have a booth at the upcoming Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair. The fair will be held at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, MA.

Volunteers are needed to sit at the booth during the following hours:

  • Friday, November 13: 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
  • Saturday, November 14: 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
  • Sunday, November 15: 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

It’s a great opportunity to meet interesting people, promote the GBW, and talk about books to other like-minded individuals.

They want to have two volunteers in the booth at all times. To volunteer please email Todd Pattison at bookandtile@att.net. All volunteers will get free entry into the Fair!

*** Also on November 14th is the Boston Book, Print and Ephemera Show, billed as the “other Boston book show”. The show will be held at the Back Bay Events Center (a.k.a. the Dorothy Quincy Suite at John Hancock Hall).

You can attend for free if you register online before November 13th.

Paper by Richard Langdell*** The Paper Room (formerly known as Langdell Paper) at AVA Gallery and Art Center is holding its annual open studio on Saturday December 5th, from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. This event is part of AVA’s annual Open House.

Not only are there going to be 1,000’s of sheets of handmade paper available for purchase, but there will also be refreshments and fun paper-related conversation.

The AVA Art Center is located at 11 Bank Street in Lebanon, NH. The Paper Room is on the second floor in studio #209. For more information, please contact Richard at rlangdell@gmail.com.

*** The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers is looking for volunteers for an upcoming Girl Scout event. They will be partnering with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts offering programs for Cadette scouts (age 11-14) to earn a Book Artist badge. In addition, they will run a program for younger scouts.

The event will be held on Saturday November 7th at Camp Cedar Hill in Waltham, MA. They will run a 3-hour program for Cadettes in the morning from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and then have a 2-hour program for younger girls from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. You can volunteer for just one program or make a day out of it and do both!

There will be an introduction and then five stations that the girls will rotate through which may include printing, accordion folds, a pamphlet, origami book, a scroll, decorating paper or a collaborative book, depending on the interests of the volunteers. Each rotation will last for about 30 minutes. The younger girls will have similar programming in a shorter time frame with possibly only four rotations. If you have a book arts technique or project that you’d like to see done with the Girl Scouts please make some suggestions.

You do not need to be a member of the NEGBW to volunteer. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Todd Pattison at bookandtile@att.net.


Book Arts Classes

*** Valerie Carrigan will be teaching Book Ornaments at the Messenger Press Studio at the Beaver Mill in North Adams, MA. The workshop will be on Saturday November 21, 2015 from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Learn to make miniature handmade books that also function as hanging ornaments. Through unique paper folding, hard covers, and the addition of a ribbon and bead, you will make beautiful structures that transform in shape from a book to an ornament. You will leave this workshop with a handful of book ornaments in a variety of sizes, colors and patterns! No experience necessary.

The workshop is sponsored by is 183 Art School of the Berkshires. To register, please call them directly at (413) 298-5252.

*** Masscribes is hosting a workshop with Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord on Saturday November 7th, at the Sportsman’s Club in Norwood, MA.

Book Play is an introduction to simple bookmaking and its possibilities for creative exploration. It is bookmaking at its most friendly and accessible – no rulers or precious papers, no designing or planning ahead. The emphasis is on freedom and possibility – how the simplest forms can be adapted, varied, and combined to unlock our creative juices. Using mostly recycled materials, we’ll make intimate books that fold and fan, hang and stand. Most of the time will be spent making books but there will be opportunities to add calligraphy.

For more information, please contact Nita Padamsee at padamseedesigns@verizon.net or Elissa Barr at penpusherink@gmail.com.

*** The Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, MA is offering Coptic Binding with Ken Gilbert on December 13 from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

With Coptic binding, sections of paper are sewn through their folds and attached with stitches across the spine, without any glue. Make a blank book using this ancient, elegant technique, and cover it with either cloth or decorative paper.

For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.


VT Book Arts Guild “MailB.A.G.” November 2012

Next Meeting: Wednesday, November 14, 2012, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

DATE CHANGE: PLEASE NOTE THAT IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER WE WILL BE MEETING ON THE SECOND WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH.

There will be no change in location – 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: Book Blitz and Card Tricks

Join us for a card or mini-book exchange B.A.G.-style called Book Blitz and Card Tricks. Get prepared now and join in the fun!

Design a card or small/simple book structure that has a trick or two; maybe a pop-up, French doors or a window. Bring your completed card or mini-book, along with six undecorated cards or mini-book structures to share. We will have an exchange and then engage in some decorating fun.

Handmade Card Samples

Please feel free to join in the fun even if you don’t have time to prepare cards or mini-books to bring. We did a similar program last December and there was more than enough to go around. Like last year, expect to go home with some great new ideas, several new tricks up your sleeve, and a few new cards for the season.

Things to bring:

  • A decorated card/mini-book with a “trick” (optional)
  • 6 card structures of your card/mini-book “trick” to exchange (optional)
  • Glue
  • Scissors
  • X-Acto knife
  • Cutting mat
  • Ruler
  • Decorative punches
  • Stamps and ink
  • Pens, pencils, markers
  • Decorative papers
  • Fun stuff!

Don’t forget, our meeting date has permanently changed to the second Wednesday of the month!


Lyna Lou NordstromReflections on October’s Meeting

Our October meeting featured Lyna Lou Nordstrom, who demonstrated both monoprinting and gelatin print techniques. After sharing examples of her own work, which features natural patterns and plant materials, she shared her methods and techniques with the eager group.

In the hands-on part of the program, Lyna Lou provided the materials as well as inspiration to get us going on our own prints. The meeting went longer than usual because the group was having so much fun! Thanks to Lyna Lou, participants came away with exciting small works of their own.

A big thank you to both Lyna Lou for lugging all the materials to the meeting and to Jill for setting up and cleaning up.

You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.


B.A.G. News

*** More on that meeting date change – everyone has done a great job this year of adjusting to our new schedule of meeting on the 3rd Wednesday of the month. However, this year the 3rd Wednesday of November falls on the day before Thanksgiving and the 3rd Wednesday of December is only six days before Christmas.

Fortunately, we have successfully changed the dates of our November and December meetings to the 2nd Wednesday of the month (November 14th and December 12th). Many thanks to Christina Fulton and the Unitarian Universalist Society Church of Burlington for being so accommodating!

Studio Place Arts logo*** B.A.G. is happy to announce that our 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.

The exhibit will be in SPA’s Third Floor Gallery from June 4 – July 6, 2013. The deadline for submissions is April 10, 2013. The official call for artists will go out soon, along with more details on the exhibit.


Book Arts News

sheets of handmade paper*** The Paper Room (formerly known as Langdell Paper) at AVA Art Center is having an open studio on Saturday November 10th, from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Not only are there going to be 1,000’s of sheets of handmade paper available for purchase, but there will also be free paper, a door prize, and refreshments.

The AVA Art Center is located at 11 Bank Street in Lebanon, NH. The Paper Room is on the second floor in studio #209. For more information, please call (802) 222-0503.

*** Chena River Marblers in Amherst, MA is holding an open studio on December 8 & 9 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. There will be marbling and bookbinding demonstrations, along with an end-of-year overstock and seconds sale. For more information, please call (413) 253-2835.

*** Non-Visible and Intangible: Artists Books Respond to E-Books is a series of events and a gallery exhibition on the topic of Artists Books in the Digital Age held at the Harold F. Johnson Library, Hampshire College in November 7-16, 2012.

The events explore how technology has affected all aspects of artists books – from production to creation to access and use. Some of the works on display in the exhibit Pulp to Pixels: Artists Books in the Digital Age explore interactive generative art with text and image, some function as books in their own right but can be enhanced with technology, and others require a smartphone or tablet to view them at all.

The Harold F. Johnson Library is located at 893 West Street, Amherst, MA. For more information, please visit the event website.

*** November 16-18, 2012 offers the Boston Book Collectors’ Weekend, an event including both the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair and the Boston Book, Print, and Ephemera Show. Patrons purchasing an admission ticket for Saturday, November 17th to either of the two shows will receive a complimentary admission pass to the other show, good for entry on Saturday only.

The Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair will be held at the Hynes Convention Center during all three days. On Saturday, November 17th at 5:00 p.m., rare book librarians Martin Antonetti and Ron Patkus will offer an illustrated presentation on the history and work of the press in The Art of the Book in Wales.

The Boston Book, Print, and Ephemera Show will take place on November 17th from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Back Bay Events Center. Tom Twetten of Craftsbury Antiquarian Books will be exhibiting some design bindings.


Book Arts Classes

*** The Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, MA is offering Tiny Books with Jennifer Erin Hughes on Sunday, Jan 13, 2013 from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Make awesome little books that fit in the palm of your hand: stab, accordion, single sheet fold-out books and a few more.

Jennifer will also be teaching Leather-Bound Coptic Books on March 10 & 17, 2013, from 10:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. This simple, elegant, exposed-spine, sewn book dates back to the 2nd century AD. Learn the basics of coptic binding to create a beautiful leather-covered blank book.

For more information these classes, please visit the Eliot School’s website or download the complete catalog.

*** The North Bennet Street School is offering Calligraphy Concertina: A Hand-Lettered Accordion Book with Maryanne Grebenstein on December 1 – 2 from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

In this workshop, students make a one-of-a-kind accordion book while perfecting basic calligraphy forms. Calligraphy, layout decoration and accordion-style binding is taught. Some experience in hand-lettering is recommended but not required.

For more information or to register, please visit the NBBS’s website.


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