by Elissa | Mar 4, 2020 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, March 11, 2020, 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.
Welcome to According to Accordions!
Often underestimated, the accordion book has more to it than meets the eye. This structure provides endless possibilities for construction, and multiple options for display and presentation. In our March meeting, we will continue with our multi-meeting exploration of the accordion book structure.
Prepare to be inspired by the versatility and potential of accordions!
Program: According to Accordions, Part 3 – Flag Books with Marcia Vogler
At the next B.A.G. meeting, Marcia Vogler will be teaching us how to make Flag Books. This structure literally builds on the accordion fold.
Originally developed by Hedi Kyle for her work April Diary, the foundation of the deceptively simple Flag Book structure is an accordion folded spine. Rows of flags attached to opposing sides of each of the spine’s “mountain” folds allow the artist to fragment and layer a number of complementary or contrasting images and narratives.
When read page by page, the viewer sees disjointed fragments of image and text. When the spine is pulled fully open, these fragments assemble a panoramic spread. This transformation is accompanied by a delightful flapping sound. The spine and covers provide opportunities for additional imagery.
– Karen Hanmer
Please bring more samples of accordion books to share!
All materials will be provided but if you are able, please bring the following:
- Cutting mat
- Straight edge or ruler
- X-Acto knife or the like
- Bone folder
- PVA, Fast Tack or other white glue and/or a glue stick
- Scissors
- Double-sided tape
- Small stamps or images to attach to your flags (1″ high)
If you don’t have any of these things, don’t worry extras will be available.
February Meeting Reflections
It was a full house for our second installment of According to Accordions, which featured the Star/Carousel structure. Becky Boardman showed us models and examples, then led us through the steps to make this multi-layered structure.
May I say how much I loved this? And it was the perfect little Valentine’s gift for my Valentine! I will come back to this structure again and again.
Thanks, Becky, and thanks to everyone who showed up. You are all ‘stars’.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** Announcement: Spring/Summer member exhibit, Page Turners: Artist’s Books by the Book Arts Guild of Vermont
Our spring/summer exhibit will take place in June at ArtHound Gallery in Essex, Vermont. The theme, Page Turners, is open-ended, allowing for unlimited interpretation. All members are invited and encouraged to contribute new or old work.
This new gallery offers a beautiful space for the exhibit, surrounded by work from artisans all over Vermont. All work must be FOR SALE.
Here are some important dates:
- Entry due date: May 27, 2020. No entries will be accepted after this date. Artists are encouraged to bring work and appropriate paperwork to the May 13th B.A.G. meeting.
- Exhibit dates: June 6 – 30, 2020
- Opening reception: June 6, 2020. Times to be determined.
*** Elissa Campbell is teaching The Moving Book – Pop-Up Basics at the Bayside Activity Center in Colchester, VT on March 21st.
If you want to add more magic to your cards and artist books, then give pop-ups a try! Also known as paper engineering, pop-ups use cuts and folds to create motion and energy in paper structures.
Through the creation of a series of pop-up cards, you’ll learn the basics of three-dimensional construction, including box supports, props, and straddles. You’ll then bind these cards into a book, which will become a handy reference for future work.
Register online or print out the registration form and mail it in.
Book Arts News
*** On April 3rd, Dartmouth College‘s Baker-Berry Library presents Skins to Draw on: A Parchment Making Demonstration with Jesse Meyer from Pergamena Leathers.
Parchment is a material made from animal skin; often calfskin, sheepskin, or goatskin. Its most common use is as a material for writing on, drawing on, for documents, notes, or the pages of a book, codex or manuscript. Jesse will demonstrate the techniques involved in the production of parchment, with participants trying their hands in the process. He’ll have lots of samples of his work for you to peruse along the way.
No registration necessary. Feel free to stop by Book Arts Room 21 from 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. to check it out.
To learn more about Pergamena visit their website.
*** Dartmouth College is also hosting An Evening with Graham Patten and his Convolutingly Engineered Books on May 18th from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Come spend a bit of time with bookbinder and conservator Graham Patten as he shows us his work, including his invention, the Continuously Convoluting Carousel. This multiplex carousel structure is the first of its kind. It can be inverted on itself indefinitely, revealing a sequence of four different hidden openings or displays. A variation on the Jacob’s Ladder toy, the Continuously Convoluting Carousel employs the same double-action hinges that gave the original toy its characteristically illusive motion.
We will look at a number of Patten’s incredible design bindings, while he takes us through his design process and show us how to make a simplified version of the structure.
No registration necessary. The presentation is being held in Book Arts Room 21 of Baker-Berry Library.
Book Arts Classes
*** Juliayn Coleman is offering Hand Bookbinding from August 30 – September 5 at Sunset Lodge on Lake Damariscotta, ME.
In this hands-on workshop, you will create three non-adhesive books. The structures will range from the earliest binding styles to contemporary, and they are geared towards beginner through intermediate skill levels.
In addition to the binding, you will explore 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 book binding.
For more information, please visit the Sunset Lodge Workshops website.
*** The North Bennet Street School in Boston is offering Sewn Board & Drumleaf Binding with Amy Lapidow on Sunday, March 22nd.
The sewn board binding, is a great structure that uses minimal tools and is infinitely adaptable. Dress it up or down, and it opens flat! Its sibling, the drum leaf binding is akin to a board book and is perfect for images. You will make both in this course.
For more information, please visit the NBSS website.
by Elissa | Feb 7, 2020 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 12, 2020, 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.
Welcome to According to Accordions!
Often underestimated, the accordion book has more to it than meets the eye. This structure provides endless possibilities for construction, and multiple options for display and presentation. In our February meeting, we will continue with our multi-meeting exploration of the accordion book structure.
Prepare to be inspired by the versatility and potential of accordions!
Program: According to Accordions, Part 2 – Star Books with Becky Boardman
At the next B.A.G. meeting, Becky Boardman will be teaching us how to make Star/Carousel books. This structure uses accordion folds that are “nested”, making it a kind of tunnel book.
Please bring more samples of accordion books to share! If you have played with the woven accordion structure Dorsey taught us please show us what you did! The more books we look at the greater our repertoire becomes.
All materials will be provided but if you are able, please bring the following:
- Cutting mat
- X-Acto knife or the like
- Bone folder
- PVA, Fast Tack or other white glue and/or a glue stick
- Scissors
- Scraps of colored or decorative paper, can be as small as 3” x 3” or less
- Double-sided tape
If you don’t have any of these things, don’t worry extras will be available.
January Meeting Reflections
We were lucky enough to have the Queen of Complex Accordions kick off our special multi-meeting series. Dorsey Hogg gave us the basics and then introduced us to a twist, using interlocking layers to form multiple accordions into one structure. She wowed us with examples of her intricate altered book structures, and shared some insight into her start as a book artist.
Many other participants shared accordion books they had made as well, making it a lively and fun evening. For me, there is maybe nothing so satisfying as a nicely folded accordion made with smooth, crisp paper, so I am looking forward to the next meetings so we may all fold together again.
Thanks, Dorsey, and thanks to everyone who showed up and folded stuff.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** Support the Book Arts Guild of Vermont by becoming a member!
The Book Arts Guild of Vermont is supported by its members and you have kept us going for more than ten years. Our organization is solely run by volunteers and we do what we do because we love the book arts and we love B.A.G.. We continue to be inspired by our community, and the enthusiasm and talents that you bring to our meetings.
Membership dues are our main source of income and we hope that you will show that you value what we have to offer – quality programming, field trips, exhibits, and more – by becoming a member. You get so much value out of your $35.00 and attending just one meeting can give you your full money’s worth.
Just to give you an idea of where membership dues go, here’s a breakdown of B.A.G.’s annual expenses:
- Rent: $50.00 per month
- Presenter honorarium: $35.00 per meeting
- Website and email newsletter: $100.00 per year
- Presenter reimbursement for supplies: Varies
If you’ve done the math, you’ll see that we need a minimum of $910.00 (not including supply reimbursement) to cover our annual expenses.
We hope that you will renew your membership or join us as a new member at the December meeting. If you will not be at the meeting, you can download our membership form and send it in with your payment.
Thank you so much for your continued support of the guild. We wouldn’t be here without you.
*** Announcement: Spring/Summer member exhibit, Page Turners: Artist’s Books by the Book Arts Guild of Vermont
Our spring/summer exhibit will take place later this year and all members are invited and encouraged to contribute new or old work. The theme, Page Turners, is open-ended, allowing for unlimited interpretation.
Our exhibit location has yet to be determined, so stay tuned for more details.
*** Elissa Campbell is teaching the Secret Belgian Binding at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT on February 10 & 11.
The not-so-mysterious Secret Belgian binding was developed to have the appearance of a Japanese stab binding, but also to have the ability of opening flat. The structure was invented by Anne Goy in the mid-1980’s and was relatively unknown until Hedi Kyle introduced it to the United States.
The text block is sewn is first, before attaching the covers with an intriguing woven sewing pattern – no glue is needed! This hard cover binding is perfect for use as a journal or sketchbook.
You will receive a detailed handout and resource list for all materials we use. Some previous experience with bookbinding is helpful, but not required.
Register online or contact Studio Place Arts at (802) 479-7069.
Book Arts News
*** On Wednesday February 12th from 5:00 p.m. – 6:15 p.m., join the Dartmouth Library Book Arts Workshop in the East Reading Room in Baker Library for What Is Small Press and Where Is it Going? A Talk with Matvei Yankelevich of Ugly Duckling Presse.
Ugly Duckling Presse began its life as a xeroxed zine and slowly transformed into a Brooklyn-based nonprofit small press led by a volunteer collective that has brought out more than 250 titles to date. Throughout its history, UDP has favored emerging, international, and “forgotten” writers, and its books, chapbooks, artist’s books, broadsides, and periodicals often contain handmade and letterpress elements, calling attention to the labor and history of bookmaking.
Matvei Yankelevich is one of the founding members of the Ugly Duckling Presse editorial collective. At UDP, he curates the Eastern European Poets Series since 2002, and has co-edited 36 issues of the poetry magazine 6×6 and 40 issues of the Emergency Gazette, and has edited and designed countless books, chapbooks, and poetry broadsides. He teaches translation and book-making workshops, as well as literary seminars at Columbia University’s School of the Arts, among other institutions, and is a member of the Writing faculty of the Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts at Bard College.
No registration is necessary for the event.
*** Now through March 20th, the Baker-Berry Library at Dartmouth College is hosting Specimens: Artists Books and their Kin from the Dartmouth Collection. The exhibit was curated by Sarah Smith, Book Arts Workshop Program Manager.
Over the years, artists, designers and craftsmen working in the realm of “book arts” have influenced each other in many ways – sometimes without knowing. The works in this exhibit, whether called artist books, fine press books, zines, or examples of design bindings, involve an artistic approach to the book as a form and method of conveying beautiful design and/or provocative content and in so doing reveal the book as an art form itself.
These books can be found in Rauner Special Collections, Sherman Art Library‘s Special Collections as well as in the open stacks. They’ve included the call numbers and other information to help you find these books and others like them. Hopefully, you too will be inspired by these books to learn more and maybe even make one!
*** 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 event will be held on Saturday, March 7th at Camp Cedar Hill in Waltham, MA. There will be 2 sessions: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Carpooling can be arranged.
If you are interested in volunteering or have any questions, please contact Lauren Telepak at negbwprograms@gmail.com.
Book Arts Classes
*** On Sunday, February 9, 2020, The Eliot School of Fine and Applied Arts in Jamaica Plain, MA 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.
*** The North Bennet Street School in Boston is offering Sewn Board & Drumleaf Binding with Amy Lapidow on Sunday, March 22nd.
The sewn board binding, is a great structure that uses minimal tools and is infinitely adaptable. Dress it up or down, and it opens flat! Its sibling, the drum leaf binding is akin to a board book and is perfect for images. You will make both in this course.
For more information, please visit the NBSS website.
by Elissa | Apr 5, 2019 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, April 10, 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: Imagery for Books Part 3 – Decorative Stitchery with Sally Blanchard-O’Brien
In our April meeting, we will delve into a novel method for adding imagery and visual appeal to books – stitchery!
Sally Blanchard-O’Brien will lead us in an exciting exploration of the many different ways that stitching can be used as a structural element in bookmaking, as well as a decorative design element. The meeting will introduce us to a wide variety of ideas, with time to try a few different techniques.
Please bring the following:
- Sewing needles (a couple of different sizes to accommodate different types of thread)
- Thread (embroidery floss, if you have it)
- Paper piercing device (needle tool or awl if you have one, or you can just use a needle)
- Cutting mat or pad for piercing
- Ephemera, collage materials or decorative/interesting paper (optional)
We’ll also have some time to share, so please bring any books you’ve made that feature stitchery as a decorative element. The stitching can be ornamental (e.g., on the pages or covers as decoration) or structural (e.g., Keith Smith’s centipede binding or fancy Japanese stab bindings).
March Meeting Reflections
We thought we had dodged the snow, until we opened the door after the meeting – surprise! Hope everyone got home safely.
Our March meeting, Mark-Making, was another episode in Imagery for Books, our multi-month focus. Marilyn Gillis shared her story of how mark-making became a central part of her work. While explaining many different techniques and materials for making your own marks, she shared many beautiful pieces she has created using them.
For the hands-on portion of the meeting, Marilyn set up different stations with her favorite techniques and let us all try them out. Clearly, fun was had by all! There was lots of collaboration and experimenting going on with straws, pipe cleaners, and wax, just to name a few.
A big thanks to Marilyn for an exciting evening, and thanks to everyone for coming and participating!
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** Bound to Happen – B.A.G.’s annual exhibition
Our annual book arts show will be hosted by the S.P.A.C.E. Gallery in Burlington, VT. We are excited to be in a wonderful space in Burlington from June 7 – 29! The title for the show is Bound to Happen, and it’s open to any interpretation from the artists.
Here are some important dates:
- Entry due date: May 31, 2019 No Entries will be accepted after this date. Artists are encouraged to bring work and appropriate paperwork to the May 8th BAG meeting.
- Exhibit dates: June 7 – 29, 2019
- Opening reception: June 7, 2019, 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. The reception coincides with First Friday, a popular event in the South End.
- Artist’s Talk: Work will be returned to the artist at the July 10th B.A.G. meeting, at which time we will share our work.
Information for entry:
- Entry paperwork can be downloaded here.
- Entry fee will be $10.00 for up to 3 pieces.
- Work must be ready to hang or display. If you have display instructions, please include them with your entry.
- Work must have identification somewhere on the piece.
- The gallery commission is 40%, so please price accordingly.
Have questions? Please ask Marcia.
*** Post-Meeting Postcard Exchange: Use What We’ve Learned
With the end of our multi-month presentations about imagery, let’s close with a collaborative project to celebrate. We invite you to create 6 postcards to swap, and 1 to keep for yourself. They can all be the same or all different, as long as they are 4″ x 6″. Some ideas might be to pick a theme like shoes, birds, or a quote, and play around with ways of adding the imagery. Any medium can be used – take inspiration from the huge amount of techniques we have learned!
At the July meeting, we will exchange postcards with 6 others. With these original artworks, participants will create a book structure to hold the cards, and share their creation at the September meeting. Plenty of time to complete the challenge!
Here’s a recap:
- April meeting: Introduction to the Postcard Exchange project. Presentation of examples of structures to house postcards, so you can get thinking.
- July meeting: Participants bring 6 original postcards, 4″x6″, in any medium to swap. Participants leave with 6 different postcards to collect in a book structure.
- September meeting: Participants present their book structures, and we are amazed.
Let’s start making!
*** Show us what you’re working on!
As we continue with meetings that teach us more about image making the idea of sharing what we’ve learned has emerged. At each meeting we learn some skill and then go away and often explore that skill on our own. No one gets to see this private work.
Now we would like to invite participants to share their explorations into collage and mark making and stitching and whatever else strikes your fancy. We encourage everyone to bring in something you’ve been working on/experimenting with to share with others.
This is to be a very informal activity and outside the agenda of the meeting since it is so hard to accomplish everything in the two hours as it is. Works can just be put out in a designated place to provide an opportunity for informal conversation. The room is available to us beginning at 6:00 p.m. so between 6:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., we can use the space for free time or for sharing.
B.A.G. Member News
*** Penne Tompkins has work featured in The Art of Calligraphy, exhibit open through May 29th at the Gallery at the VAULT in Springfield, VT.
The exhibit includes an amazing display of artwork created by five of Vermont’s finest calligraphers. This is an opportunity to be inspired by their wonderfully diverse styles, each reflecting the artist’s love of words enhanced by their own unique art forms.
The gallery is open on Mondays from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and Wednesday – Saturday from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. For more information please email galleryvault@vermontel.net or call (802) 885-7111.
*** The international art magazine, Ceramics Art + Perception, issue #111 has published an interview on B.A.G. member Nina Gaby’s 3-dimensional memoir work in mixed-media: Ways to Tell a Story.
Congrats to Nina for the wonderful feature! Be sure to check out the article online.
*** Calling all poets and writers of all ages and experience and those who love combining words and art!
B.A.G. member and The Poartry Project founder, JC Wayne, is launching a new bi-monthly art-inspired inclusive community poetry reading series. Each reading centers on each new art exhibit at Flynndog Gallery at Burlington’s South End Station. Poets and writers are invited to visit the exhibit and write and submit a 1-page original poem or prose piece inspired by the art on display.
The first reading of work inspired by the paintings of Roger Coleman and the photography of Peter Curtis is Saturday, April 27th, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. with food and drink available for purchase from Nomad Coffee before and during the reading.
Please visit the Poartry website for important writing process details/submission guidelines. The submission deadline is April 11, 2019. If you have questions, please contact JC. For those interested in participating but may need more time, deadline extensions are available. Please encourage kids in your life of all ages to participate!
*** Elissa Campbell is teaching the Phabulous Photo Album at the Bayside Activity Center in Colchester, VT on April 18th from 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
In this workshop, you will learn how to create an elegant hard-cover photo album using bookcloth and handmade paper – this is a wonderful keepsake that can hold 4” x 6” photos from your recent vacation or family holiday gathering.
Each participant will leave class with a completed photo album and a basic knowledge of bookbinding technique. You will receive a detailed handout and resource list for all materials we use.
No previous experience required – this is a great class for a beginner. You can even bring in your own cover materials to customize your book. All tools and materials will be provided.
Registration is available online. You can also download a pdf of the registration form and mail it in with your payment.
Book Arts News
*** The University of Southern Maine‘s 7th annual Book Arts Bazaar will be held on Sunday, April 7th from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the Wishcamper Center on the school’s Portland campus.
This festival with book artists, papermakers, bookbinders, printmakers, educators, and writers is dedicated to all things related to the book. The free event is sponsored by USM’s Kate Cheney Chappell ’83 Center for Book Arts.
Carolyn Shattuck will have an exhibitor table with her artists books, so be sure to stop by and say hi!
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Rebecca Goodale.
*** On April 12th, the Book Arts Workshop at Dartmouth College is hosting the Stephen Harvard Memorial Lecture and Symposium, Touch Your Words: Teaching Indigenous Languages Through Making.
The recent purchase of metal type in the Cherokee Syllabary has prompted new interest in the Book Arts Workshop at Dartmouth College Library. With the Cherokee type and other printing and binding activity, faculty in Native American Studies, Anthropology, Linguistics, and Environmental Studies have integrated book-making projects into their courses, giving students hands-on exposure and practice in the study of indigenous languages. Over the past year, a number of students and faculty have engaged in applied learning in language revitalization with the Book Arts Workshop.
The lecture and symposium seek to bring together makers of all kinds (students, scholars, librarians, writers, artists, and printers) to exchange their experiences and knowledge in tactile learning and explore new possibilities.
Schedule of events:
- 9:30 a.m. 11:30 a.m.: Open house style workshop in the Book Arts Workshop
- 1:00 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.: Speakers in Haldeman 41
- 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.: Reception in Haldeman
Dartmouth is located in Hanover, NH. For more information, please visit the Dartmouth Library website.
*** The Museum of Printing is having a letterpress sale on April 13th from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The Museum is dedicated to preserving the rich history of the graphic arts, printing and typesetting technology, and printing craftsmanship.
Tabletop and floor presses, type, type cabinets, borders and ornaments, furniture and reglet cabinets, and all sorts of good letterpress stuff will be available.
The Museum of Printing is located at 15 Thornton Avenue in Haverill, MA.
*** Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr. will be in residence on the Wells College campus conducting a week-long series of events co-sponsored by The Wells Book Arts Center, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the String Room Gallery and the Wells College Scholar-In-Residence program.
Visual Noise features poster prints by acclaimed letterpress printer and book artist Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr. Renowned for his bold use of typography and renegade letterpress technique, Kennedy has built a forceful, witty, and subversive creative practice centered on calling attention to past and present experiences of race, labor, art, and printing. While his work is widely exhibited and held in collections, he ensures access to his posters by selling them at affordable prices. Visual Noise will culminate with a Cash & Carry event, with all posters available for purchase.
All are welcome to join Kennedy at the following public events during his residency:
- Open Printing Drop-In Session: April 15, 3:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at Morgan Hall
- Open Printing Drop-In Session: April 16, 3:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at Morgan Hall
- Tea Time with Amos: April 17, 3:00 p.m. at Zabriskie Hall, Room 306
- Documentary Film Screening, Proceed and Be Bold: April 17, 7:00 p.m. at Stratton Hall, Room 209
- Artist Talk, Talkin’ Loud and Sayin’ Nothin‘: April 18, 6:00 p.m. at Stratton Hall, Room 209
- Closing Reception and Cash & Carry, Visual Noise: April 19, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the String Room Gallery
Wells College is in Aurora, NY.
*** The New England Guild of Book Workers is presenting a lecture with Bay Area based bookbinder John DeMerritt at the North Bennet Street School on April 18 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – Building a Living Craft.
John will give a talk based on the editions of books, boxes and housings he creates for artists, galleries, fine art publishers and institutions. He will discuss how he has developed his studio practice and his origins as an Edition Binder.
Much of John’s recent commissioned work has been to create housings for digital media Art Projects. This has propelled him into new areas of edition binding that require him to embrace new technologies and expand the traditional role of the binder in terms of ‘book’ work. Using these new projects as a platform, John will discuss how working with new media and formats has simultaneously transformed his studio practice and reinforced its traditional origins.
The lecture is free and open to the public. No RSVP is required. The North Bennet Street School is in Boston, MA.
Book Arts Classes
*** On June 8 & 9, the North Bennet Street School is offering Bookbinding 101 with Amy Lapidow.
In this class, students will 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.
*** On Sunday, June 9th, The Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, MA is offering Celebration Accordion Books with Susan Porter.
Using an accordion book form, make a festive book full of surprises, packing it full of words, letters, tiny booklets, pockets, windows, beads and a range of other materials to give meaning to your celebratory wishes. Develop a concept, decide on your palette, chose a theme or occasion, then dive into a wealth of ingredients to build your book. Leave with a dramatic one-of-a-kind gift, or meaningful object to keep yourself.
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
by Elissa | Apr 7, 2018 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, April 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: Digging Deeper: A Hands-On Exploration of Tunnel Book Structures
Join us as we plumb the depths of tunnel book structures in a member-led mini workshop format similar to our ever-popular November program, Card Tricks and Book Blitz.
Bring a tunnel book you’ve made, or a model of a tunnel book structure you’ve put together, along with materials that will allow approximately six people to make a model of your structure. If you can, bring written instructions for making the model – strictly optional and extra credit, but always appreciated!
Each person who brings a book or model will have some time to share and explain what they’ve made to the group, then we’ll spend time individually exploring and creating the structures.
Please feel free to join in the fun even if you don’t have time to prepare a model tunnel book or materials. We use a similar meeting format every November and there is always enough to go around.
Warning: Tunnel book structures are addictive, and B.A.G. cannot be held responsible for other projects that may not get done once you discover the many techniques available for making these magical books!
Things to bring:
- A tunnel book you’ve made, or a model of a tunnel book structure (optional)
- Materials for 6 people to make a model of your structure (optional)
- Plain card stock for making models of structures (in case you need more materials to make models of the structures that interest you)
- Glue
- Scissors
- X-Acto knife
- Cutting mat
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Bone folder
- Awl or needle tool
The focus of our April meeting will be presenting content in a tunnel book format. However, if you are more interested in exploring one or two structures more thoroughly (rather than making several models) during the March meeting, you can bring in the following optional materials to experiment with adding visual content to those structures:
- Decorative punches
- Stamps and ink
- Pens, pencils, markers
- Decorative papers
- Collage materials such as magazine images
B.A.G. News
*** Book Arts Guild of Vermont 2018 exhibit entry forms now available!
B.A.G.’s two (!) exhibits are right around the corner. Your work never fails to amaze and impress us and we’re looking forward to seeing what new pieces you’ve cooked up.
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
- Closing: June 30, 2018
- Artist’s talk: Date TBD
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
- Closing: June 30, 2018
- Artist’s talk: Date TBD
We’re looking forward to seeing your submissions!
Book Arts News
*** The University of Southern Maine‘s 6th annual Book Arts Bazaar will be held on Sunday, April 8th from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the Wishcamper Center on the school’s Portland campus.
This festival with book artists, papermakers, bookbinders, printmakers, educators, and writers is dedicated to all things related to the book. The free event is sponsored by USM’s Kate Cheney Chappell ’83 Center for Book Arts.
Also at USM is the exhibition Borderland: Contemporary Icelandic Book Artists and Bookbinders, open now through April 30th at the UNUM Great Reading Room, 7th floor, Glickman Family Library.
Both events are free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Rebecca Goodale.
*** The Museum of Printing in Haverill, MA is having a letterpress sale on April 7th from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Among the goodies for sale:
- Tabletop presses: 5×8 Victor, 5×8 Curtis & Mitchell, 4×6 Young America
- A large selection of borders & ornaments, newly packaged in handy boxes
- Type cabinets, wood and steel, complete with drawers
- Lots and lots of type
- Furniture and reglet cabinets
- Slug cutters, book staplers, quoins with lock-up keys, a Southworth Perforator, and lots of other good stuff.
The Museum is dedicated to preserving the rich history of the graphic arts, printing and typesetting technology, and printing craftsmanship.
*** The Darmouth Book Arts Workshop is hosting the 2018 Stephen Harvard Memorial Lecture, In Defense of the Roman Letter, on Thursday April 19th, from 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public and a reception will follow.
The talk will be given by John Nash, a calligrapher, stone lettercarver, and a Fellow of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators. The Roman letter survived because it did its job supremely well. Its precarious endurance as the basis of Western writing and printing will be the subject of Nash’s talk.
The lecture is being held in conjunction with the exhibit, Will Carter and the Dartmouth Typeface. In the early 1960s, Carter was commissioned to carve a series of dedicatory inscriptions in teak panels for the newly built Hopkins Center. Those letters were adapted and expanded into a family of type fonts that became known as the Dartmouth typeface. He was invited to return to Dartmouth in 1969 as an artist-in-residence and further refined the capital letters as a titling font.
The exhibition is the chonology of events and the story of the people behind those events and is open now through June 1st in the Main Hall of Dartmouth’s Baker Library.
For more information, please contact Book Arts Workshop Letterpress Instructor Won K. Chung at won.k.chung@dartmouth.edu.
*** The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers is looking for volunteers to help teach simple bookbinding techniques and creative content. Through this event, NEGBW volunteers will be helping Cadette scouts (age 11-14) to earn a Book Artist badge and potentially inspiring future bookbinders.
The event will be held on Sunday April 29, 2018 at Camp Maude Eaton in Andover, MA. There will be two sessions, one from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
If you are interested in volunteering or have any questions, please direct them at Lauren Telepak at negbwprograms@gmail.com.
Book Arts Classes
*** On Saturday, April 28th, the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is hosting a workshop with Erin Fletcher of Herringbone Bindery, Secret Belgian Binding – Two Ways. The workshop will be held in the Multi-Purpose Room in the Wishcamper Center at the University of Southern Maine in Portland.
This workshop will explore the Secret Belgian binding (also known as Criss Cross binding) and ways to modify it. The binding is simple and easy to construct; it opens flat and is perfect for smaller text blocks. Students will complete two versions of the structure; one bound in the traditional sense and the second will offer a bit more secrecy and refinement to the structure.
Registration is available online or alternatively, you can call (207) 780-5900.
*** The Eliot School is offering Art Towards Kindness with Elisa Hamilton on Sunday, May 6th from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
We each hold the tremendous capacity to create positive change within our communities and in our world. Sometimes that cycle of positivity can begin with the smallest offering. Create a series of meaningful art objects that you can use to ignite kindness in your own life and in the lives of others.
Make a variety of handmade paper objects with paper-craft and fine art techniques, including paper bunting utilizing handmade stencils, accordion thank you notes utilizing wax resist mixed-media drawing, handmade wrapping paper utilizing custom-made stamps and hand-constructed boxes utilizing ink drawing. These simple art-making techniques can hold tremendous impact when given to others, especially as an unexpected gesture of kindness.
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
*** 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 | Nov 2, 2017 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Vermont, Workshops
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
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 pads
- Pens, pencils, markers
- Decorative papers
- Fun stuff!
October Meeting Reflections
Our 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
*** 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!
*** 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.
*** 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.
