by Elissa | Oct 9, 2020 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, October 14, 2020, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
This month’s meeting will once again be held via Zoom, an online conference program. If you’ve never attended a Zoom meeting before, check out this video – it will go over the basics of how to join a meeting.
Stay safe!
The B.A.G. Board
Program: Virtual Visit to UVM’s Silver Special Collections
At this month’s B.A.G. meeting, University of Vermont librarian Prudence Doherty will once again host our annual visit to Special Collections, but this time virtually.
Not everyone knows that we have one of the finest collections of artists’ books in the nation, right here in Vermont. Prudence will share books acquired since last March, as well as a selection of books that speak to these challenging times.
If you plan to attend the meeting, please contact Elissa so she can send you the Zoom meeting details.
September Meeting Reflections
The program for September allowed Mail Art Challenge participants to share the mail art they received. Being a total mail art junkie, I was thrilled to both receive and send a piece or two, and equally excited to see everyone else’s contributions.
The sharing was really joyous, and I think gave us all a sense of being connected in a new way. Thanks to Ann Joppe-Mercure for suggesting and organizing the challenge, and thanks to all who participated.
I hope that we can do it again, and that we have more participants to share the joy.
B.A.G. News
Elissa Campbell is teaching the Phabulous Photo Album at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT on October 17th. This is a “small batch” class that limits enrollment to 3 or 4 students, providing appropriate social distancing for health safety.
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 (or perhaps your pandemic adventures).
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.
Register online or contact Studio Place Arts at (802) 479-7069.
Book Arts News
*** The Guild of Book Workers is generously offering FREE access to videos of the Standards of Excellence presentations from 1984-1993. Videos can be found at this link.
Enter the code GBW1020 during checkout to reduce the cost of a rental to $0.00. Rentals are available as streaming content for 7 days. This code will expire on October 31, 2020.
For help watching videos on Vimeo, please consult the Vimeo FAQ. For other video related questions, please contact GBW Library Chair, Jay Tanner at library@guildofbookworkers.org.
*** The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers recently had an online Show and Tell featuring bindings from Uppercase Magazine‘s Encyclopedia of Inspiration.
Todd Pattison talked about the history of the binding project, and detailed how he facilitates distributing the Encyclopedia in sheets to each group of binders. Ten binders shared the books they made for the project, including our own Marcia Vogler!
If you couldn’t watch it live, never fear – you can now watch it on the Guild of Book Workers’ Vimeo page.
*** The Book as Art Exhibit v.8 Infinity is currently on display at the Decatur branch of the Dekalb County Library through October 17th. While viewing the exhibit in-person is limited, you can access the full catalog of the show online.
Held in the hand, a book can be a source of stability in unsettled times. Tactile and olfactory, the black and white pages conjure emotions and images that endure longer than flickering light on small screens. From tablet to folio, papyrus to scroll, song to psalm – all are created as a concept that becomes thought, becomes word, becomes book, becomes sculpture.
These objects, in an increasingly digital world, stubbornly survive. The objects in this exhibition will interpret the concept of the book and invite the viewer to look beyond the printed page to where ideas, words, and symbols are transformed and are transfigurative. They are expressive, expansive and iconic. They have become form, and are infinite.
In addition, there are recordings and live streaming events associated with the show. Check out the Dekatur Arts Alliance website to view past videos. Check out the Georgia Center for the Book‘s Eventbrite page for details on upcoming live Zoom artist talks.
*** Another organization that moved an exhibit online is Designer Bookbinders. Their summer exhibition Art Book Craft (ABC) can be viewed in their online catalog.
ABC showcases some of the finest work in contemporary bookbinding and book arts in the world today. All produced by Fellows and Licentiates of Designer Bookbinders, each bringing their unique interpretation of contemporary bookbinding and book arts to the fore.
We hope ABC will not only be of interest to established, discerning bibliophiles and collectors, reaffirming the allure of the contemporary book as art but also to allow a new, wider audience the opportunity to engage with and delight in unique and exceptional bookbinding and book arts.
For more information about the exhibit, visit Designer Bookbinders website.
*** A Tradition of Generosity: A Lecture on the Wells College Book Arts Center will be presented by Leah Mackin on October 14th.
The Book Arts, as an academic and artistic discipline, relies upon historic study, preservation of materials and equipment, and contemporary documentation and discourse. This lecture will provide a virtual walk-through of the Wells College Book Arts Center programs, history and goals.
Click here to register.
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** Bay Area Book Artists (BABA) is hosting a Virtual Book Arts Jam, now through October 31st. This online celebration of the book arts features speakers, member galleries, and a marketplace where you can purchase goodies from book-related vendors and book artists.
In addition, the members of BABA are offering live online and on-demand classes. Upcoming live classes include:
October 10: Pop-Out Book with Kit Davey
Kit will guide you through the process of making this fun, easy book in just 90 minutes. Each page opens like a flower. When the book is open it takes the shape of a semisphere.
October 14: Making Bookcloth: Tips & Tricks for Best Results with Rhiannon Alpers
Making your own bookcloth is a gateway to the options for your bookmaking with color, texture, pattern, and weight. In this workshop, you’ll be lead through three different ways to create bookcloth from start to finish. We’ll also walk through many samples of finished cloth to discuss the tips and tricks for the best results for different applications.
For more information about the event, visit the BABA website.
*** Book Paper Thread is offering Kakishibu and Washi with Linda Marshall on October 24 & 25. In this workshop, you’ll be working with kakishibu, a granular persimmon dye. You’ll learn how to prepare it using different recipes.
You’ll look at the traditional Japanese uses of washi and kakishibu and discuss how to use those techniques in contemporary ways. You’ll discuss various preparation techniques and how to apply kakishibu to washi. You’ll create samples on a range of Japanese papers for future personal studio reference. Lastly, you’ll learn alternative applications, patterning ideas, and traditional and modern dye techniques.
For more information or to register, visit the Book Paper Thread website.
*** The Dartmouth College Book Arts Workshop has some online offerings this month, including the following:
October 19: Hang Out with Letterpress Printer Katherine Ruffin
The Book Arts Workshop will meet with Katherine Ruffin, Director of Book Studies Program and Lecturer in Art at Wellesley College. Katherine has published limited editions under her own imprint of Shinola Press since 1994.
She’ll be sharing views of her studio and work – especially a series of letterpress printed broadsides encouraging voting! That series of posters began in 2008, when Katherine drew inspiration from a case of wood type in her studio and carved linocut stars and stripes letterforms to spell VOTE. The same case of wood type played an important role in a series of prints she made which are portraits of her Universal I Vandercook press.
October 21: Isaac’s Mail Art Extravaganza with Isaac Feldman
Join Book Arts Workshop student assistant, Isaac Feldman ’23 for an exploration of the history of mail art from around the world and some information, ideas, and techniques in how to make your own mail art. You might want to have handy some paper, scissors, tape/glue and a tool for making creases.
For more information about these or other upcoming events, visit the Book Arts Workshop website.
*** BookArtsLA is offering Japanese Binding Duo: Flutter Book and Butterfly Book with Anne Covell on October 18th. These two Japanese bindings are both from the Heian period.
In the Flutter Book, individual sheets are pasted to hinges at the fore-edge and attached to a single cover sheet that wraps around the spine. Because the textblock is only tipped to the cover and not glued at the spine, the pages can easily be blown out by a gentle breeze, giving the book its descriptive name.
In the Butterfly Book, individual sheets are folded and pasted along a narrow strip at the spine. The cover is made in three parts: a decorative spine liner, and two laminated paper covers that are pasted and attached to the first and last pages of the textblock. When open, each pair of leaves joined by paste turns at an angle that resembles the wings of a butterfly.
For more information or to register, visit the BookArtsLA website.
by Elissa | Nov 29, 2017 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, December 13, 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: Get Your Holiday Book Arts On: Ornament Exchange/Make a Froebel Star
Deck the halls with handmade creations! Join us in December for a meeting filled with holiday cheer, a handmade ornament exchange and a hands-on workshop to make a traditional European holiday paper star ornament.
In the first part of the meeting, Annette Hansen of Make Life Cozy will teach us to fold beautiful, three-dimensional Froebel Stars, a traditional paper decoration that graces homes in Germany and Scandinavia throughout the holiday season. Annette, who grew up in Denmark, says that paper arts are an integral part of holiday hygge (a Danish word that captures the coziness, conviviality, warmth and contentment of the holiday season).
Annette will bring all supplies, including an array of colored paper for the stars in addition to the traditional white. We’ll also explore way to join and use the stars beyond ornaments.
Tools to bring:
Once we all have stars in hand, we’ll hold the first B.A.G. handmade ornament exchange. Participation is easy: Simply hand make an ornament and bring it to the meeting (wrapped or unwrapped) to swap!
Once we’ve swapped, all makers are invited to share a little bit about their inspiration and/or process. Instructions on how to make your ornament are always appreciated but entirely optional.
November Meeting Reflections
Our November meeting was true to its title of Card Tricks and Book Blitz – Member-led Mini Workshops. We had multiple stations of creative paper play including folded stars, pop-up cards, lanterns, and folded boxlike containers.
Fun was had by all as we roamed the room collecting ideas and having hands-on fun as we made out own samples at each mini workshop.
The November meeting format has become a tradition in the Book Arts Guild. Those in attendance are already looking forward to next year.
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!
*** Book Arts Guild of Vermont 2018 Show news!
Members and friends are invited to submit work for our show at Studio Place Arts in Barre from May 22 – June 30, where we will be exhibiting in the second floor gallery. Here is our show name and description, which leaves it wide open for interpretation:
Beyond Words: Artworks by the Book Arts Guild of Vermont
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:
- Submissions: Work must be submitted by May 1, 2018. No work can be accepted after that date.
- Opening: May 22, 2018
- Closing: June 30, 2018
- Artist’s talk: Date TBD
The second show will take place in June at Frog Hollow Craft Gallery on Church Street. This will be a great opportunity to get exposure for our group in the heart of Burlington. Dates for the show have yet to be determined. Stay tuned for updates.
Book Arts News
*** 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.
*** Chena River Marblers is holding their Annual Studio Sale on December 9 & 10 from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The studio is located at 70 Justice Drive in Amherst, MA.
Marblers Regina and Dan St. John will be selling overstock works and seconds, including marbled silk scarves, ties, bow ties, sketchbooks, notepads, holiday ornaments, and marbled papers in both full sheets and small scrap bag size.
For more information, please call (413) 253-2835.
*** The Sketchbook Project 2018 is looking for people to participate in their annual collaborative art endeavor. The concept is simple – you request a blank book and then fill it with your artwork.
You can select from a number of themes, including the following:
- Underwater
- Lines and Graphics
- Long Stories with Short Endings
- No Worries
- Connections
- People I Wish I Knew
Once your book is filled, you send it back and it becomes part of the permanent collection at the Brooklyn Art Library in New York. Visitors to the library can view sketchbooks contributed by artists from around the world.
The cost is $30.00 to receive a sketchbook and participate in the project. The deadline to sign up is January 5, 2018. For more information, please visit their website.
*** The Paper and Book Intensive (PBI), an annual working sabbatical in the book arts, papermaking, and conservation, has announced its lineup of instructors for 2018:
PBI will take place from May 13 – 24, 2018 at Ox-Bow in Saugatuk, MI. The general application period begins on January 1, 2018. Applications for scholarships are being accepted now through December 31, 2017.
For more information, please visit the PBI website.
Book Arts Classes
*** On December 16 – 17, Susan Bonthron will be teaching the Coptic-sewn Hardbound Journal with paste paper covers and spine sleeves.
This is the Soul’s Kitchen journal that Paulus Berensohn taught so many of his students to make. It is 12¼” x by 9¼” and uses gorgeous Arches Text Wove paper that is suitable for writing, drawing and watercolor sketching. A journal to hold your dreams, ideas, plans, and noticings of “who else is here with us.”
For more information or to register, please contact Susan at (802) 257-0003 or susan.bonthron@gmail.com.
*** The Helen Day Art Center is offering Introduction to Bookbinding with Chiyomi McKibbin on January 27 – 28, 2018 (Sunday is optional).
On the first day of this workshop, students will learn to make an accordion book, a pamphlet stitch book, and how to fold a single sheet of paper into 7 different folded books. On the second day, students will make a portable hole-punching cradle that can be used for future stitch-bound books along with learning how to make Postal Notebooks. Supplies will be provided. Teens welcome!
The Helen Day Art Center is located in Stowe, VT. For more information about the class or to register, please visit the Helen Day Art Center’s website.
*** On February 10 – 11, the North Bennet Street School is offering Bookbinding 101 with Erin Fletcher.
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.
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.
by Elissa | Oct 5, 2017 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, October 11, 2017, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
The October meeting will be held at UVM’s Special Collections in the basement of Bailey Howe Library. Click here to download a pdf of the directions to Special Collections.
Please note that in October we will not be meeting as usual at the Unitarian Church in Burlington. In addition, the meeting will start 1/2 hour earlier than our normal meeting time, at 6:00 p.m.
Program: Field Trip to UVM Special Collections
At this month’s meeting, University of Vermont Librarian Prudence Doherty will guide us through some of the amazing artists’ books held in the Special Collections department.
Not everyone knows that we have one of the finest collections of artists’ books in the nation, right here in Burlington. Join us in a hands-on exploration that will stimulate your imagination and spark your creativity!
* Please bring a pencil, not a pen, if you plan to take notes.
September Meeting Reflections
Our very special guest, Carolyn Shattuck, presented us with a fascinating evening full of insight and inspiration. She spoke clearly about her need to express her life and experiences through the making of artist books. Why I Make Books gave us a glimpse into not only her process, but her motivation and ability to express deep emotions.
Thank you, Carolyn, for sharing all of it with us. Also, thanks to all who attended.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
Book Arts Guild of Vermont 2018 Show news!
We will have 2 shows in 2018! The first will be at Studio Place Arts in Barre from May 22 – June 30, where we will be exhibiting in the second floor gallery. The exhibit will be in conjunction with the exhibit in the main gallery, Talk to Me / Tell Me / Word.
Spoken, written, and signed language is distinctively human. There are currently 6909 living languages, though half are in danger of extinction and are expected to disappear in this century.
What do the connected sounds and symbols of words suggest for the visual arts? We’re thinking of diverse languages and letterforms (real or invented), new communication technologies, censorship, graffiti, collage, and urgent written/spoken messages. We will be creating a Tower of Babel in the center of the gallery, and welcome proposals for this structure in whole or part.
The second show will take place in June at Frog Hollow Vermont Craft Gallery on Church Street. This will be a great opportunity to get exposure for our group in the heart of Burlington.
*** B.A.G. member Elissa Campbell is teaching the Peek-a-Boo Journal at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT on October 28th from 12:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
In this workshop, participants will create a journal with a double-needle coptic binding, an intricate stitch that will be visible on the spine of the book. Not only is the coptic binding beautiful, but it also allows books to remain flat when opened. The book covers will include a cut-out window, which offers many opportunities for personalization – photos, pressed flowers, theater tickets – if it’s flat, you can use it.
To register, contact SPA via phone at (802) 479-7069 or email.
*** If you missed the visit to the Book Arts Workshop at Dartmouth College a few months ago, here’s your second chance. Debra Kraemer has kindly set up another visit for the BAG members for November 18, 2017. More details to come, so save the date!
We will be visiting Rauner Special Collections Library to see a selection of handmade books from their and the Sherman Art Library collections.
Book Arts News
*** On Tuesday, October 10th, Peter and Donna Thomas (a.k.a. the Wandering Book Artists) will stop by the North Bennet Street School to share their one-of-a-kind artist books.
In honor of the 40th anniversary of making their first book, Peter and Donna are traveling across the country visiting exhibits that commemorate their work.
You can read more about their adventures on their blog.
*** Clemente Orozco, director of Impronta Casa Editora, an independent book publisher and cultural venue in Guadalajara, Mexico, specializing in hand-printed books, will be giving a public lecture at Dartmouth College called Arts of the Book and Book Artists in Mexico: A Panoramic View.
Orozco, a Dartmouth graduate of the class of 1985, has had a long career as an artist. In addition to overseeing design and production at Impronta, Clemente illustrates many of the books and has many years of experience as a printer, book designer, and artist in both the United States and Mexico.
The lecture will take place in the Current Periodicals Room at Baker Library on Wednesday, October 18th from 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. with a reception to follow.
On October 20th, from 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., Clemente will be printing at the Book Arts Workshop (in Baker Library, right around the corner from the Orozco murals).
Dartmouth College is located in Hanover, NH.
*** On October 20, 2017, the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts will host Fresh Cuttings, a lecture with Béatrice Coron. The artist will discuss her exploration of storytelling in artist books, installations, and public art.
Coron’s cut designs are made of paper, glass or metal and range in size from small to monumental. Her work is held in collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and the Library of Congress.
The Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is located in Portland, Maine. The lecture will be held from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. in the University Events Room on the 7th floor of the Glickman Family Library.
For more information, please contact Rebecca Goodale at (207) 228-8014 or goodale@maine.edu.
*** From November 3 – December 22, the North Bennet Street School will host Heroic Works, the third International Bookbinding Exhibition from Designer Bookbinders in the United Kingdom. The exhibit includes 28 prizewinning bindings and 9 works by binders from the United States.
184 binders from 31 countries participated in the competition by binding a book of their own choosing on the theme of myths, heroes, and legends. These works reflect a remarkable range of styles, materials, and approaches to great classics of world literature, as well as modern texts.
The exhibit is free and open to the public on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. The North Bennet Street School is located in Boston, MA.
Book Arts Classes
*** On Saturday, October 21st, the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is hosting a workshop with Béatrice Coron, Cutting Edges. The workshop will be held in the Multi-Purpose Room in the Wishcamper Center at the University of Southern Maine in Portland.
During this intensive class of serious fun, participants will discover the incredible variety of applications of this art form from fine arts to public art commissions. Through different exercises students will learn how to adapt reference images into papercuts and produce works as different as black and white scenes, color collage, pop-ups, wearables, and stencils.
Cutting different papers and experimenting with scale, we will keep an open mind to adapt them to other materials and explore new territories. Tips, tricks and resources will be provided. No experience necessary.
For more information, please contact Rebecca Goodale at (207) 228-8014 or goodale@maine.edu.
*** The Eliot School is offering Bookbinding Sketchbooks with Johanna Finnegan-Topitzer on Sunday, October 29th from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Make a custom blank book for sketching, writing or collecting images or photographs. Cut, fold and bind pages using the “sewn on tape” binding method. This yields a board-bound book in which the spine is uncovered, revealing the folded edge of the folios connected by decorative stitching over French tape.
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
*** On November 18 & 19, the North Bennet Street School is offering Italian Tacketed Stationery Bindings with Katherine Beaty.
During this workshop, you will explore the structure of early Italian tacketed stationery bindings based on the Medici family account book collection at Harvard Business School’s Baker Library. From the 14th through the 19th centuries, tacketed stationery books were used for day, letter, and account books. These books were designed for daily use and had to live up to the task.
In this 2-day workshop, you will construct the most common style of tacketed stationery binding: a limp vellum binding with laced overbands and a fore-edge flap. The textblock will be sewn over split thongs, which will lace through the front cover and be secured under the overbands. The cover will be reinforced with stiff leather overbands, secured to the cover with decorative alum tawed lacings. During this workshop, you will discuss terminology, binding variations, and examine images from the Medici collection.
Participants should have previous bookbinding experience, and be comfortable using paper, parchment, and leather.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
