by Elissa | Apr 7, 2016 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, April 13, 2016, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
We meet at the Unitarian Universalist Society Church located at 152 Pearl Street in Burlington, VT. We will be in the Sophia Fahs Community Room, a large room located in the basement. Click here for more information on directions/parking.
Program: Studio Support and Workshop Time
Studio Support and Workshop Time is two hours that you give yourself, in the company of fellow book- and paper-arts lovers, to learn, share and create in a supportive and encouraging environment.
The meeting will begin with some group time, both for sharing – something you’ve made, a great resource or tool you’ve found, a source of inspiration – and for asking questions or puzzling out challenges you may be having with a project or particular technique.
The remainder of the time will be devoted to creative work. Bring along a project or model from a previous meeting that you’d like to continue working on or develop further, or bring a piece of your own to simply continue working on in the company of others.
Not sure of what to bring? No worries! Every Studio Support and Workshop Time session will have suggestions, resources or materials for a project. This session will offer the opportunity to continue exploring (or discover the pleasure of making) the small lidded boxes presented by Elizabeth Rideout in March. There will be bookboard and templates available for crafting the boxes.
If you’d like to try your hand at one (or make a companion to the one you made in March), you’ll need to bring:
- A tool such as an X-Acto or scalpel capable of cutting bookboard
- Cutting mat
- Metal ruler
- Small, sharp scissors
- Glue
- Pencil and eraser
- Bone folder
- Decorative paper or book cloth for covering the box (one sheet approximately 12 x 24-inches, or two sheets of 12 x 12-inch scrap book paper)
You can also continue exploring the fun and fascinating possibilities of: Folded Page Book Sculptures (as presented by Marilyn Gillis in January), of Exquisite Corpse Books (as presented by Rebecca Boardman in May), Miniature Books (as presented by Jill Abilock in July) or rev up your creative juices and delight your friends by making collaged postcards (presented by Marcia Vogler in March).
Suggested tools and materials for these projects include:
- Drawing paper
- Pens
- Pencils
- Colored pencils
- Markers, Sharpies, Gel pens, etc.
- Glue sticks
- X-Acto knife
- Scissors
- Cutting mat
- Bone folder
- Ruler
- Magazine, calendar, catalog and other collage materials you like to work with
- Paints, inks, and rubber stamps and anything else you enjoy using for decoration or embellishment
March Meeting Reflections
The Box Making program with Elizabeth Rideout brought out a crowd eager to learn some tips from a professional. Elizabeth gave us an overview of the many sides of boxes (oh really I just couldn’t resist), their construction, uses, and opportunities for interpretation. Along with all that information, she provided us with materials and instructions to make our own mini box with lid.
We left with a sweet little reminder of the program, ready to be filled with a small treat. Thanks to all who attended, and special thanks to Elizabeth for visiting and sharing.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** The GENESIS TREE NY16 installation opened at the Nohra Haime Gallery in New York City on March 22nd. The 10′ x 14′ tree is made up of 4,000 hand-folded origami cranes, cubes and boxes.
The project, organized by Valerie Hird, was a crowd-sourced international outreach project representing diverse age groups and individuals from middle school students to retired seniors (and B.A.G. members!).
The exhibit is open now through May 9th. You can watch a video of the installation assembly on YouTube.
*** Lyna Lou Nordstrom is having a solo show at Brickworks Art Studios entitled Transitions and Variations. Pieces in the show include recent work in monotype, solarplate etching, and Jell-O print. An artist reception will be held on April 8th from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Several demonstrations will be held in conjunction with the exhibit:
- April 9: Jell-O Printing
- April 16: Monotype on the Etching Press
- April 23: Solarplate Printing on the Press
The show is open throughout the month of April. Brickworks Art Studios is located at 266 South Champlain Street in Burlington, VT (enter from the parking lot behind New England Floor Coverings/Vermont Art Supply at 277 Pine Street).
Book Arts News
*** The annual Book Arts Bazaar will be held on Sunday, April 10th from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the Wishcamper Center on the University of Southern Maine‘s Portland Campus. This festival with book artists, papermakers, bookbinders, printmakers, educators, and writers is dedicated to all things related to the book.
The free event is sponsored by USM’s Kate Cheney Chappell ’83 Center for Book Arts.
*** The Portland Public Library is hosting the exhibit Bound Together III: USM Book Arts from April 7 – 30, 2016. The show features the work of students from the University of Southern Maine‘s course, The Visual Book 2: Historical Influences in Contemporary Artist’s Books and members of the Kate Cheney Chappell ’83 Center for Book Arts Critique Group.
The pieces in the exhibit emphasize the relationship between content and form. Book formats and binding techniques include accordions, flag books, fans, pop-ups, altered books, tunnel books, and scrolls. Works include linoleum and gelatin prints, monotypes, digital prints, watercolor and acrylic painting, collage, and calligraphy.
For more information, please visit the Portland Public Library’s website.
*** The Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA is hosting the exhibit Paper and Blade: Modern Paper Cutting, now through July 31, 2016. The exhibit celebrates the pioneering spirit of artists working in cut paper.
Exhibiting artists were selected for their passion for this humble material, their masterful techniques, and their innovative approaches to working in this media, and together they will present a collective vision of the future of paper craft. Participants includes Beatrice Coron, Maude White, Randal Thurston, Nikki McClure, Elizabeth Alexander, Bovey Lee, and Charles Clary.
For more information, please visit the Fuller Craft Museum’s website.
*** Dartmouth College‘s Third Annual Edible Book Festival will take place on Monday, April 11, 2016 at Berry Library in Hanover, NH. The event was inspired by the International Edible Book Festival, which is held annually around April 1st, throughout the world.
Display and judging/voting starts at 2:00 p.m. and the winners will be announced at 5:00 p.m., followed by the eating of the entries. A panel of judges will determine the winning entries in each of three categories:
- Most Likely to Be Eaten
- Funniest/Punniest
- Most Creative
Visitors will vote for the winner in the People’s Choice category. For more information, please visit Dartmouth’s website.
*** Now through April 17th, Lesley University is presenting Reading with the Senses, an exhibition of 54 international contemporary artists’ books. The show is guest-curated by Ruth R. Rogers, Curator of Special Collections at Wellesley College.
In this exhibition, Rogers interrogates the books shown, to understand their effect upon the reader. Themes of time, space, movement, material presence, memory, language, and music are explored, and their persistence long after the viewing is over. Whether consciously or not, we are asked to read and comprehend not by text alone, but with our senses.
In conjunction with the exhibit, there will be a panel discussion on April 14th entitled What Do Books Awaken In Us? Participants in the panel include guest curator Ruth Rogers, book artist Robin Price, and SMFA librarian and artist book curator Darin Murphy. The focus will be inspired by the exhibit’s focus on how artists evoke a sensory response in their books, and how that is communicated to the reader.
Both events are being held at Lesley University’s Lunder Arts Center at 1801 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, MA.
Book Arts Classes
*** On June 25- 26, 2016, the New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers is excited to present Making Simple Finishing Tools with Jeffrey Altepeter.
For traditional design nothing really beats a collection of decorative finishing tools. But making your own tools can offer more immediate control in the design process, the ability to modify as you work, and the ability to do more unique work. Making tools is also gratifying and fun.
This workshop will offer an introduction to the materials, tools and techniques of making your own brass finishing tools for bookbinding. A combination of demonstration, discussion and hands-on practice will prepare students for continued experimentation and more advanced future projects.
The workshop will be held at Third Year Studio in Boston, MA. For more information or to register, please visit the GBW website.
*** The Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, MA is offering Pop-Up Travel Journal with Susan Porter on April 17 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Incorporate photos, tickets, labels and other ephemera from your travels to create a pop-up book. The book begins as a simple square but opens into a dramatic, multifaceted container that includes pockets, windows, pop-outs and other paper forms. A variety of media and techniques will be used including printmaking, collage, painting and drawing.
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
by Elissa | Mar 25, 2016 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding
by Elissa | Mar 3, 2016 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, March 9, 2016, 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: Box Making with Elizabeth Rideout
Join the Book Arts Guild for an evening of box-making with Boston based bookbinder and former B.A.G. chair Elizabeth Rideout. Elizabeth will show samples and discuss a variety of common structures for custom enclosures and book boxes.
Elizabeth’s presentation wouldn’t be complete without a hands-on component; everyone will build a small box model to take home.
Please bring along your favorite hand tools, including:
- Ruler
- Glue brush
- X-Acto knife or scalpel and blades
- Cutting mat
- Pencil and eraser
- Small, sharp scissors
- Bone folder
February Meeting Reflections
The opening reception of the B.A.G. spring show, BookWorks, was well attended by family, friends, artists, and students. After a short introduction about the Book Arts Guild of Vermont and the show, we all had time to chat with old and new friends, and take a close look at the wonderful work displayed.
The artists’ talks were enlightening and inspiring, and brought whole new meaning to the works – the time and effort applied, the methods and materials used, and the interplay between the concept, the ‘story’, and the structure.
Thank you all for participating in the show, and thanks to the Living/Learning Center Gallery for hosting! On to next year’s show!
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** Our Spring 2016 exhibit Book Works: Artists’ Books by the Book Arts Guild of Vermont is currently on display at the Living/Learning Center gallery at the University of Vermont until March 18, 2016.
The exhibit includes a wonderful variety of work, ranging from altered books to calligraphy, letterpressed editions to historical models.
B.A.G.’s Exhibits Chair Marcia Vogler did an amazing job of curating the show. Get yourself to the exhibit and check out the work of your fellow B.A.G. members – you won’t be disappointed!
The Living/Learning Center gallery is located on the UVM campus in Burlington, VT. Click here for directions.
If you can’t make it to the show, click here to view pieces included in the exhibit.
*** 
On March 26th, the Book Arts Guild of Vermont proudly presents the Chinese Sewing Box Book, a one-day workshop with the awesome Erin Sweeney. Erin is a dynamic teacher and artist, and fills a room with excitement and inspiration. Sign up now, as space is limited!
The Chinese Sewing Box Book is a book structure created by the amazing Hedi Kyle – made entirely of folded boxes and enclosures based on paper wallets, and used to store sewing supplies – an origami lovers’ dream! Many things can be housed in this finished structure: surprises, stories, drawings, and prints. Students will leave with one finished book, a pattern to make another, and hopefully the start of a second book!
Erin Sweeney lives and works in southern New Hampshire, where she runs Lovely In The Home Press, and teaches Book Arts and Letterpress printing at the New Hampshire Institute of Art.
Here’s the scoop:
- Date: Saturday, March 26, 2016
- Time: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Location: Ridgewood Clubhouse, South Burlington
- Cost: $75.00, including materials (payment is due in full with your registration to reserve a spot)
You can download the registration form here.
Book Arts News
*** In collaboration with Abecedarian Gallery, Saint Anselm College is presenting CONTEMPORARY BOOK ARTS: 100+ Works, an exhibit of artists’ books co-curated by Kimberly Kersey-Asbury and Alicia Bailey. The exhibit is on view at the Living Learning Commons Galleries at the college and runs now through March 16.
The exhibit includes 85 works on loan to Saint Anselm from Abecedarian Gallery, along with selections from Manchester book artist Erin Sweeney and students at Saint Anselm College. You can view the pieces included in the exhibit on the Abecedarian Gallery website.
For more information about the exhibit, please contact Kimberly Kersey-Asbury at kasbury@anselm.edu. The Living Learning Commons Galleries at Saint Anselm College are located in Manchester, NH.
*** The Movable Book Society and the Ticknor Society are hosting the Movable Book Conference at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel on September 15-17. The conference agenda is available for viewing online.
The conference includes speakers, hands-on activities, presentations, a silent auction, and a book sale. This year’s speakers include Shawn Sheehy, Matthew Reinhart, and Emily Martin. In addition, area institutions and libraries in and around Boston will be mounting pop-up “Pop-Up Book” exhibits of materials in their collections.
For more information or to register for the conference, please visit the Movable Book Society website.
*** ONE Arts Center invites the public to drop off printed single pages or small zines of creative writing to be part of a month-long art show that explores the relationship between verbal and nonverbal communication.
Bring work to the center at 72 North Champlain St. in Burlington, VT from 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The deadline for submissions is March 31.
For more information, please call (802) 338-0028.
Book Arts Classes
*** B.A.G. member Elissa Campbell is teaching Join the Fold: Origami Books at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT on March 17 from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
In this workshop, you’ll be playing in the intersection between origami and bookmaking, creating folded books that require no adhesive. Many of the forms can be created from a single sheet of paper.
One of the pieces you’ll be making can be used as either a book cover or as a signature in a sewn book, and other pieces include hidden pockets. Structures include the Blizzard Book, Crown Binding, and the Turkish Map Fold.
To register, contact SPA via phone (802) 479-7069 or email.
*** Kelly McMahon of May Day Studio is teaching Introduction to Letterpress in Montpelier, VT on Saturday, March 26 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
The cool touch of decades-old metal type. A firm two-handed impression roll for a copy proof. A deft transfer from composing stick to imposing stone. A gentle tap of the planer. Two quick twists of the locking key and the chase with form is secure. The press is inked, the guides aligned, the chase slips into position, paper is correctly placed and your very first impression is ready to print.
Participants set type, lockup and print on a Chandler and Price Pilot and a Vandercook SP-15 – we’ll be printing limited edition notesets, as well as posters! Each participant will leave with 10 cards and envelopes, and 5 8-1/2″ x 11″ posters as lifetime keepsake of their first letterpress experience.
For more information or to register, please visit the May Day Studio website.
*** The Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, MA is offering Pop-Up Travel Journal with Susan Porter on April 17 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Incorporate photos, tickets, labels and other ephemera from your travels to create a pop-up book. The book begins as a simple square but opens into a dramatic, multifaceted container that includes pockets, windows, pop-outs and other paper forms. A variety of media and techniques will be used including printmaking, collage, painting and drawing.
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
*** On April 9-10, the North Bennet Street School is offering Paper “Leather” Bindings with Fionnuala Gerrity.
Love the look of leather but hate the expense? Learn how to use paper as an alternative covering material to leather in this two-day class. This material is also great for conservation applications and for those who prefer to avoid animal products. Students make a blank book sewn on raised cords with a paper covering material molded around the spine and toned to simulate the look and feel of leather. No paring required!.
Students are responsible for supplying their own tools. A tool list will be sent at least 2 weeks prior to class start.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
by Elissa | Jul 3, 2015 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, July 8, 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: Miniature Books with Jill Abilock
When you hold a miniature book in your hand, it is like holding a jewel. Usually no bigger than three inches in height or width, miniature books have been around since ancient Babylonians inscribed cuneiform lettering on two-inch tablets beginning in around 2200 BC.
While we won’t be inscribing cuneiform letters on tiny tablets, we will explore the unique challenges and delights of creating books in miniature. Jill will share some tips and tricks as she guides us in creating a case bound book measuring just 1.5 inches tall, and, if time allows, a delightful little 1-inch accordion book.
Jill will provide all the materials (paper, board, glue, thread, etc.) for the books, but invites you to bring your favorite decorative papers for the covers if you like.
Jill will also bring extra tools, but asks that you please bring the following hand tools if you have them:
- Ruler (both a metal edge ruler for cutting and a C-thru ruler for measuring and centering, if possible)
- X-Acto knife or scalpel and blades
- Cutting mat
- Pencil and eraser
- Small, sharp scissors
- Bone folder
- Awl or needle tool
- Binding needles
- Brush for gluing
- Reading glasses, patience and a sense of adventure!
June Meeting Reflections
Our June meeting began with a showing of the exquisite corpse concept that Rebecca Boardman had presented in the May meeting. Rebecca took the art that the group had created in that meeting and turned it into two structures to show how the exquisite corpse can work. The combination of the artwork and the structure made the books fascinating to look at.
The group then played some Victorian parlor games on which the exquisite corpse is based, both with words and a combination of words and pictures. Never mind that some of us couldn’t remember the difference between an adverb and an adjective, it was both hilarious and challenging.
What’s next for the Exquisite Corpse – a group project, or a collaborative work?
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** The Creative Box Making workshop with Elizabeth Rideout presented by B.A.G. the last weekend in June was a fun and educational experience. A full studio of eager students learned first by observing Elizabeth apply her master skills an archival techniques to box making. Then with Elizabeth’s patient guidance and support we each created our own clam shell, flip top and fitted lid boxes using precut boards and beautiful papers.
We are all proud of our finished boxes and grateful for the new knowledge and techniques we acquired. It was wonderful to learn from Elizabeth, our master bookbinder, and come away with deepening friendships and new expertise with the design and construction of box making.
Thanks Elizabeth! Don’t go far, we are ready for more.
Book Arts News
*** Geographies: New England Book Work, the New England Chapter of The Guild of Book Workers exhibition, is now on view at the Dartmouth College Library in Hanover, New Hampshire through August 21, 2015.
Geographies: New England Book Work includes bookbindings and artist’s books that relate to the theme of New England created by 26 of their members. Included are classic regional texts, books that make personal connections to the region, and New England history from a variety of perspectives, among other topics.
For more information on the exhibition and the complete schedule please read the post on the chapter blog.
Book Arts Classes
*** Susan Bonthron of Otter Pond Bindery in Guilford, VT is offering two workshops during the month of July:
Gathering Evidence: The Making and Using of Notebooks will take place on July 11, from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. You will make several simple notebooks and discuss methods of “gathering evidence”, including but not limited to doodling, pen and ink & watercolor sketching, listening to poetry, pochoir, and exercises for writing and observing. Use these small, easy-to-stash notebooks to collect images, words, lists, doodles – in short, to attend to, honor and enrich your experience (and store ideas for future creative endeavors).
On August 6 – 9, Susan will hold a Book Artists’ Boot Camp. A 4-day workshop at Otter Pond Bindery, with a special concentration in “shaped drum leaf binding.” Thursday you’ll work with paper decoration techniques; Friday you’ll create a small drumleaf binding model; Saturday and Sunday you’ll work on individual book art projects with content and forms of your own devising, and private consultations with Susan.
For more information about the workshops, please contact Susan at susan.bonthron@gmail.com.
*** From January 26 – 31, 2016, Daniel Essig will be teaching Wooden Books – Greek & Centipede Binding at the North Country Studio Workshops in Bennington, VT.
Easily master the centipede stitch by first understanding the structure and workings of this ornate 7th century Greek binding. Using simple hand tools to begin, we will drill, shape, and smooth our wooden book covers. Sealing the covers with milk paint will create a leathery appearance. We will adorn our books with the centipede stitch using two different colors of thread. This elegant sewing structure, combined with wooden covers, opens a wide range of possibilities for both the beginner and the advanced bookbinder.
Applications are now available and the review process begins June 1st. For more information or if you have any questions, please visit the NCSW website.
*** The Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, MA is offering Artists’ Book Boot Camp with Annie Silverman on August 24 – 28, from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Present your photographs, prints, collages or paintings in book form. Bring 2-D imagery you have generated to incorporate into your books. Learn basic folded and sewn bindings, discover a range of hard and soft cover options, and explore how to sequence your content. Forms will include pamphlets, multiple signatures, accordions, composites, dos-a-dos and French doors.
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
by Elissa | Jun 5, 2015 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, June 10, 2015, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
We meet at the Unitarian Universalist Society Church located at 152 Pearl Street in Burlington, VT. We will be in the Sophia Fahs Community Room, a large room located in the basement. Click here for more information on directions/parking.
Program: Studio Support and Workshop Time
Studio Support and Workshop Time is two hours that you give yourself, in the company of fellow book- and paper-arts lovers, to learn, share and create in a supportive and encouraging environment.
The meeting will begin with some group time, both for sharing – something you’ve made, a great resource or tool you’ve found, a source of inspiration – and for asking questions or puzzling out challenges you may be having with a project or particular technique.
The remainder of the time will be devoted to creative work. Bring along a project or model from a previous meeting that you’d like to continue working on or develop further, or bring a piece of your own to simply continue working on in the company of others.
Not sure of what to bring? No worries! Every Studio Support and Workshop Time session will have suggestions, resources or materials for a project. This session will offer the opportunity to continue exploring the fun and fascinating possibilities of Exquisite Corpse Books, as presented by Rebecca Boardman in May. Whether perfecting the technique of creating Exquisite Corpse images for your own book or as part of the BAG Collaborative Book Project, Rebecca will lead us in a short exercise to further familiarize us with the process and get our creative juices flowing.
Have you begun creating collaged postcards to share with friends, an inspiring practice presented by Marcia Vogler in March? Come share what you’ve made and use this time to create additional collaged postcards. This Studio Support and Workshop Time is also a perfect opportunity to apply the collage techniques shared by Marcia to create exciting Exquisite Corpse images! In addition to drawing paper, you might want to bring drawing tools for Exquisite Corpse images such as:
- Pens
- Pencils
- Colored pencils
- Markers, Sharpies, gel pens, etc.
If you plan to collage, you might also want to bring:
- Magazine, calendar, catalog and other collage materials you would like to work with
- Glue stick
- X-Acto knife
- Scissors
- Cutting mat
- Paints, inks, and rubber stamps and anything else you would like to use to embellish your card(s)
May Meeting Reflections
At our May meeting, Becky Boardman introduced us to the concept of the Exquisite Corpse in preparation for a collaborative project. After showing us examples and providing us with a template, Becky encouraged participants to create a 3 part image using the size and parameters she had set up.
It’s always amazing to see what comes out of people when there is no forewarning- so expressive and free of the ‘usual’ way of working. Participants collaborated by sharing pens, paints, glue, and papers to produce some fabulous images that Becky will magically combine into an exquisite corpse structure, and share at the next meeting. As always, the group was lively and engaged with both the project and each other.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** There are still spaces left in this wonderful box making workshop – don’t miss out – email Jill now or be sure to sign up at the June meeting!
The Book Arts Guild of Vermont is pleased to announce a fun and creative weekend workshop with bookbinder Elizabeth Rideout. Creative Box Making for Book and Paper Artists will take place on June 27 – 28, from 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Participants will construct a variety of basic box structures using traditional box making materials and techniques. Pre-cut bookbinders’ board, book cloth, and decorative papers will be provided for each student to assemble and cover three different finished box styles as well as personal reference models to take home. Students will leave the workshop with a clear understanding of basic box making (design and construction) and three completed boxes including a classic dropspine box, flip-top box, and miniature box with fitted lid.
Box making is an important and FUN skill to have for any artist or art owner. I strongly believe that these skills can broaden an artist’s toolbox both creatively and professionally. Whether applied in an integrative manner or simply in efforts to protect or preserve a special object, box making enhances what we make, how we experience it, and how long it will last.
All experience levels welcome!
Dates: June 27 – June 28 (Saturday – Sunday)
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Location: Six Loons Studio at Shelburne Pond Studios, Shelburne, VT
Class fee (all-inclusive): $145.00
Space is limited, so sign up as soon as possible! Click here to download the registration form.
For further information about the workshop, please contact Jill Abilock at (802) 238-0883 or SixLoonsStudio@gmail.com.
Book Arts News
*** Geographies: New England Book Work, the New England Chapter of The Guild of Book Workers exhibition, is now on view at the Dartmouth College Library in Hanover, New Hampshire through August 21, 2015.
Geographies: New England Book Work includes bookbindings and artist’s books that relate to the theme of New England created by 26 of their members. Included are classic regional texts, books that make personal connections to the region, and New England history from a variety of perspectives, among other topics.
For more information on the exhibition and the complete schedule please read the post on the chapter blog.
*** ArtisTree Gallery is looking for submissions for their upcoming exhibit, UNBOUND: VOL V. The broad theme of UNBOUND: VOL V encompasses all of the possibilities of what we may think or may not think a “book” is.
Is it story? An entry to another world? An exploration? What does it indicate? This juried show looks to explore these ideas of “the book” and all the ways artists use its format as a stepping off point or as a material to explore new ideas.
This call for submission is open to all New England and New York residents of the U.S. who are 18 years of age or older. All artwork must be original in concept, design and execution. The deadline for submission is June 13, 2015. For more information, please visit the ArtisTree Gallery’s website.
Book Arts Classes
*** From January 26 – 31, 2016, Daniel Essig will be teaching Wooden Books – Greek & Centipede Binding at the North Country Studio Workshops in Bennington, VT.
Easily master the centipede stitch by first understanding the structure and workings of this ornate 7th century Greek binding. Using simple hand tools to begin, we will drill, shape, and smooth our wooden book covers. Sealing the covers with milk paint will create a leathery appearance. We will adorn our books with the centipede stitch using two different colors of thread. This elegant sewing structure, combined with wooden covers, opens a wide range of possibilities for both the beginner and the advanced bookbinder.
Applications are now available and the review process begins June 1st. For more information or if you have any questions, please visit the NCSW website.
*** From June 27 – 28, the North Bennet Street School is offering the Leather Satchel for Ethiopian Books with Bill Hanscom.
Learn to construct a maḫdär, the two-piece leather satchel used for transporting and storing manuscripts in Ethiopia. In this two-day workshop, using a pattern based on historical examples, students create a model of this traditional case by scoring, folding and lacing together pieces of heavy cowhide leather. The models feature many common elements: a case with flap, carrying strap, lifting cord and a telescoping slipcase cover called a difat. Participants of the Traditional Ethiopian Bookbinding workshop should bring their full leather binding, otherwise, bring a book no larger than 5 ½ x 5 ½ x 2 to build the case around. No leather paring experience required.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
*** The Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, MA is offering Artists’ Book Boot Camp with Annie Silverman on August 24 – 28, from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Present your photographs, prints, collages or paintings in book form. Bring 2-D imagery you have generated to incorporate into your books. Learn basic folded and sewn bindings, discover a range of hard and soft cover options, and explore how to sequence your content. Forms will include pamphlets, multiple signatures, accordions, composites, dos-a-dos and French doors.
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
