by Elissa | Jan 7, 2024 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, January 10, 2024, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
This month’s meeting will be held IN PERSON!
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.
We are offering a Zoom option for those unable to attend in person. If you’d like to attend the meeting over Zoom, please contact Elissa and she’ll send you the link.
We hope to see you there!
The B.A.G. Board
In continuing with our tradition of choosing a theme for our meetings every year, the B.A.G. Board has selected the theme of It’s a Wrap! Classic Covers, Clever Closures, and Fabulous Finishes for 2024. We’ll focus on ways for you to amp up the presentation of your work.
The presentation of your work can absolutely make a difference in how your audience perceives it. Adding careful details and thoughtful treatments requires extra effort, but can bring extra appeal and personal satisfaction.
This year, we’ll explore many ways of finishing or adding to your work with covers, containers, and other detailed elements. We will discuss methods for creating elements that work with the structure and content of your book and give it extra polish.
Get ready, because it will be an exciting year!
Program: Diagonal Pocket Folder with Penne Tompkins
To kick off our 2024 theme of It’s a Wrap, B.A.G. member Penne Tompkins will demonstrate one of her favorite things to fold – the Hedi Kyle Diagonal Pocket Fold structure. It’s a simple and elegant form that can be used as an enclosure or wrap.
This structure is so simple, one only needs a piece of paper, however as we will be adding a small folio a few other bits are needed. A bone folder can be handy, but one’s thumbnail is okay too.
Tools and materials:
- Paper: One sheet of text weight or slightly heavier paper; magazine covers work well as the glossy finish holds a nice crease (I have a collection of The New Yorker covers that I use frequently). Gift wrapping paper is another good recycle option. In the finished product, only one side is visible so a decorative sheet with one plain side makes a lovely finished piece.
- Size: the ideal ratio for this shape is 3:4 although other ratios will work so long as the width to height ratio is close to 3:4.
- Using a letter size sheet of copy paper, you would trim it to be 8.25″ x 11″
- For a larger overall size, 9″ x 12″ or 12″ x 16″ will work
- For the folio insert:
- 3 sheets of text weight paper measuring 3.5″ h x 5″ w
- Punching tool (awl)
- Needle
- Thread
We are offering a Zoom option for those unable to attend in person. If you’d like to attend the meeting over Zoom, please contact Elissa and she’ll send you the link.
December Meeting Reflections
Our December B.A.G. meeting was full of card tricks and camaraderie. It was our second hybrid meeting and we continue to learn how to make this work for everyone. Some who met in person marveled at how long it had been and how great it was to be together again in real life.
Several members shared clever movable/pop-up card ideas. More of us are learning how to present through Zoom. For those who don’t know, the people meeting live at the church view the demonstrations on a screen so they are seeing the same thing that everyone at home sees on their computer or other device.
Still to learn is how to improve audio communication between the live meeting and the virtual meeting. As time goes on we will determine what seems best for Book Arts Guild of Vermont.
In the meantime we look forward to It’s a Wrap!, the first meeting for this year’s theme of containers, enclosures, and finishing touches. We look forward to seeing you then! And Happy New Year!
B.A.G. Library Corner
A new year is like a blank page to make your own, and in her book The Decorated Page, Gwen Diehn shows us how to customize a blank book for whatever ideas we have in mind. Try removing, adding, or dividing pages; changing the spine; or lamination. What other ideas do you have for your blank page?
You can check out and download the selection here.
If you have ideas for books to feature or if you have a B.A.G. library book in your possession from which you’d like to share something, email Sally at salblanch@gmail.com.
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 fifteen 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, future 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:
- Zoom subscription: $159.90 per year
- Vimeo subscription: $84.00 per year
- Rent: $50.00 per month when we can return to in-person attendance
- Presenter honorarium: $35.00 per meeting
- Website and email newsletter: $100.00 per year
- Presenter reimbursement for supplies: Varies
We hope that you will renew your membership to help us with our annual expenses. You can download our membership form and send it in with your payment by check of $35.00 made out to the Book Arts Guild of Vermont:
Book Arts Guild of Vermont
c/o Ann Joppe-Mercure
10 Brookwood Dr
South Burlington, VT 05403
You can also pay your dues using Venmo – our account is BAGofVT, listed under businesses.
Thank you so much for your continued support of the guild. We wouldn’t be here without you.
*** Elissa Campbell will be teaching the Peek-a-Book Journal at CraftStudies in White River Junction on Sunday, January 21.
Create a journal with a double-needle Coptic binding, an intricate stitch that is 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, you name it!
All materials and tools will be provided.
For more information or to register, please visit the CraftStudies website.
Book Arts News
*** Helen Hiebert‘s membership program, The Paper Year, is open for enrollment now through January 9. Not only will you get to work on a new paper project each month, but you’ll also get access to all past projects from previous years (going back to 2021!). If you’re interested in learning more, visit Helen’s website.
Helen is also holding her annual Weaving Through Winter during the month for February. From February 1 – 28, you’ll be creating a weaving each day as you explore a variety of papers and weaving techniques. Helen describes the experience as a Daily Practice/Challenge/Adventure/Meditation.
For more information or to register, please visit Helen’s website.
*** Registration is open now through April 15 for the Paper and Book Intensive, an annual working sabbatical in the book arts, papermaking, and conservation for seasoned practitioners and motivated beginners.
For more than thirty years, participants have gathered together from around the world for two weeks of daily workshops to promote unusual levels of exchange, knowledge and inspiration. This year’s instructors include Ben Blount, Jeff Peachey, Mary Sullivan, and Erin Sweeney.
For more information or to apply, please visit the PBI website.
*** Save the date! The Focus on Book Arts conference is taking place June 26 – 30, 2024 at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, OR. Registration will open in March.
Offering a diverse and exciting series of hands-on workshops – along with a Trade Show, Artists’ Fair, Keynote Speaker, Faculty-Staff Exhibit, and several evening receptions – the FOBA conference will offer a variety of enjoyable, interactive, in-person opportunities for networking and learning new skills in book arts.
For more information about this year’s workshops, check out the FOBA website.
*** Abecedarian Gallery is accepting submissions for Printed Page IV, an exhibition to be held at Spark Gallery in Denver’s Art District from March 28 – April 21, 2024.
This is a national juried exhibition, open to artists at least 18 years of age. Eligible are any hand-crafted book-works (editioned or unique) that utilize a form of traditional hand printed media as primary element. The deadline for submissions is February 12, 2024.
For more information, please visit the Abecedarian Gallery’s website.
*** Artists using books as a medium are invited to enter Books Undone 2: The Art of Altered Books. They anticipate a diverse exhibition of book forms that stretch the idea of the altered book. With books as a medium, artists may deconstruct, paint, stitch, photograph, bend, roll, collage, knit, digitally rework, gouge, or use other methods to create their works.
The exhibition will take place at the Gallery at the Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, PA and the juror is Scott McCarney.
Entries will be accepted from February 1 – 29, 2024. The exhibition dates are May 30 – July 21, 2024, with a public reception on June 2.
For more information, please visit the Gallery at Penn College website.
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The Center for Book Arts is offering the Drum Leaf Binding and its Precedents with Scott McCarney on 3 Tuesdays, January 23, 30, and February 6.
Drum leaf binding and its various precedents all create a lay-flat structure ideal for displaying photographs and prints. This workshop will explore three techniques – a Japanese Album, a Japanese Butterfly book, and a Drum-Leaf binding – which all have similarly easy and ingenious modes of assembly.
After learning these structures, participants will then case their Drum-Leaf books into easily assembled quarter-cloth covers with throw-back spines. Since each page spread is a single folded folio, participants can print their images across the gutter with no interruption, making these techniques very popular with printmakers and photographers. Once completed, these books lie flat when opened, making them easy and comfortable to view. No previous bookbinding experience required!
Fun Fact: Drum leaf binding is a structure developed by artist and bookbinder Timothy Ely. He was inspired by his studio of vellum binding in England, where he observed how vellum was drummed to boards to minimize pulling.
For more information or to register, please visit the CBA website.
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering the Illuminated Tunnel Book with Elaine Chu on January 31.
The tunnel book is a paper book structure based on an accordion fold. A set of paper panels – which can be decorated in infinite ways including collage, cut paper, found images, rubber stamps, and drawings – are layered to create a sense of depth, drama, and perspective.
LED lights may be added to increase the sense of depth and drama. Instruction for this virtual workshop will include examples and step-by-step instructions for creating the tunnel book structure.
For more information or to register, please visit the MCBA website.
by Elissa | Aug 5, 2021 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, August 14, 2021, 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
This month’s meeting will be the opening reception for our members exhibit at the Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild. The gallery is located at 430 Railroad Street, #2 in St. Johnsbury, VT.
Don’t worry if you can’t make it to the exhibit – all of the work will be photographed and put on our website.
We hope to see you at the gallery!
The B.A.G. Board
Program: B.A.G Exhibit Opening Reception at Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild
The Book Arts Guild of Vermont is proud to present our group show for 2021, THE ART OF THE BOOK: IS IT A BOOK?
Here are the juicy details:
The members’ show will run from August 6 through September 18, 2021, in the Back Room Gallery at Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. The opening reception will be on August 14 from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. and will take the place of our regular meeting.
At the reception, artists will have the opportunity to speak about their work, so if you would like to share, please be prepared.
July Meeting Reflections
For the wrap up of our Text Me! theme, we asked members and friends to share work they have done based on techniques and ideas we have learned from previous meetings.
It was exciting to see the variety and quality of work produced! We can’t wait to see some of these pieces in person at the show in August.
Thanks to all who shared and listened.
B.A.G. Library Corner
It’s time to wrap up our text theme and what better way than with the Lively Art of Lettering feature from Somerset Studio magazine.
The January/February 2010 issue features the work of three artists: Jane Harrison-Williams turns the English alphabet into a whimsical animal menagerie; Linda Schneider paints figures from words in what she calls “penned personas;” and Joyce Bank pairs art with a love of tea, creating “book ghosts” from tea bag pages. All three have creative ways of utilizing text in their work that showcases their unique expression.
If you have ideas for books to feature or if you have a library book in your possession you’d like to share something from, email Sally at salblanch@gmail.com.
You can check out and download the selection here.
B.A.G. News
*** The exhibit Mixed States, recent work from sisters Nina and Sari Gaby, runs September 2 – 29 with a reception and artist talk Sunday September 26, from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at The Little Theater Café Gallery. The gallery is located at 240 East Avenue in Rochester, New York.
Nina’s collage is based on book imagery, referencing mood, terrain, geography, and the always changing landscape of visual narrative.
For more information, please visit The Little Theater website.
*** Elissa Campbell is teaching the Travel Companion Journal on August 26 at the Swanson Inn in Waitsfield.
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 journal will include pockets both inside the covers and in the text block, allowing you the opportunity to save lots of stuff from your travels – tickets, photos, pressed flowers – you name it!
All materials and tools will be provided. Lunch and snacks are also included in the fee – all you have to do is show up!
For more information, please visit the Swanson Inn website.
To register, please contact the Inn at stay@swansoninn.com.
Book Arts News
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is hosting The Art of Korean Paper, an online artist talk and demonstration with Aimee Lee on Wednesday August 18th. Lee is an artist, papermaker, writer, and the leading hanji (Korean handmade paper) researcher and practitioner in North America.
While studying papermaking in the US, Aimee noticed a gap in paper history and decided to research, learn, and teach Korean papermaking to fill that gap. She will show examples of her artwork featuring hanji in her presentation and demonstrate the ancient papercraft of noyeokgae, known colloquially as jiseung, the process of cording and twining hanji.
For more information or to register, visit the MCBA website.
*** The Newport Paper and Book Arts Festival is being held online this year and registration for the festival itself is free! You will have full access to the NPBAF community, including mini lectures, artist talks, a live Art and Happy Hour Zoom gathering plus a space to chat and share with other festival goers. In addition to the free content, there are lecture and studio workshops available for purchase.
Lecture workshops will be live streamed with students watching the instructor work through a process, technique or structure. The instructor will take you through all the steps, pass along some great tips and tricks, and provide you with a materials and tools list. The lecture will be recorded and you will have access to watch it as many times as you like until February 1, 2022.
Studio workshops will be live streamed and designed for you to work along with the instructor. Your materials fee has two parts: the materials themselves plus the cost to ship them in a USPS flat rate box. There is also a student supply list of materials and tools you will need to gather before the workshop. The lecture will be recorded and you will have access to watch it as many times as you like until February 1, 2022.
To register for the festival, please visit the NPBAF website. To view the festival brochure, please click here.
*** If you missed the virtual Focus on Book Arts conference that was recently held online, you’re in luck – much of the content is now available online through the end of August:
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The Jaffe Center for Book Arts is offering Magic Box of Mysteries with Keri Miki-Lani Schroeder on August 19 & 26, and September 2.
Mystify and mesmerize with this magic box of mysterious toys and tricks! In this workshop you will learn the secrets of this hidden compartment, magic wallet box. Open the magic box to reveal hypnotizing optical paper toys. Then close the box and open again to unveil an entirely different set of paper toys, including a volvelle, flexagon, and thaumatrope. How does it work, you ask? Through the magic of book arts, all will be revealed.
For more information or to register, please email John Cutrone at jcutrone@fau.edu.
*** The Center for Book Arts is offering How to Conceptualize and Create an Artist Book with Maria Veronica San Martin on August 23 – 25.
During this intensive project-based remote course, students will learn “how to think and create an artist book” by examining their concept, aesthetic, and techniques. The course will be taught from the artist’s studio and will start with a brief exploration of what an artist book is, followed by demonstrations of an accordion book structure (dos-a-dos); the technique of monoprints on plexiglass, zinc or copper (a form of printmaking that produces a unique print) for images and/or text, and the final creation and construction of a flag book.
Students will be able to create their own artist book in four sessions with a final critique. No prerequisites needed, but ideally participants should have some book arts knowledge or experience.
For more information or to register, please visit the CBA website.
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering Single-Page Books: The Next Level with Rosae Reeder on August 25th.
Single-page books, also called flutter-fold books, are extremely versatile folded structures that can be used to make books, zines, and unique formats for written greetings. These books are created by folding and cutting paper, incorporating simple elements of origami with principles of bookbinding.
These small wonders can be used as one-of-a-kind works or in multiples to create structures that twist, turn, and further expand this already-interesting construction. In this one-day virtual workshop, learn how to fold a series of ten single-page books, as well as other folded structures as time allows. Some experience folding paper or binding books is helpful but not required.
For more information or to register, please visit the MCBA website.
by Elissa | Aug 4, 2018 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, August 8, 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: Studio Support and Workshop Time…Upcycled Coptic-Bound Artist Journal Continued
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 is 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.
In June, Jill Abilock led us in creating Coptic-bound artists journals from upcycled library books and shared an alternative method for attaching covers to Coptic-bound books. During this studio support session, Jill will be on hand to guide us through the the steps needed to finish the Coptic-bound journals we started during the June meeting. Please be sure to bring the materials (text pages, covers, template and thread) that Jill provided in June. If you were unable to attend the June meeting, Jill has a few extra kits available, and can share the basics of her unique cover attachment method as time permits.
To work on the Coptic journals, please bring the following tools:
- Scissors (to trim your thread)
- Awl, pin vise or needle tool
- Old phone book, cutting mat or punching pad
- Bone folder
- Curved bookbinders or upholstery needles (four) (if you have them – if not, there will be needles available to borrow)
Request to more experienced members: Not everyone has specialized tools, like an awl, curved needles, or a bone folder. If you happen to have extra, it would be wonderful if you could bring them in to share with a neighbor who doesn’t. Thanks!
But wait, there’s more!
In addition to the planned Coptic fun, Elissa Campbell will also be bringing in her advance copy of Hedi Kyle‘s much-anticipated book The Art of the Fold: How to Make Innovative Books and Paper Structures.
This book is not due to hit stores until October, so this is your chance to check it out before getting it for yourself.
July Meeting Reflections
OH wow. I am reflecting all of the awesomeness that our group has produced! It’s so bright, like a huge full moon in the summer sky.
The meeting was filled with positive energy, fueled by the talented artists who shared their work from our two shows. It’s so inspiring to find out the story behind each piece, the skill required, and the thought process each artist takes to create their art and to express their ideas.
Thank you, all you talented people, for sharing your intent, work habits, quirkiness, etc. We look forward to next year’s show! And in the meantime, it is always welcome at our meetings to show something you’re working on, to ask questions, get feedback, or simply bask in the admiration of others. That’s what we’re here for.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** The Book Arts Guild of Vermont is proud to be participating in this year’s Burlington Book Festival on October 12 – 14, 2018 at the UVM Alumni House Silver Pavilion. This annual event celebrates the written word by offering readings, book signings, panels, workshops, demos, family activities, and special events.
The Book Arts Guild has been enthusiastically invited to exhibit original works at the festival to introduce the community to book arts and increase awareness of our organization. We will have an exhibit during the evening opening ceremonies on Friday, October 12 as well as on Saturday, October 13 throughout the day. During the exhibit time, we have also committed to demonstrating various book structures (not hands-on workshops).
In addition to very generously providing the Book Arts Guild exhibit space free of charge, the Burlington Book Festival is also offering Book Arts Guild members the opportunity to sell original artists’ books and book-related work with no commission or fee.
Here are the opportunities for participation:
- Exhibit/Sell Artists’ Books:
You can submit new work or something you have previously exhibited. If you would like to submit work for the exhibit, please download the entry form and bring it, along with your work, to the September 12th Book Arts Guild meeting. If you cannot attend the meeting but would like to submit work, please email Jill Abilock by Monday, September 10th to make arrangements to get your work to her.
- Volunteer at the Book Arts Guild exhibit and/or help with set up and/or break down:
Book Arts Guild Exhibit volunteers at the at the 2016 Burlington Book Festival found the experience fun and rewarding. Opportunities at the upcoming festival include:
–> Friday evening set-up
–> Saturday morning set-up
–> Exhibit Volunteer (2 – 3 hour shift)
–> Saturday evening break down
Please email Jill if you would like to volunteer!
*** Other Alphabets: Dimensional Memoir is BAG member Nina Gaby’s solo show opening on September 7th in the Rebecca Lawrence Gallery at the AVA Gallery and Art Center. Gaby currently works in mixed-media, focusing on single edition artist books which explore the intersection of narrative and object.
The show runs through October 3rd and offers a two-day workshop in conjucntion with the show where participants will concieve and construct their own dimensional memoir in words and clay.
The AVA Gallery and Art Center is located at 11 Bank Street in Lebanon, NH.
For more information visit AVA’s website.
*** B.A.G. member Elissa Campbell was recently accepted to teach at the 2019 Focus on Book Arts conference in Forest Grove, OR. The conference is held very other year and offers workshops taught by the very best in the fields of bookbinding, printing, decorating papers, paper making, books design and publishing.
In addition, she was also accepted to teach in the summer of 2019 at the Morgan Conservatory in Cleveland, OH. The Morgan Conservatory is the largest arts center in the United States dedicated to every facet of papermaking, book arts and letterpress printing and to cultivating the talents of established and emerging artists.
*** Chelsea Linder over at the Artists’ Mediums Art Shop wanted us to pass along that as a framer, she (obviously) cuts archival matboard. If you’ve got small projects or things that don’t require heavy bookboard, you can get archival 4 ply mat pieces for super cheap. Chelsea mentioned that she’s got many small pieces (5×7’s @ 5¢ and 8×10’s @ 10¢ each).
The Artists’ Mediums Art Shop is located at 286a Old Route 15 in Cambridge, VT.
Book Arts News
*** The New England Chapter of The Guild of Book Workers is hosting a gilding demonstration on Thursday, August 9th from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Dust off your tools and break out your gold. Recent North Bennet Street School graduate Jon Simeon presents an informal summer weeknight gilding demo at the Washington Street Art Center. Come see what he’s working on and get an up close tutorial on French gilding techniques. An onlay tutorial may follow if there’s time.
Admission is $10.00 per person at the door. Please note that this is a demonstration only event.
The Washington Street Art Center is located at 321 Washington Street in Somerville, MA. For more information please call (617) 623-5315.
*** ArtisTree Gallery‘s 8th annual juried exhibit, UNBOUND: VOL VIII is open now through August 25, 2018.
The broad theme of UNBOUND: VOL VIII encompasses all of the possibilities of what we may think or may not think a “book” is. Is it story? An entry to another world? An exploration? What does it indicate? This juried show looks to explore this idea of “the book” and all the ways artists use that format as a stepping-off point or as material to explore new ideas.
Big congratulations to B.A.G. members Marcia Vogler, Dorsey Hogg, Nina Gaby, and Debra Kraemer for having their work juried into the exhibit!
For more information, please send an email to gallery@artistreevt.org or visit the ArtisTree Gallery’s website.
*** The New England Chapter of The Guild of Book Workers will hold its annual meeting at Dartmouth College on August 10 – 11. On Friday evening, there will be a tour of the Rauner Special Collections Library followed by a reception with light refreshments. On Saturday, participants are invited to attend two half-day workshops with Bill Hanscom and Sarah Smith. The annual meeting will take place during lunch.
Here’s the scoop on the workshops:
Freestyle Composition with Sarah Smith
In this visit to the Book Arts Workshop at Dartmouth College we’ll make letterpress printed posters/decorative paper. One of our Vandercook presses will be set up with a large wood type word cloud and another Vandercook will be set up with a smattering of relief images from our eclectic collection. We’ll get creative with the layering of prints between the presses and you’ll go home with a bunch of fun papers to work with on your books (or to hang on the wall)!
Blizzard Books with Bill Hanscom
Learn to make three variations of Hedi Kyle’s Blizzard Book: The Blizzard Book, Blizzard Pocket, and Blizzard Boxes. Participants will use a variety of utilitarian and decorative papers to fold up wonderful structures that are part book, part container with lots of potential for artistic experimentation and decorative embellishment. You will also have the opportunity to use rubber stamps and stencils to add some color and excitement to your origami creations.
The workshops are limited to 20 participants, but all members are welcome to attend the annual meeting on August 11th. Please register for lunch if you plan to only attend the meeting. To register, please click here.
For more information, please visit the NEGBW website.
*** From June 11 – October 1, 2018, the John J. Burns Library at Boston College is hosting the exhibit Dreams of Art & Glory: Book Arts by the Roycrofters.
Roycroft, a reformist community of craftspeople and artists, was created by Elbert Hubbard in 1895, in the village of East Aurora, NY. The artisans who worked there were known as Roycrofters. When Hubbard was unable to find a publisher for his book Little Journeys, he set up a private press to print the book himself, founding Roycroft Press.
His championing of the Arts and Crafts philosophy of work attracted many craftspeople to East Aurora, and he formed a community of printers, furniture makers, metalsmiths, leathersmiths, and bookbinders.
The exhibition focuses on the printing and bookbindings executed by the Roycrofters, and includes an array spanning the modest *Little Journeys* pamphlet series, to beautifully printed and hand-decorated text-blocks, as well as books bound in stunning modelled leather bindings.
The John J. Burns Library is located at 140 Commonwealth Avenue in Chestnut Hill, MA.
Book Arts Classes
*** Sunset Lodge Workshops is hosting Hand Bookbinding with Juliayn Coleman from September 2 – 8. Sunset Lodge is located on Lake Damariscotta, ME.
In this hands-on bookbinding workshop, you will make one simple nonadhesive book each day. The structures will range from the earliest binding styles to contemporary, and they are geared towards beginner through intermediate skill level.
In addition to the binding, you will explore at least 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 bookbinding.
Workshop space is limited to 12 Hand Bookbinding students. A list of bookbinding tools and what to bring will be sent upon registration.
For more information and to register, please contact Noah Kahn by email or call (510) 427-0297.
*** The Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, MA has two book arts classes coming up this fall. Here’s the scoop:
Paper Marbling with Cristina Hajosy will take place on Sunday, September 16th from 9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Create beautiful swirls and mottling colors on paper with several forms of marbling. Learn Turkish- style marbling on water thickened with carrageenan (Irish moss). Experiment with a range of materials, colors and papers to create lovely, unique designs.
Marbled paper is striking when used as book end papers, portfolio covers, and more. Beginner to advanced students welcome.
Wild Journals with Susan Porter will take place from October 4 – November 8. Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Create colorful, textured art journal pages, using paint, printmaking techniques, stamping, stenciling and collage. Transform your pages into intricate, multilayered surfaces. Add dimensions by cutting and folding. Add extensions, pop-outs, windows and pockets. Make each page a one-of-a-kind canvas for words, drawings, images and photographs. Bring a blank journal; all other materials will be provided.
For more information about the classes, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
by Elissa | Mar 12, 2013 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, March 13, 2013, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
DATE CHANGE: PLEASE NOTE THAT WE NOW MEET ON THE SECOND WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH.
There will be no change in location – we meet at the Unitarian Universalist Society Church located at 152 Pearl Street in Burlington, VT. We will be in the Sophia Fahs Community Room, a large room located in the basement.
Click here for more information on directions/parking.
Program: Mindfulness and Responsibility: Self-Ownership and Public Display of Poem Books with Donna Stepien
Join us in March when Donna Stepien shares the impact of incorporating a mindful presence in the classroom as a catalyst for the self-empowerment and creative ownership of students.
Donna will share poem books created by students in her junior- and senior- level college typography courses. Each book included a poem that had deep personal meaning for the student, on such topics as passion, war, reaction to an abortion, autobiographical description of miscarriage, and struggle with gender identity. As part of the assignment, students were required to read aloud the poem they chose and describe their response to it.
When Donna saw the content of the books included controversial and sensitive topics, she realized her role would be to facilitate self-awareness of students’ vulnerability, personal exposure, and accountability in their artwork, both to themselves and to the audience.
Students presented their – and responded to others’ – work with maturity, empathy, professionalism, respect and interest. Afterwards many expressed their thanks for the book project, saying that it helped them realize capabilities they didn’t know they had.
Reflections on February’s Meeting
At our February meeting, Dorsey Hogg shared a slice of her artistic life, and gave us a view of how moving to another country provided her with both inspiration and practical applications for her book projects.
As she discussed her work, she passed her pieces around, allowing members to handle and appreciate the pleasures of her multiple accordion, flag, and woven paper structures. Her use of recycled materials like movie posters and how she came across them gave us all new ideas on how to work with materials at hand.
At the end of the evening, we made our own multiple accordion structure under Dorsey’s tutelage, and took away both a model and inspiration.
Thank you, Dorsey, for providing us with an evening of insight and wonderment.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** Our 2013 meeting dates are:
- March 13, 2013
- April 10, 2013
- May 8, 2013
- June 12, 2013
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- September 11, 2013
- October 9, 2013
- November 13, 2013
- December 11, 2013
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*** B.A.G. is happy to announce that our 2013 spring exhibit, There’s No Place Like Home, will be hosted by Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT. The show will take place at the same time as an exhibit on children’s literature in the Main Floor Gallery.
The exhibit will be in SPA’s Third Floor Gallery from June 4 – July 6, 2013. The deadline for submissions is April 10, 2013. Registration forms will be available both at the meeting on 3/13/13 and on the website.
Members are encouraged to submit work for this exciting show. This is a great opportunity to get your work out there, whether you are a first time exhibitor or a seasoned artist. The theme is very accessible, and brings up many references that are unique to each person.
Beyond the reference to The Wizard of Oz, the idea of ‘home’ can suggest family, rooms, objects, memories, and dreams, just to mention a few. Start now with some brainstorming and word association techniques presented by Stephanie Wolff at the September meeting, and generate content for your book.
Book Arts News
*** On Saturday, March 16th, the New England Guild of Book Workers member Sam Ellenport will be hosting a viewing some of the most spectacular bindings ever created. Member and collector Philip Maddock has been intrigued by the creation and, ultimately, the destruction of the original Irish Parliamentary Bindings. He will speak about the replicas, which have been created with bookbinder Trevor Lloyd and toolmaker Stewart Field.
The Irish parliamentary records were bound in spectacular fashion in the 18th century, and have been viewed by many as one of the astounding achievements in the history of bookbinding. After they were destroyed when the Records Office was blown up in 1922, the only evidence of them was from rubbings and photographs. Philip has worked for years identifying the tools, having them cut, and working with Trevor Lloyd to create replicas. On display with these bindings are others from the 18th century, as well as many of the tools used for decoration.
Time: 10:00 am
Location: Club of Odd Volumes
Address: 77 Mount Vernon Street, Boston, MA 02108
The visit is free for members of the New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers. To register for the visit please email bookandtile@att.net.
*** Aimee Lee, a Korean-American artist and Fulbright scholar, will be giving a free lecture at the North Bennet Street School in Boston, MA on April 4th from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Lee will share her search to learn more about traditional papermaking and its related crafts. Hanji, Korean handmade paper, although relatively unknown outside Korea, provides key links among other papermaking styles and traditions. Her recently published book, Hanji Unfurled: One Journey into Korean Papermaking is available through The Legacy Press.
Aimee Lee is an interdisciplinary artist who works in paper, book, performance and installation arts. She holds a BA in Visual Arts from Oberlin College, an MFA in Interdisciplinary Book and Paper Arts from Columbia College Chicago and conducted post-graduate research on hanji in Korea on a Fulbright grant.
Registration to attend the lecture is available online.
*** Open now through May 28th is the exhibit A Place of Reading: Three Centuries of Reading in America in Neilson Library Level 3 at Smith College.
A Place of Reading illuminates the places in which early Americans read books, newspapers, and other publications. It features books, prints, broadsides, watercolors, lithographs, etc., from the collections of the American Antiquarian Society (AAS). The exhibition was curated by Cheryl Harned, a history graduate student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
A supplementary exhibition, Cultivating the nobler part of her nature: Books for Women and Girls in Early America is also on view outside the Mortimer Rare Book Room, just down the hall from the Book Arts Gallery. The exhibition showcases the sorts of books read by the fairer sex: cookbooks, books on bicycling (proper for women? what to wear?), biographies of women, health and beauty tips, travel accounts, and more. This exhibition was curated by seniors in the Book Studies Concentration at Smith.
For more information about either exhibition, please contact Barbara Blumenthal via Email or phone: (413) 586-2906.
Book Arts Classes
*** The biennial Focus on Book Arts Conference (FOBA) has announced their 2013 workshop lineup. This year, the conference has expanded to include five days of workshops for both the beginning and the experienced bookbinder.
Workshops include:
In addition to the workshops, you can schedule a 20-minute one-on-one session with gallery owners and studio artists Alicia Bailey and Laura Russell. Alicia will offer one-on-one critique sessions of your work and Laura will separately offer consultations on the business and marketing side of being a book artist.
Another new offering this year is the opportunity for you have professional photographs taken of your work during the conference. Local professional photographer Stephen Funk will be on-site Wednesday and Sunday to photograph your work. He has offered to schedule 30-minute sessions, enough time for 2 to 6 shots, depending on your work.
Registration is now open. Elissa Campbell has attended FOBA three times and will be going this year – feel free to contact her with any questions. The conference is held in Forest Grove, OR.
*** Book Arts at the Stone House will be offering workshops from July 29 – August 4, 2012 in Freeport, Maine. Spend seven days beside the sea attending a series of book arts related workshops, filled with a wide range of topics including monotype prints, book binding, inventive fold books, book design, calligraphy, sewing, and narratives.
During this course, each participant will have the opportunity to work with 8 different instructors in half-day and full-day workshops. Every participant will be exposed to a variety of approaches and opinions from a stimulating group of professional artists.
Please visit the website for more details on the location and how to register.
*** The Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, MA is offering Leather-Bound Coptic Books on 2 Sundays, March 10th & 17th from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. This simple, elegant, exposed–spine, sewn book dates back to the 2nd century AD. Learn the basics of coptic binding to create a beautiful leather–covered blank book.
Registration is available online. For more information, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
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