by Elissa | Nov 7, 2019 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, November 13, 2019, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
We meet at the Unitarian Universalist Society Church located at 152 Pearl Street in Burlington, VT. We will be in the Sophia Fahs Community Room, a large room located in the basement. Click here for more information on directions/parking.
Program: Book Blitz and Card Tricks
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
October Meeting Reflections
Oh how I love the Special Collections visit. It is my favorite meeting of the year, and this year did not disappoint. It feels so grand to be entertained by Prudence Doherty in that lovely space, and to be able to touch and devour the works she has chosen.
First off, we were served a table full of books that had elements of stitching, including some wonderful books full of quilting references and patterns. My favorite, though was the collection of poems, A Strawberry in the Snow. It checked all my boxes – letterpress, linocuts, stitching, cloth binding, beautifully engineered.
The second table setting featured the work of Ellen Dorn Levitt. In this case, the work was presented in boxes that housed her teaching materials, notes, samples, instructions, and some student work. I found it absolutely fascinating to see the organization and detail that she shared with her students. She was obviously adored by them.
All in all, another inspiring evening. Thanks to everyone who attended, and special thanks to Prudence for her time and her compelling narrative.
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 in some manner.
- 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!
*** Since B.A.G. members have expressed interest in purchasing Nancy Stone’s recently published book, 251 Vermont Vistas, she will bring copies to the November and December meetings.
Originally begun as a book arts project, Nancy painted watercolor ‘postcards’ for every Vermont town that she and her husband visited as members of the VT251 Club. A preview of some pages, with written reflections of towns, can be seen at www.nancystone.weebly.com. With sales tax, the book costs $37.44; cash or checks accepted.
These make unique holiday gifts, capturing the beauty of Vermont’s scenery in all weather and seasons.
*** Carolyn Shattuck will be showing her work at the Boston Art Book Fair from November 8 – 10, 2019.
As one of the largest art book fairs on the East Coast, this curated event will feature over 130 exhibitors, artists and publishers.
With art installations, DJs, workshops, panels, and a chance to mingle with truly innovative artists and creatives of our generation, this year’s fair invites audiences of all ages to engage in an art-filled weekend to expand their ideas about print.
The event is produced by the Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) and Bodega and will be held in BCA’s historic Cyclorama.
For more information, please visit the event website.
Book Arts News
*** Prudence Doherty notified us that the Artists’ Book Showcase with Vamp and Tramp Booksellers at UVM Special Collections on November 7th has been canceled.
*** You may be interested in the formation of a new group called New England Book Artists. They plan to meet once a month at the Central Branch of the Boston Public Library in Copley Square. The first meeting was held on November 1st and included a discussion of the direction on which the group should initially focus.
For more information or questions, please email Marie Canaves at nebookartists@outlook.com.
*** The conservation treatment of Dante’s 1477 La Commedia will be detailed in an upcoming lecture with independent book conservator Jeffrey S. Peachey. The lecture will be held on November 19 at Schlesinger Library at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA.
An examination of the remains of earlier binding structures, and decisions that lead to its resewing and rebinding in an alum tawed goatskin conservation binding will be discussed. During the treatment, evidence was found suggesting that the Inferno and Purgatorio cantiche may have circulated separately at one point. Differences between historic 15th century binding practices and modern conservation binding techniques will be highlighted, as will the difficulties of achieving a sympathetic relationship between original and new binding materials.
Observations on the history, nature and idea of conservation rebinding will conclude the lecture, followed by an audience discussion. Conservators, bibliophiles, bookbinders, librarians, Italian scholars, and anyone curious about the physical structure of books will find this lecture of interest.
Book Arts Classes
*** The North Bennet Street School in Boston is offering Surface Gilding with James Reid-Cunningham on November 10th.
Surface gilding creates a luxurious effect on a binding, creating a book that glows. This workshop will focus on techniques for decorating leather, paper, parchment, papyrus with gold leaf over large areas, even over entire boards. Participants will experiment with varieties of glaire for adhering gold; the use of masks to create designs; polishing gold leaf; sealants, coatings and sizes to preserve the gold; and methods of seamless joining of sheets of gold leaf over large areas.
For more information, please visit the NBSS website.
*** On Sunday, November 24th, The Eliot School of Fine and Applied Arts in Jamaica Plain, MA is offering Dos Equis Hand-Sewn Books with Cristina Hajosy.
Hand-bound books create unique formats for presenting photography, prints, and mixed media artworks. Learn techniques for both soft-bound and hard-bound versions of this flexible book structure. The name comes from the 2-needle stitching that crosses back and forth between the signatures or folded sections of the book interior. Decorative papers, book cloths and bead selections will be available in class.
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website.
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.
