by Elissa | Jan 8, 2021 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, January 13, 2021, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
This month’s meeting will once again be held via Zoom, an online conference program. If you’ve never attended a Zoom meeting before, check out this video – it will go over the basics of how to join a meeting.
Stay safe!
The B.A.G. Board
Program: Winter Mail Art Swap sharing and Mennonite Foldnote activity
With seventeen B.A.G. members participating in our Winter Mail Art Swap, our January Zoom meeting will be a sharing of the mail we received. If you wish to share, have your Mail Art pieces ready to hold up to the camera for a quick show and tell.
And if that weren’t enough, we’re also going to have a hands-on project! Debra Kraemer will lead us through the process of making a Mennonite Foldnote, from Creative Correspondence (2003) by Michael and Judy Jacobs.
It was supposedly designed by Mennonites to eliminate the cost of an envelope. While having thrifty motives, this simple, clever foldnote requires no measuring or cutting.
Here’s what you’ll need to participate:
- 1 sheet of 8.5″ x 11″ text weight or slightly heavier paper – plain or decorated on one side
- Ruler
- Bone folder
If you plan to attend the meeting, please contact Elissa so she can send you the Zoom meeting details.
December Meeting Reflections
December’s meeting brought the promise of light to our world with Luminaries. Ann, Penne, and Becky shed light on 3 structures and their variations that can be illuminated with a tea candle (not a real candle, folks) to brighten our winter table.
Now that the solstice has arrived, we look forward to increasing daylight and the hope that we will be sharing our table together in the future.
Thanks to everyone for participating, and special thanks to our presenters for lighting the way.
B.A.G. News
*** Support the Book Arts Guild of Vermont by becoming a member!
Big News!
Our 2021 dues have been reduced from $35.00 to $25.00 for one year’s membership since we are saving on meeting rental space.
The Book Arts Guild of Vermont is supported by its members and you have kept us going for 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 $25.00 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: $149.90 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 $25.00 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
Thank you so much for your continued support of the guild. We wouldn’t be here without you.
*** Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT is hosting Consider the Book from January 26 – March 6, in the second floor gallery.
This group show highlights the joy and diversity of book arts, featuring work from the Book Lab artists group, whose members use the book form as a means of artistic expression.
Participating artists include B.A.G. members Carolyn Shattuck, Penne Tompkins, Vera Ryersbach, Dorsey Hogg, Marcia Vogler, Ann Joppe-Mercure, Rebecca Boardman, Debra Kraemer, Marilyn Gillis, Elissa Campbell, and Judy Sgantas.
Book Arts News
*** In conjunction with the New England Chapter of The Guild of Book Workers 40th Anniversary Exhibition, the University of Southern Maine is hosting a gallery talk, A Wider Purpose: Maker Talk with Members of the Guild of Book Workers, New England Chapter on February 3rd, from 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
The exhibition features works by 30 artists, some of which were completed as early as 2004, and one of which remains in progress. Exhibitor and GBW Board Member Jennifer Pellecchia will discuss some of the challenges and advantages of moving the exhibition online. Katrina Carye, Colin Urbina, and Stephanie Wolff, will speak about the works they submitted, and the ways that current events have shaped their creative lives.
Click here to register.
*** From February 18 – 20, Book Paper Thread is hosting a free virtual conference, Form & Function From Afar, featuring presentations and demonstrations in bookbinding, book conservation, surface design, letterpress printing, and more. The roster of speakers includes Todd Pattison, Nancy Jacobi, Shawn Sheehy, Georgia Deal, and Gina Pisello.
There will be three presentations scheduled each day at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 7:30 pm Eastern Time. The presentations will be live via Zoom, with recordings available on the conference website to registered participants.
The conference website will also be hosing a virtual tips and tricks sessions, where participants can share their favorite technique, tool, or tip.
Click here to register.
*** From February 12 – May 9, the San Francisco Center for the Book is hosting the online exhibition Rising Together: an Exhibition of Zines, Artists’ Books and Prints with a Social Conscience. The show was juried by Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr., Chandler O’Leary, and Jessica Spring.
The work in Rising Together demonstrates how artist books give activism a visual voice, and can serve as powerful agents in effecting positive social change on issues encompassing social justice, power, politics, the environment and more. Rising Together showcases the potential of the book arts to engage – through messaging, through critique, through action – and to speak truth to power in an era when such truth is direly needed.
For more information, visit the SFCB website.
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering Book Biz with Karen Hanmer on January 20.
Join artist and fine binder Karen Hanmer as she shares an overview of her career and varied practice through the lens of running a business. Topics covered will include: networking; planning editioned work; pricing, exhibiting, and promoting that work; professional development; and the value of community.
For more information or to register visit the MCBA website.
*** The MCBA is also offering Roll-Up/Pop-Up Books with Shawn Sheehy on 4 Wednesdays from January 27 – February 17.
You have explored how-to books on making pop-ups. You’re ready to make your own pop-up project. You are stymied by the question: “How do I adapt these classic, foundational structures to make MY OWN structures?” This virtual workshop will help you think through that problem by exploring nine different structures at four levels: foundational, transitional, transformational, and personal.
To add to the fun, you will employ an innovative roll-up binding approach (think scroll rather than codex) for the pop-up folios. In the end you will have a tidy bound collection of study models that will propel you to the next step of pop-up invention. While all skill levels are welcome, pop-ups are technical and some basic experience may be helpful.
For more information or to register, visit the MCBA website.
*** The Center for Book Arts is offering Generative Measures: Research and Writing for Artist Books with Ellen Sheffield on February 1, 3, & 5.
This workshop will focus on non-traditional approaches to developing original content for artist’s books. A wide range of research tools will first be demonstrated to jump start ideas for projects. From these research seeds participants will respond to writing prompts and engage in experimental creative writing techniques to grow these ideas into prototypes for artist’s books.
Processes will be taught for getting text onto the pages of simple folded book structures including alternative mark making, transfers, rub-on type, stencils, rubber stamps and pressure printing.
This workshop is for visual artists who want to expand their writing skills and for writers who want to explore the artist book as a time-based medium and go beyond their usual writing practice.
For more information or to register, please visit the CBA website.
*** The San Francisco Center for the Book is offering Making Multiples: The Artist’s Book in an Edition online workshop with Matt Runkle on February 1, 8,15, & 22.
In the first of four sessions, we’ll look at an overview of artist’s books – books where form and content work together – discussing definitions, concepts, and numerous examples from the form’s history. We’ll also learn a simple book structure, which students will then develop into a “book sketch” as homework.
Students will share their book sketches in the second session. We’ll also begin talking about tools, materials, and techniques as we learn several book models and structures.
In the third session, we’ll continue to explore bookmaking techniques, as well as a couple low-tech printing techniques (stenciling, image transfers) that students can do at home. Students will be asked to make a mockup that they may hope to later develop into a more finished edition.
In the final session, students will share their works in progress. The instructor will help them address any hurdles they face on their way to completing an artist book edition, discussing strategies for furthering and expanding concepts developed during the class. We’ll wrap up by talking about some of the practical considerations when embarking on a content-based book project and how they relate to the book artist’s many roles: author, illustrator, editor, publisher, printer, and binder.
For more information or to register, visit the SFCB website.
by Elissa | Oct 9, 2020 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, October 14, 2020, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
This month’s meeting will once again be held via Zoom, an online conference program. If you’ve never attended a Zoom meeting before, check out this video – it will go over the basics of how to join a meeting.
Stay safe!
The B.A.G. Board
Program: Virtual Visit to UVM’s Silver Special Collections
At this month’s B.A.G. meeting, University of Vermont librarian Prudence Doherty will once again host our annual visit to Special Collections, but this time virtually.
Not everyone knows that we have one of the finest collections of artists’ books in the nation, right here in Vermont. Prudence will share books acquired since last March, as well as a selection of books that speak to these challenging times.
If you plan to attend the meeting, please contact Elissa so she can send you the Zoom meeting details.
September Meeting Reflections
The program for September allowed Mail Art Challenge participants to share the mail art they received. Being a total mail art junkie, I was thrilled to both receive and send a piece or two, and equally excited to see everyone else’s contributions.
The sharing was really joyous, and I think gave us all a sense of being connected in a new way. Thanks to Ann Joppe-Mercure for suggesting and organizing the challenge, and thanks to all who participated.
I hope that we can do it again, and that we have more participants to share the joy.
B.A.G. News
Elissa Campbell is teaching the Phabulous Photo Album at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT on October 17th. This is a “small batch” class that limits enrollment to 3 or 4 students, providing appropriate social distancing for health safety.
In this workshop, you will learn how to create an elegant hard-cover photo album using bookcloth and handmade paper – this is a wonderful keepsake that can hold 4” x 6” photos from your recent vacation or family holiday gathering (or perhaps your pandemic adventures).
Each participant will leave class with a completed photo album and a basic knowledge of bookbinding technique. You will receive a detailed handout and resource list for all materials we use.
No previous experience required – this is a great class for a beginner. You can even bring in your own cover materials to customize your book.
Register online or contact Studio Place Arts at (802) 479-7069.
Book Arts News
*** The Guild of Book Workers is generously offering FREE access to videos of the Standards of Excellence presentations from 1984-1993. Videos can be found at this link.
Enter the code GBW1020 during checkout to reduce the cost of a rental to $0.00. Rentals are available as streaming content for 7 days. This code will expire on October 31, 2020.
For help watching videos on Vimeo, please consult the Vimeo FAQ. For other video related questions, please contact GBW Library Chair, Jay Tanner at library@guildofbookworkers.org.
*** The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers recently had an online Show and Tell featuring bindings from Uppercase Magazine‘s Encyclopedia of Inspiration.
Todd Pattison talked about the history of the binding project, and detailed how he facilitates distributing the Encyclopedia in sheets to each group of binders. Ten binders shared the books they made for the project, including our own Marcia Vogler!
If you couldn’t watch it live, never fear – you can now watch it on the Guild of Book Workers’ Vimeo page.
*** The Book as Art Exhibit v.8 Infinity is currently on display at the Decatur branch of the Dekalb County Library through October 17th. While viewing the exhibit in-person is limited, you can access the full catalog of the show online.
Held in the hand, a book can be a source of stability in unsettled times. Tactile and olfactory, the black and white pages conjure emotions and images that endure longer than flickering light on small screens. From tablet to folio, papyrus to scroll, song to psalm – all are created as a concept that becomes thought, becomes word, becomes book, becomes sculpture.
These objects, in an increasingly digital world, stubbornly survive. The objects in this exhibition will interpret the concept of the book and invite the viewer to look beyond the printed page to where ideas, words, and symbols are transformed and are transfigurative. They are expressive, expansive and iconic. They have become form, and are infinite.
In addition, there are recordings and live streaming events associated with the show. Check out the Dekatur Arts Alliance website to view past videos. Check out the Georgia Center for the Book‘s Eventbrite page for details on upcoming live Zoom artist talks.
*** Another organization that moved an exhibit online is Designer Bookbinders. Their summer exhibition Art Book Craft (ABC) can be viewed in their online catalog.
ABC showcases some of the finest work in contemporary bookbinding and book arts in the world today. All produced by Fellows and Licentiates of Designer Bookbinders, each bringing their unique interpretation of contemporary bookbinding and book arts to the fore.
We hope ABC will not only be of interest to established, discerning bibliophiles and collectors, reaffirming the allure of the contemporary book as art but also to allow a new, wider audience the opportunity to engage with and delight in unique and exceptional bookbinding and book arts.
For more information about the exhibit, visit Designer Bookbinders website.
*** A Tradition of Generosity: A Lecture on the Wells College Book Arts Center will be presented by Leah Mackin on October 14th.
The Book Arts, as an academic and artistic discipline, relies upon historic study, preservation of materials and equipment, and contemporary documentation and discourse. This lecture will provide a virtual walk-through of the Wells College Book Arts Center programs, history and goals.
Click here to register.
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** Bay Area Book Artists (BABA) is hosting a Virtual Book Arts Jam, now through October 31st. This online celebration of the book arts features speakers, member galleries, and a marketplace where you can purchase goodies from book-related vendors and book artists.
In addition, the members of BABA are offering live online and on-demand classes. Upcoming live classes include:
October 10: Pop-Out Book with Kit Davey
Kit will guide you through the process of making this fun, easy book in just 90 minutes. Each page opens like a flower. When the book is open it takes the shape of a semisphere.
October 14: Making Bookcloth: Tips & Tricks for Best Results with Rhiannon Alpers
Making your own bookcloth is a gateway to the options for your bookmaking with color, texture, pattern, and weight. In this workshop, you’ll be lead through three different ways to create bookcloth from start to finish. We’ll also walk through many samples of finished cloth to discuss the tips and tricks for the best results for different applications.
For more information about the event, visit the BABA website.
*** Book Paper Thread is offering Kakishibu and Washi with Linda Marshall on October 24 & 25. In this workshop, you’ll be working with kakishibu, a granular persimmon dye. You’ll learn how to prepare it using different recipes.
You’ll look at the traditional Japanese uses of washi and kakishibu and discuss how to use those techniques in contemporary ways. You’ll discuss various preparation techniques and how to apply kakishibu to washi. You’ll create samples on a range of Japanese papers for future personal studio reference. Lastly, you’ll learn alternative applications, patterning ideas, and traditional and modern dye techniques.
For more information or to register, visit the Book Paper Thread website.
*** The Dartmouth College Book Arts Workshop has some online offerings this month, including the following:
October 19: Hang Out with Letterpress Printer Katherine Ruffin
The Book Arts Workshop will meet with Katherine Ruffin, Director of Book Studies Program and Lecturer in Art at Wellesley College. Katherine has published limited editions under her own imprint of Shinola Press since 1994.
She’ll be sharing views of her studio and work – especially a series of letterpress printed broadsides encouraging voting! That series of posters began in 2008, when Katherine drew inspiration from a case of wood type in her studio and carved linocut stars and stripes letterforms to spell VOTE. The same case of wood type played an important role in a series of prints she made which are portraits of her Universal I Vandercook press.
October 21: Isaac’s Mail Art Extravaganza with Isaac Feldman
Join Book Arts Workshop student assistant, Isaac Feldman ’23 for an exploration of the history of mail art from around the world and some information, ideas, and techniques in how to make your own mail art. You might want to have handy some paper, scissors, tape/glue and a tool for making creases.
For more information about these or other upcoming events, visit the Book Arts Workshop website.
*** BookArtsLA is offering Japanese Binding Duo: Flutter Book and Butterfly Book with Anne Covell on October 18th. These two Japanese bindings are both from the Heian period.
In the Flutter Book, individual sheets are pasted to hinges at the fore-edge and attached to a single cover sheet that wraps around the spine. Because the textblock is only tipped to the cover and not glued at the spine, the pages can easily be blown out by a gentle breeze, giving the book its descriptive name.
In the Butterfly Book, individual sheets are folded and pasted along a narrow strip at the spine. The cover is made in three parts: a decorative spine liner, and two laminated paper covers that are pasted and attached to the first and last pages of the textblock. When open, each pair of leaves joined by paste turns at an angle that resembles the wings of a butterfly.
For more information or to register, visit the BookArtsLA website.
by Elissa | Apr 5, 2019 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, April 10, 2019, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
We meet at the Unitarian Universalist Society Church located at 152 Pearl Street in Burlington, VT. We will be in the Sophia Fahs Community Room, a large room located in the basement. Click here for more information on directions/parking.
Program: Imagery for Books Part 3 – Decorative Stitchery with Sally Blanchard-O’Brien
In our April meeting, we will delve into a novel method for adding imagery and visual appeal to books – stitchery!
Sally Blanchard-O’Brien will lead us in an exciting exploration of the many different ways that stitching can be used as a structural element in bookmaking, as well as a decorative design element. The meeting will introduce us to a wide variety of ideas, with time to try a few different techniques.
Please bring the following:
- Sewing needles (a couple of different sizes to accommodate different types of thread)
- Thread (embroidery floss, if you have it)
- Paper piercing device (needle tool or awl if you have one, or you can just use a needle)
- Cutting mat or pad for piercing
- Ephemera, collage materials or decorative/interesting paper (optional)
We’ll also have some time to share, so please bring any books you’ve made that feature stitchery as a decorative element. The stitching can be ornamental (e.g., on the pages or covers as decoration) or structural (e.g., Keith Smith’s centipede binding or fancy Japanese stab bindings).
March Meeting Reflections
We thought we had dodged the snow, until we opened the door after the meeting – surprise! Hope everyone got home safely.
Our March meeting, Mark-Making, was another episode in Imagery for Books, our multi-month focus. Marilyn Gillis shared her story of how mark-making became a central part of her work. While explaining many different techniques and materials for making your own marks, she shared many beautiful pieces she has created using them.
For the hands-on portion of the meeting, Marilyn set up different stations with her favorite techniques and let us all try them out. Clearly, fun was had by all! There was lots of collaboration and experimenting going on with straws, pipe cleaners, and wax, just to name a few.
A big thanks to Marilyn for an exciting evening, and thanks to everyone for coming and participating!
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** Bound to Happen – B.A.G.’s annual exhibition
Our annual book arts show will be hosted by the S.P.A.C.E. Gallery in Burlington, VT. We are excited to be in a wonderful space in Burlington from June 7 – 29! The title for the show is Bound to Happen, and it’s open to any interpretation from the artists.
Here are some important dates:
- Entry due date: May 31, 2019 No Entries will be accepted after this date. Artists are encouraged to bring work and appropriate paperwork to the May 8th BAG meeting.
- Exhibit dates: June 7 – 29, 2019
- Opening reception: June 7, 2019, 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. The reception coincides with First Friday, a popular event in the South End.
- Artist’s Talk: Work will be returned to the artist at the July 10th B.A.G. meeting, at which time we will share our work.
Information for entry:
- Entry paperwork can be downloaded here.
- Entry fee will be $10.00 for up to 3 pieces.
- Work must be ready to hang or display. If you have display instructions, please include them with your entry.
- Work must have identification somewhere on the piece.
- The gallery commission is 40%, so please price accordingly.
Have questions? Please ask Marcia.
*** Post-Meeting Postcard Exchange: Use What We’ve Learned
With the end of our multi-month presentations about imagery, let’s close with a collaborative project to celebrate. We invite you to create 6 postcards to swap, and 1 to keep for yourself. They can all be the same or all different, as long as they are 4″ x 6″. Some ideas might be to pick a theme like shoes, birds, or a quote, and play around with ways of adding the imagery. Any medium can be used – take inspiration from the huge amount of techniques we have learned!
At the July meeting, we will exchange postcards with 6 others. With these original artworks, participants will create a book structure to hold the cards, and share their creation at the September meeting. Plenty of time to complete the challenge!
Here’s a recap:
- April meeting: Introduction to the Postcard Exchange project. Presentation of examples of structures to house postcards, so you can get thinking.
- July meeting: Participants bring 6 original postcards, 4″x6″, in any medium to swap. Participants leave with 6 different postcards to collect in a book structure.
- September meeting: Participants present their book structures, and we are amazed.
Let’s start making!
*** Show us what you’re working on!
As we continue with meetings that teach us more about image making the idea of sharing what we’ve learned has emerged. At each meeting we learn some skill and then go away and often explore that skill on our own. No one gets to see this private work.
Now we would like to invite participants to share their explorations into collage and mark making and stitching and whatever else strikes your fancy. We encourage everyone to bring in something you’ve been working on/experimenting with to share with others.
This is to be a very informal activity and outside the agenda of the meeting since it is so hard to accomplish everything in the two hours as it is. Works can just be put out in a designated place to provide an opportunity for informal conversation. The room is available to us beginning at 6:00 p.m. so between 6:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., we can use the space for free time or for sharing.
B.A.G. Member News
*** Penne Tompkins has work featured in The Art of Calligraphy, exhibit open through May 29th at the Gallery at the VAULT in Springfield, VT.
The exhibit includes an amazing display of artwork created by five of Vermont’s finest calligraphers. This is an opportunity to be inspired by their wonderfully diverse styles, each reflecting the artist’s love of words enhanced by their own unique art forms.
The gallery is open on Mondays from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and Wednesday – Saturday from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. For more information please email galleryvault@vermontel.net or call (802) 885-7111.
*** The international art magazine, Ceramics Art + Perception, issue #111 has published an interview on B.A.G. member Nina Gaby’s 3-dimensional memoir work in mixed-media: Ways to Tell a Story.
Congrats to Nina for the wonderful feature! Be sure to check out the article online.
*** Calling all poets and writers of all ages and experience and those who love combining words and art!
B.A.G. member and The Poartry Project founder, JC Wayne, is launching a new bi-monthly art-inspired inclusive community poetry reading series. Each reading centers on each new art exhibit at Flynndog Gallery at Burlington’s South End Station. Poets and writers are invited to visit the exhibit and write and submit a 1-page original poem or prose piece inspired by the art on display.
The first reading of work inspired by the paintings of Roger Coleman and the photography of Peter Curtis is Saturday, April 27th, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. with food and drink available for purchase from Nomad Coffee before and during the reading.
Please visit the Poartry website for important writing process details/submission guidelines. The submission deadline is April 11, 2019. If you have questions, please contact JC. For those interested in participating but may need more time, deadline extensions are available. Please encourage kids in your life of all ages to participate!
*** Elissa Campbell is teaching the Phabulous Photo Album at the Bayside Activity Center in Colchester, VT on April 18th from 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
In this workshop, you will learn how to create an elegant hard-cover photo album using bookcloth and handmade paper – this is a wonderful keepsake that can hold 4” x 6” photos from your recent vacation or family holiday gathering.
Each participant will leave class with a completed photo album and a basic knowledge of bookbinding technique. You will receive a detailed handout and resource list for all materials we use.
No previous experience required – this is a great class for a beginner. You can even bring in your own cover materials to customize your book. All tools and materials will be provided.
Registration is available online. You can also download a pdf of the registration form and mail it in with your payment.
Book Arts News
*** The University of Southern Maine‘s 7th annual Book Arts Bazaar will be held on Sunday, April 7th from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the Wishcamper Center on the school’s Portland campus.
This festival with book artists, papermakers, bookbinders, printmakers, educators, and writers is dedicated to all things related to the book. The free event is sponsored by USM’s Kate Cheney Chappell ’83 Center for Book Arts.
Carolyn Shattuck will have an exhibitor table with her artists books, so be sure to stop by and say hi!
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Rebecca Goodale.
*** On April 12th, the Book Arts Workshop at Dartmouth College is hosting the Stephen Harvard Memorial Lecture and Symposium, Touch Your Words: Teaching Indigenous Languages Through Making.
The recent purchase of metal type in the Cherokee Syllabary has prompted new interest in the Book Arts Workshop at Dartmouth College Library. With the Cherokee type and other printing and binding activity, faculty in Native American Studies, Anthropology, Linguistics, and Environmental Studies have integrated book-making projects into their courses, giving students hands-on exposure and practice in the study of indigenous languages. Over the past year, a number of students and faculty have engaged in applied learning in language revitalization with the Book Arts Workshop.
The lecture and symposium seek to bring together makers of all kinds (students, scholars, librarians, writers, artists, and printers) to exchange their experiences and knowledge in tactile learning and explore new possibilities.
Schedule of events:
- 9:30 a.m. 11:30 a.m.: Open house style workshop in the Book Arts Workshop
- 1:00 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.: Speakers in Haldeman 41
- 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.: Reception in Haldeman
Dartmouth is located in Hanover, NH. For more information, please visit the Dartmouth Library website.
*** The Museum of Printing is having a letterpress sale on April 13th from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The Museum is dedicated to preserving the rich history of the graphic arts, printing and typesetting technology, and printing craftsmanship.
Tabletop and floor presses, type, type cabinets, borders and ornaments, furniture and reglet cabinets, and all sorts of good letterpress stuff will be available.
The Museum of Printing is located at 15 Thornton Avenue in Haverill, MA.
*** Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr. will be in residence on the Wells College campus conducting a week-long series of events co-sponsored by The Wells Book Arts Center, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the String Room Gallery and the Wells College Scholar-In-Residence program.
Visual Noise features poster prints by acclaimed letterpress printer and book artist Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr. Renowned for his bold use of typography and renegade letterpress technique, Kennedy has built a forceful, witty, and subversive creative practice centered on calling attention to past and present experiences of race, labor, art, and printing. While his work is widely exhibited and held in collections, he ensures access to his posters by selling them at affordable prices. Visual Noise will culminate with a Cash & Carry event, with all posters available for purchase.
All are welcome to join Kennedy at the following public events during his residency:
- Open Printing Drop-In Session: April 15, 3:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at Morgan Hall
- Open Printing Drop-In Session: April 16, 3:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at Morgan Hall
- Tea Time with Amos: April 17, 3:00 p.m. at Zabriskie Hall, Room 306
- Documentary Film Screening, Proceed and Be Bold: April 17, 7:00 p.m. at Stratton Hall, Room 209
- Artist Talk, Talkin’ Loud and Sayin’ Nothin‘: April 18, 6:00 p.m. at Stratton Hall, Room 209
- Closing Reception and Cash & Carry, Visual Noise: April 19, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the String Room Gallery
Wells College is in Aurora, NY.
*** The New England Guild of Book Workers is presenting a lecture with Bay Area based bookbinder John DeMerritt at the North Bennet Street School on April 18 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – Building a Living Craft.
John will give a talk based on the editions of books, boxes and housings he creates for artists, galleries, fine art publishers and institutions. He will discuss how he has developed his studio practice and his origins as an Edition Binder.
Much of John’s recent commissioned work has been to create housings for digital media Art Projects. This has propelled him into new areas of edition binding that require him to embrace new technologies and expand the traditional role of the binder in terms of ‘book’ work. Using these new projects as a platform, John will discuss how working with new media and formats has simultaneously transformed his studio practice and reinforced its traditional origins.
The lecture is free and open to the public. No RSVP is required. The North Bennet Street School is in Boston, MA.
Book Arts Classes
*** On June 8 & 9, the North Bennet Street School is offering Bookbinding 101 with Amy Lapidow.
In this class, students will get a quick introduction to various bookbinding techniques by exploring three different book structures. The class begins with a simple pamphlet and continues with constructing two multi-signature books known as a flatback case binding and link stitch binding. Finally, students construct a box to house all of their creations.
This class is a great way to familiarize yourself with bookbinding and is perfect for those who are curious about the craft. All tools and supplies are provided for this class.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
*** On Sunday, June 9th, The Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, MA is offering Celebration Accordion Books with Susan Porter.
Using an accordion book form, make a festive book full of surprises, packing it full of words, letters, tiny booklets, pockets, windows, beads and a range of other materials to give meaning to your celebratory wishes. Develop a concept, decide on your palette, chose a theme or occasion, then dive into a wealth of ingredients to build your book. Leave with a dramatic one-of-a-kind gift, or meaningful object to keep yourself.
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
by Elissa | Sep 25, 2017 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Vermont
“Wardrobe Chronicles” by Carolyn Shattuck
“The Catamount Book” by Carolyn Shattuck
“The Catamount Book” by Carolyn Shattuck
“Happiness 111” and “The Blame Game” by Carolyn Shattuck
“Triple-decker” by Carolyn Shattuck
“Resilience” by Carolyn Shattuck
by Elissa | Mar 1, 2017 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, March 8, 2017, 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: Mini Leather Journals with Elissa Campbell
In this hands-on presentation, Elissa will teach you Keith Smith‘s Diagonal T’s binding, using soft leather for the cover. This three signature binding creates a lovely decorative pattern on the spine. The book also has an integrated closure that coordinates with the sewing.
Leather, paper and thread will be provided. Please bring the following with you to the workshop:
- Bone folder
- Awl
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Bookbinding or tapestry needle
Optional (for punching small holes in leather):
- Japanese screw punch
- Eyelet hole punch
- Leather hole punch
February Meeting Reflections
We packed the meeting hall that night, and spent a lovely evening running from station to station, trying out new techniques for getting images onto paper.
There were demos of packing tape image transfer, wood block printing, textural printing using ink and paint, stamping, and foam molding. Everyone dove in to experience as much as they could, and we all came away with new ideas and skills.
Thanks everyone for sharing and preparing, and we look forward to seeing your prints for exchanging at the next meeting.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** Join the Book Arts Guild of Vermont for a two-part printmaking / bookmaking challenge!
Here’s how it will work:
- Create an edition of 12-16, 6″ x 6″ prints at home; paper and techniques are up to you. Please sign your work on the front and include a title if you have one.
- Bring those prints to the March meeting to exchange with other members.
- Everyone participating will give away 11-15 prints (you keep one for yourself) and receive 11-15 new prints in return.
- Make a book incorporating the 12-16, 6″ x 6″ prints.
- Completed books will be shared at the May B.A.G. meeting.
If you are unable to join us for the March meeting, please mail 11-15 of your prints with a self-addressed and stamped return envelope by March 8th to Ann Joppe-Mercure at 10 Brookwood Drive, South Burlington, VT 05403.
After the March B.A.G. meeting, Ann will mail you your exchanged prints.
*** Announcing the Book Arts Guild of Vermont’s Annual Book Arts Show!
Our show for this year will be at SEABA on Pine Street in Burlington, during the months of July and August. This venue gives us a great exhibit space and a lot of exposure to the community.
Important dates:
- Submission deadline: June 14, 2017
- Reception: First Friday, July 7, 2017
Members and friends are invited to submit up to 3 pieces.
If you need some inspiration, you may use a loosely defined theme of Correspondence as a stepping off place. All work is welcome, though, so no need to fret about the ‘theme’.
*** B.A.G. member Marcia Vogler will be teaching a workshop at the Generator, Collage Garage: Art Among Friends, on March 9, from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. The evening will start with a discussion and demonstration of techniques and materials, and then provide open work time to explore collage and visual meaning. Expect to take home 2-3 collage pieces.
For more information or to register, please visit the Generator website.
*** Axel’s Frame Shop and Gallery in Waterbury is hosting an exhibit, The Book as Art, co-curated by B.A.G. member Marilyn Gillis. Artists included in the exhibit are B.A.G. members Elissa Campbell, Marilyn Gillis, Penne Tompkins, Ann Joppe-Mercure, Rebecca Boardman, Vera Ryersbach, Judy Sgantas, and Marcia Vogler.
An artist reception will take place on March 10th from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Axel’s is located at 5 Stowe Street.
*** B.A.G. member Marilyn Gillis‘ work is featured this month at Creative Space Gallery in Vergennes, through March 12, 2017. The show, A Visual Record: Recent Work by Marilyn Gillis, includes Marilyn’s fiber art, mixed media, and book sculptures.
For more information, please visit Creative Space Gallery’s website.
*** Issue #3 of the Vermont Art Guide includes an article about the Book Arts Guild of Vermont, Making of the Book. Written by Cynthia Close, the article highlights the work of B.A.G. members Nancy Stone, Jill Abilock, and Nina Gaby.
The magazine is available for purchase online.
Book Arts News
*** The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers is looking for volunteers for an upcoming Girl Scout event. They will be partnering with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts offering programs for Cadette scouts (age 11-14) to earn a Book Artist badge. In addition, they will run a program for younger scouts.
The event will be held on Saturday March 25, 2017 at Camp Cedar Hill in Waltham, MA. They will run a 3-hour program for Cadettes in the morning from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and then have a 2-hour program for younger girls from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. You can volunteer for just one program or make a day out of it and do both!
There will be an introduction and then five stations that the girls will rotate through which may include printing, accordion folds, a pamphlet, origami book, a scroll, decorating paper or a collaborative book, depending on the interests of the volunteers. Each rotation will last for about 30 minutes. The younger girls will have similar programming in a shorter time frame with only four rotations. If you have a book arts technique or project that you’d like to see done with the Girl Scouts please make some suggestions.
You do not need to be a member of the NEGBW to volunteer. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Todd Pattison at bookandtile@att.net.
*** On Thursday, March 9th, the North Bennet Street School is presenting a free lecture with Radha Pandey – Islamic World Papermaking.
The talk explores traditional Islamic-world papermaking history and technique, with a focus on contemporary practices in India. The Kagzi family is used as a case study to illuminate the introduction of papermaking in India and how it changed under British rule. The talk will also briefly cover how papermaking affected printing, publishing and literacy, and why it is relevant today.
Please register in advance as space is limited.
*** Now through April 30, 2017, the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is hosting the exhibit Bookbinding and the Pursuit of the Human Touch: The Work of Gray Parrot, curated by Britta Konau.
Gray Parrot began learning the ancient craft of bookbinding in 1971, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, under Master Bookbinder Arno Werner, who trained several generations of U.S. binders. While there, Mr. Parrot absorbed Mr. Werner’s work ethic and his appreciation and knowledge of time-honored materials and techniques, which to this day have directed the course of his career. After studying fine finishing techniques at the Legatoria Artistica in Ascona, Switzerland, he opened his own bindery in 1973. Except for an 8-year interlude in Massachusetts, Mr. Parrot has worked from his home in Hancock, Maine.
During the past 43 years, Mr. Parrot has been commissioned to create edition bindings for numerous private presses, including Leonard Baskin’s Gehenna Press, Dard Hunter’s Mountain House Press, Henry Morris’ Bird & Bull press, and the Khelcom/New York press of Peter Bogardus. In addition, he has produced many fine bindings and housings for rare books, as well as modern rebindings. His work may be found worldwide in major libraries and museums, as well as in many private collections.
The Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is located in Portland, Maine. The exhibit is in the UNUM Great Reading Room on the 7th floor of the Albert Brenner Glickman Library.
*** The Currier Museum of Art is currently hosting the exhibit Deep Cuts: Contemporary Paper Cutting. The exhibit, open through May 21st, showcases work by contemporary artists who reconsider, redefine and even subvert the centuries-old practice of paper cutting.
In the tradition of the craft, the art featured in the exhibition is impressive and intricate, but its subject matter is updated for the 21st century. Addressing deeper personal or social themes, the work touches upon complex reference points including the various cultural, economic and environmental associations imbued in the humble medium of paper.
The Currier Museum of Art is located at 150 Ash Street in Manchester, NH. For more information, please call (603) 669-6144.
Book Arts Classes
*** B.A.G. member Elissa Campbell is teaching Do the Dos-à-dos at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT on March 16 & 23 from 4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
The dos-à-dos (translated from the French, “back-to-back”), is a book structure in which two separate texts are bound together so that they share a central back cover. The two books open in opposite directions. This binding offers many creative possibilities in that it can be used to physically represent the relationship between two books.
In this workshop, participants will create a 2-sided journal with a double-needle coptic binding, an intricate stitch that will be visible on each of the book spines. Not only is the coptic binding beautiful, but it also allows books to remain flat when opened.
To register, contact SPA via phone (802) 479-7069 or email.
*** Masscribes is hosting a workshop with Jacqueline Sullivan, the Sumptuous Surface Collage Book on April 8 and 9, 2017. The workshop will take place at the Sportsman’s Club in Norwood, MA.
This class will be an unhurried exploration of how to develop a rich surface as pages for your books. Through a series of exercises, you’ll use simple materials – mainly paint and gesso. You’ll build layers, starting with mark making and Asemic writing. You’ll add gesso and color then cover and uncover portions of those layers. As you practice simplifying, omitting and adding text as we go, balancing visual activity and quiet, you will discover from within what leads to the best integration of our ideas and feelings. Covering, uncovering, discovering!
Your final project will be a sewn book made from one sheet of watercolor paper. The flaps and folds of this artist book make way for many creative opportunities for cut outs and collage. As you assemble your pages, you will talk about and use the elements of good design as they apply to your books.
For more information, please contact Elissa Barr or Nita Padamsee.
*** On Saturday, April 8th, the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is hosting a workshop with Todd Pattison, The Case for Leather: A “Fairly” Simple Leather-Spine Binding.
Leather can seem a bit intimidating to work with, but in this one-day workshop a simple method will be taught for using leather as a spine covering. Incorporating a technique learned by the instructor in Switzerland in the 1980’s, a variation of a case structure will be made that allows for binding with a leather spine with a minimal amount of paring or shaping.
Covering and decoration of the boards with leather will also be demonstrated. Using the technique with cloth, paper and other materials will also be discussed and demonstrated as time allows.
For more information or to register, please visit USM’s website. If you have any questions please contact Todd Pattison.
*** Axel’s Frame Shop and Gallery is hosting a free Folded Page Book Sculptures workshop on Saturday, March 18th from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Come learn an easy art activity that is fun and very relaxing.
Folded page book sculptures require no materials other than an old book or two – no set-up, no mess, and no clean-up. Your artistic voice shows through in the ways you fold the pages and decorate the sculpture. The finished book sculptures are small enough to decorate many spaces in your home, or they make terrific gifts.
Please bring 1 or 2 medium sized books to work on. This class is appropriate for ages 12+. Space is limited.
To register, please contact the gallery at info@AxelsGallery.com or call (802) 244-7801. Axel’s is located at 5 Stowe Street.
