by Elissa | Dec 4, 2020 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Member News, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, December 9, 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: Luminaries
Our December zoom meeting will feature 3 different hands-on luminaries. We all need more light so let’s celebrate together! Gather your supplies and we will light the way. If you have luminaries to share we may have time for some show and tell.
Note: For one of the luminaries, you will need to print out this template on an 8.5″ x 11″ piece of lightweight paper in advance of the meeting.
Supplies and Materials:
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Glue stick
- X-acto knife
- Cutting mat if available
- 10 or more pieces of 8.5 x 11” text weight paper
- Larger square paper if available
- Scraps of tissue paper (optional)
- LED tea lights for illumination (can be purchased later)
If you plan to attend the meeting, please contact Elissa so she can send you the Zoom meeting details.
November Meeting Reflections
As the days slide into each other and every day seems the same, I look forward to the BAG zoom meetings as an event not to be missed!
The Card Trick and Book Blitz meeting did not disappoint. Ann Joppe-Mercure acted as the hostess, and called upon volunteers to show their simple, complicated, or just plain fun ideas for winter cheer. Pop-ups, dimensional tricks, and sweet sentiments were shared and appreciated!
Thank you all for bringing your ideas and creativity to our virtual world, and thanks to Ann for being the hostess with the mostess.
Click here to access a list of resources from the meeting.
B.A.G. News
*** Winter Mail Art Reminder
Seventeen B.A.G. members signed up for our Winter Mail Art Challenge.
This is just a reminder to mail your two pieces of mail art by December 20th and save them for sharing at our January 2021 meeting.
*** 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.
Book Arts News
*** The San Francisco Center for the Book‘s Shelter in Studio series is featuring Julie Chen on December 10th. The focus of the series is to chat with folks (SFCB Staff, instructors, and community members) about projects and processes that keep hands and minds engaged.
For more information, please visit the SFCB website.
You can view past studio tours on the SFCB Vimeo page.
*** The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers 40th Anniversary Exhibition is now available for viewing online.
Members from across the nation created a range of bindings from traditional fine bindings to creative design bindings. There are innovative artist books and sculptural pieces. The exhibit showcases the brilliant and creative community that makes up the New England Chapter.
The exhibit website features interviews with members who have served as Chairs for the New England Chapter. Each interview has been organized by a current board member to pair each Chapter Chair with another Guild member in order to create an interesting snapshot of the Chapter during the years they served in addition to speaking about their current work in the field.
*** The Bainbridge Island Museum of Art is hosting the All Sorts (No Licorice!) artist’s books exhibit at the Sherry Grover Gallery from now until December 31st.
This new rotation from the Collection of Cynthia Sears serves up an astonishing assortment of artist’s books. Included is All Sorts, a new work by Emily Martin in collaboration with Ellen Knudson. The work was conceived during Martin’s artist’s residency – inspired by the University of Florida’s collection of citrus labels.
Click here to get a video tour of the exhibit.
*** An online exhibit of bindings inspired by Quilted: From Pattern to Patchwork is now available for viewing. The book is the sixth volume in Janine Vangool‘s Encyclopedia of Inspiration series.
Ms. Vangool shared unbound copies of the book which were given to different binders who were tasked with creating unique covers based on the contents. The result is a variety of bindings using various covering materials, bookbinding structures and ornamentation techniques.
B.A.G.’s own Judy Sgantas was among those chosen to participate in the project. You can see her wonderful binding here.
Click here to check out all of the bindings.
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The Center for Book Arts is offering Embroidery On and Off the Page with Iviva Olenick on December 16th.
In this two-hour workshop, the instructor will teach students beginner and intermediate embroidery stitches that can be done on fabric or paper. We will also discuss strategies for stitching on paper versus fabric.
Finally, we will explore the creative embroidery applications for book arts: stitching to create text and images, or piercing or poking holes to make an image or text without using thread. The instructor will also offer advice for transferring drawings and/or text onto fabric or paper from a digital or printed source.
For more information or to register, please visit the CBA website.
*** The San Francisco Center for the Book is offering Finishing Tool Making with Brien Beidler on January 9, 16 & 23, 2021.
Students in this workshop will learn the basics of making finishing tools. Beginning with brass stock (supplied in the class kit), students will cut, drill, and file seemingly basic designs that can then be used to create a surprising range of patterns. They will learn to durably mount their newly cut tools into wooden handles. Thermodynamic considerations and tool blank fabrication options will also be discussed.
Finishing tools are expensive and difficult to find, so being able to make one’s own is an asset to any binder. In addition to potential savings, there is the added advantage of having a unique and personal catalog of tools. We will focus on developing tool designs that can be repeated in interesting ways to build up a variety of patterns.
Be prepared for a lot of hand filing of metal!
For more information or to register, visit the SFCB website.
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering Non-Linear Artist’s Books with Yuka Petz on January 5, 12, 19, & 26, February 2, & 9, 2021.
Explore artist’s books that defy conventional front-to-back reading. In this weekly virtual workshop, make six non-linear artist’s books, including one-sheet books, flexagons, dos-à-dos, French door, flag books, and volvelles.
Each week, learn a new book structure and techniques for adding content that works in tandem with the non-traditional bookform to create meaning. Examples of artists’ books that use these structures will be discussed. The group will also engage in brief idea generation exercises and friendly critique. Participants will have the option to exchange books with one another to begin or grow a personal collection of artists’ books.
For more information or to register, visit the MCBA website.
*** On January 20, 2021, the MCBA is also offering Book Biz with Karen Hanmer.
Artist and fine binder Karen Hanmer will share 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.
by Elissa | Nov 5, 2020 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Member News, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, November 11, 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: Book Blitz and Card Tricks
Join us for our always-popular annual November tradition: Member-led mini demonstrations in the form of a card or mini-book that we call Book Blitz and Card Tricks. Unfortunately, we’ll have our celebration of ideas without the hands-on making.
Your task – design a card or small/simple book structure that has a trick or two; maybe a pop-up, French doors or a window.
Here’s where we need YOU.
We are seeking volunteers to share a card or paper manipulation during our Zoom meeting. You will simply hold up your creation for us to see and demonstrate how you made your paper item. We can post follow up references on Chat if desired.
Please contact Ann if you are interested in sharing. The more members participate the richer our meeting will be.
If you plan to attend the meeting, please contact Elissa so she can send you the Zoom meeting details.
October Meeting Reflections
We’re getting good at Zooming!
The visit to UVM Silver Special Collections is one of my favorite meetings, and although we visited virtually, it was still a special treat. Special Collections Librarian Prudence Doherty gave us a peek into new acquisitions and books in the time of COVID-19, political upheaval, Black Lives Matter, and women’s experiences.
She pointed out how text and illustrations can be incorporated to make meaningful statements, and how structure can relate to the content and heighten the experience of viewing the book.
I want to hold all those books and cozy up with them, but unfortunately UVM has limited visitors to only staff and students for the time being. Until we can be together again, we will have to enjoy them remotely.
B.A.G. News
*** Winter Mail Art Challenge!
Our Summer Mail Art Challenge was such a success we are having an encore performance.
To participate:
- Join the challenge by emailing Ann by Wednesday November 18th.
- You will receive two participants’ names and address by November 23rd.
- Create two pieces of Mail Art and send them on their way by December 20th.
Note: Mail Art can be any sort of original envelope and/or card for creative connection….
We hope you’ll get in on the fun!
*** Elissa Campbell is teaching Find Closure at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT on November 14 (section 1) & 21 (section 2). This is a “small batch” class that limits enrollment to 3 or 4 students, providing appropriate social distancing for health safety.
Need that finishing touch for your journal? I’ve got you covered! Consider this class the equivalent of a Closure Dressy Bessy.
In each section of this class you’ll complete one soft cover, leather book with a different variation of the long stitch binding. Then comes the fun part – you’ll experiment with a variety of ways to secure those books (up to five closures per book, as time allows).
This class offers flexible learning – take one section or the other, or both! Each section offers a different binding and five different closures. In section one, you’ll explore ways to use sticks, leather, buttons, and cord. In section two, you’ll work with buttons, leather straps, magnets, and other metal hardware.
Bring your own embellishments (buttons, ribbons, etc.) that you’d like to use for closures – there will be time for discussion and problem-solving as a group.
Register online or contact Studio Place Arts at (802) 479-7069.
Book Arts News
*** On November 11th, the John J. Burns Library welcomes you to a special virtual tour of their exhibit Devoted Catholic & Determined Writer: Louise Imogen Guiney in Boston. The tour will be led by Burns Library conservator and exhibit curator Barbara Adams Hebard and Burns Librarian Christian Dupont.
Louise Imogen Guiney (1861-1920), one of only two women represented in stained-glass portraits of American authors in Bapst Library at Boston College, may have faded from the canon, yet she continues to offer a unique window into the multifaceted literary establishment of late 19th-century Boston.
Click here to register for the tour by November 9th.
*** The American Bookbinders Museum is currently hosting the online exhibit Bound for Beauty: Highlights from the Kathleen V. Roberts Collection of Decorated Publishers Bindings.
The Industrial Revolution of the 19th century made the mass-production of books possible. To promote sales, publishers produced beautifully decorated book covers known as decorated publishers’ bindings. Books were bound in colorful cloth and elaborately decorated with silver and gold, reflecting the tastes of the age.
Publishers’ use of color, style, and design was affected by social events including the Civil War, Japan’s opening to the west, and the employment of women as designers. Bindings in this exhibit reflect design influences from Victorian opulence to the Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco movements.
Click here to view the exhibit.
*** The American Bookbinders Museum is also hosting the online exhibit Celebrating the 19th Amendment: Suffragists in Print.
From Abigail Adams to Zitkála-Šá, suffragists put their sentiments into print, stating their point of view and making the arguments that eventually won them the vote. Formally organizing in the 1840s, suffrage was achieved state-by-state, with national ratification in 1920. This centennial exhibit of women writers, editors and publishers celebrates their decades of activism.
Click here to view the exhibit.
*** Tumultuous Absence, the 26th annual New Jersey Book Arts Symposium will be held online on November 5 – 6 and 12 – 13.
The symposium features speakers, panels, exhibits, artist in residence, and a chance to interact with other book artists. There will be live streamed and pre-recorded presentations, virtual studio tours, demonstrations, a virtual exhibit, and do-at-home workshops.
The event is free (including the workshops!), but you have to register to attend.
Click here to view the program, which includes a schedule of all events.
*** The Los Angeles Printers Fair, a celebration of printing, paper, and book arts is currently taking place virtually throughout the month of November.
The fair brings together thousands of visitors and over 60 vendors and practitioners of letterpress and the book arts. It is a unique gathering of graphic artists, hobbyists, print history enthusiasts and appreciators of great art.
The 2020 Virtual Los Angeles Printers Fair, while not in person, hopes to offer that same community feel, learning opportunities, and great shopping selections to stock up on prints, cards, letterpress supplies, and printing presses.
Visitors will be rewarded with daily special treats such as videos, tours, hands-on at home tutorials, printable keepsakes, vendor spotlights, special sales, weekly raffles, shopping guides, and more!
To discover everything they have in store, visit the fair website and sign up for daily or weekly e-mails notifying you of the new releases.
*** A documentary about the book arts is now available for streaming on PBS. The Book Makers profiles an eclectic group of people who have dedicated their lives to answering the question: what should books become in the digital age?
From the esoteric world of book artists to the digital library of the Internet Archive, the film spins a tale of the enduring vitality of the book.
Click here to watch the film.
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The San Francisco Center for the Book is offering From Magic Wallet to Jacob’s Ladder with Bettina Pauly on November 11 & 18.
The Magic Wallet is an oddity related to a möbius strip. The Jacob’s Ladder is a toy that is also known as ‘magic tablets’, ‘Chinese blocks’ or a ‘klick-klack toy’. It normally consists of wooden blocks held together by strings or ribbon; when the ladder is held on one end, blocks appear to cascade down the strings, and when made out of wood making a ‘klick-klack’ sound.
We will be making this structure using book board instead of wood – quieter, but still fun! In the first session, students will make a Magic Wallet; in the second session they will build on that understanding to create a Jacob’s Ladder.
For more information or to register, visit the SFCB website.
*** On November 19th, the Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering Mechanical Cards: Holiday Edition with Shawn Sheehy.
Stir a little whimsy into your holiday by creating a festive and gift-worthy set of movable, mechanical cards. Each card features a traditional movable structure that’s been adapted to accommodate the heaviness of cereal box chipboard.
You’ll build a simple wheel, a simple pull tab, and a wheel/pull tab combination. All you’ll need – aside from the cereal boxes – is scrap paper, glue, some simple tools, and your imagination!
For more information or to register, visit the MCBA website.
*** The Center for Book Arts is offering Artist Books: From Idea to Execution with Elizabeth Castaldo on Tuesdays from November 17 – December 8 (four Tuesdays).
In this workshop series, students will be introduced to the artist’s book creation process. Starting from idea and working toward execution, students will develop strategies for brainstorming and working with sequential and image-based content, bridging the gap between concept, material, process, form, and finished work of art.
Students will learn to make three book structures, accordion, pamphlet, and drum leaf binding, and then create their own one-of-a-kind artist’s book. This class is ideal for artists who want an introduction into the world of artist’s books or for those curious about artistic expression with the book form.
For more information or to register, please visit the CBA 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 | Oct 2, 2019 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, October 9, 2019, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
The October meeting will be held at UVM’s Silver Special Collections in Billings Library at 48 University Place. Click here for directions.
Please note that in October we will not be meeting as usual at the Unitarian Church in Burlington.
Program: Field Trip to UVM’s Silver Special Collections
The October meeting will be our annual visit to UVM’s Silver Special Collections hosted by our own Prudence Doherty. This year we will highlight the work of Ellen Dorn Levitt; artist, printmaker and extraordinary teacher.
The collection of her work was gifted to UVM by her husband and curated by Linda Lembke. This is not to be missed as it is a wonderful opportunity to admire and learn from the best.
Prudence will also share books with collage and sewing to reflect our postcard focus.
* Please bring a pencil, not a pen, if you plan to take notes.
Directions: UVM Special Collections is in the Billings Center. The Special Collections Library is on the second floor but we will meet in the conference room on the first floor just as you enter the front main doors. Parking available at the top of College Street across from Waterman.
September Meeting Reflections
Our September meeting was full to the brim. We first shared our postcard challenge books as each book artist explained their inspiration and techniques. The time we set aside to examine the books was rich with conversation and admiration. Well done B.A.G. members!
You can view images of the challenge books on the B.A.G. blog.
The second part of our meeting was the tag team of Meta Strick and Penne Tompkins sharing how to design creative uppercase letters. The challenge and fun began as we all took off designing our own letters with coaching and support from Meta and Penne.
Their two part workshops with lettering have made us all more aware or our style and consistency. Perfect for book artists.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** Looking for something to do this weekend? The statewide Fall Open Studio Weekend is taking place on October 5 – 6, from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. The event is a great way to combine fall foliage viewing and harvest activities with visits to artists across Vermont.
You can download a pdf of the complete Fall Event & Resource Guide from the VT Crafts Council website (this is a really big file). If you’re looking for something closer to you, county-specific maps and directions to studios are also available online.
Book artists Kelly McMahon (#74) and Elissa Campbell (#75) are both participating this time around and are conveniently located within a 5-minute drive of each other. Be sure to stop by!
Book Arts News
*** The current exhibit at UVM’s Silver Special Collections features a selection of miniature books from their Rare Book collection. Librarians and collectors often define miniatures as books that measure 4 inches or less in either direction, although the miniatures on their shelves can measure up to 5.5 inches.
Like their collection, which has grown organically rather than intentionally, books in the exhibit are diverse, ranging from a 16th-century Bible to 21st-century artists’ books. Many of the selections reflect the demand for portable and affordable reading material. The exhibit also includes miniature artists’ books that display creative and innovative ways to work within small dimensions.
Visit Special Collections on the second level of Billings Library to see the exhibit.
*** On Tuesday November 5th at 7:00 p.m., the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts will host Touching, Seeing, Knowing: Movable Books in Nineteenth-Century America, a free lecture presented by Juliet Sperling.
Juliet Sperling researches and writes about American art and visual culture from the 18th to the 20th century, with particular emphasis on the history of moving images. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 2018, and is a Faculty Fellow in American Art at Colby College.
Her current book project explores how engineered paper – books and prints with kinetic features including layered anatomical illustrations, mechanical political ephemera, and hidden-paneled religious books – revolutionized American encounters with a swiftly changing media landscape. Her research has been supported by institutions including the Luce/ACLS Foundation, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the McNeil Center for Early American Studies.
The Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is located in Portland, Maine. The lecture will be held in the University Events Room on the 7th floor of the Glickman Family Library.
For more information, please contact Rebecca Goodale at (207) 228-8014 or goodale@maine.edu.
Book Arts Classes
*** The North Bennet Street School in Boston is offering Travel Journals with Amy Lapidow on October 20th. All tools and supplies are provided for this class.
Books that fit in your pocket! Add a pen loop, picture or pocket for memorabilia. Make it waterproof with Tyvek. Tie it up with beads and buttons, or close it with a magnet. This one day workshop explores the possibilities of a versatile book that goes wherever you go.
For more information, please visit the NBSS website.
*** Also at the North Bennet Street School is Fundamentals of Bookbinding, taught by Erin Fletcher from November 4 – 8. Students will learn the foundations of bookbinding by combining hands-on exercises and discussion.
The class starts by exploring non-adhesive structures: soft cover pamphlet, Coptic, historical longstitch and link stitch. The class ends with a look at case bindings, with the creation of two hardcover flatback bindings. Students also learn different structural elements, sewing variations, covering and cutting techniques using various materials, tools and equipment.
Throughout the course discussions will cover terminology, paper grain and folding, selecting proper materials and tools, and adhesives and their properties.
For more information, please visit the NBSS website.
by Elissa | Sep 5, 2019 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, September 11, 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: Developing Your Personal Writing Style, Part 2 and Sharing Books from Postcard Swap
Our meeting will have two parts this month!
Bring in your postcard challenge book to share. Get ready to be amazed!
AND
Meta Strick and Penne Tompkins will continue our development of hand-written text on the page with an exploration of Capitals. These large single letters have many centuries of history. We will have lots of examples, and we will provide a step-by-step process for making your own fancy, dramatic initials, sometimes called versals.
For our members who have examples of Decorated Capitals that they wish to share, please bring them.
If you have been practicing your individual lettering style and would like to bring it, Penne and Meta will be happy to look at it, provide feedback, and offer enthusiastic appreciation.
Please bring the following:
- A few sheets of unlined paper
- A pencil
- Some colored markers.
- Optional: small set of pan watercolors, a brush, and a small water cup
August Meeting Reflections
Hand lettering experts Meta Strick and Penne Tompkins gave us a crash course in personalizing our own handwriting at the August meeting.
With tips and tricks, they allowed participants to feel more comfortable with their own hand lettering skills and encouraged everyone to use this new skill in art projects. But of course, the key to all of this is practice, practice, practice!
Even in the short meeting session, we saw how repetition can lead to expertise (or at least improvement).
It was a record turnout in August! Thanks to everyone who attended and participated, and a big thanks to Meta and Penne! We are looking forward to the continuation of the letter arts program in September.
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 once again participating in this year’s Burlington Book Festival on Saturday, September 28th at the Fletcher Free Library. This annual event celebrates the written word by offering readings, book signings, panels, demos, workshops, family activities, and special events.
We’ll be manning a table from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and during that time, we’ll be offering two mini workshops at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. We’re looking for volunteers to man the table for two-hour time slots – 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., and 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
We also have display space available for member work.
Please contact Marcia to volunteer and/or if you have any work to show.
*** Carolyn Shattuck has a retrospective show, Into My Space, open now through September 7th at Compass Music and Arts Center. The exhibit covers the 30+ years of her career as an artist. Work on display ranges from paintings to prints, collages to handmade books, and small to large works.
Compass Music and Arts Center is located at 333 Jones Drive in Brandon, VT.
*** Elissa Campbell recently participated in a group bookbinding project sponsored by Janine Vangool, publisher, editor and designer for Uppercase Magazine.
Vangool gave unbound copies of Ephemera, a volume in her Encyclopedia of Inspiration series, to sixteen bookbinders who had to create covers based on the contents.
Each book is unique in approach, incorporating different covering materials, bookbinding structures and ornamentation techniques. You can check out the bindings online.
Book Arts Classes
*** The North Bennet Street School in Boston is offering Secret Belgian Binding – Three Ways with Erin Fletcher on September 14 & 15. The Secret Belgian binding can be constructed quickly with few tools and virtually no equipment. It opens flat and works best with thinner text blocks.
This workshop explores the Secret Belgian structure and ways to modify it. On day one, students put together two variations of this non-adhesive structure: one with exposed stitches and one with hidden stitches. On day two, students explore modified versions of the Secret Belgian binding developed by book artist, Anne Goy by playing with the length of stitching and incorporating Tyvek.
For more information, please visit the NBSS website.
*** Also at the North Bennet Street School is Traditional Ethiopian Bookbinding, taught by Bill Hanscom on September 28 & 29. This two-day workshop will begin with a presentation detailing the traditional methods and materials of the Ethiopian scribe and bookbinder. Students will then construct two historical models.
The first will be a basic binding with bare wooden boards demonstrating the fundamentals of the unsupported link stitch, board attachment and repair, and the construction of a ləbas (a protective cloth over-cover). The second will be a full leather binding with inlays of patterned cloth and traditional endbands of interwoven leather strips.
Basic tooling techniques as well as common designs and motifs will be discussed and demonstrated. Students will be given the opportunity to decorate their bindings as time allows.
For more information, please visit the NBSS website.
*** On Sunday, September 22nd, The Eliot School of Fine & Applied Arts in Boston is offering Star Books with Cristina Hajosy.
A handmade star book can be presented as an artist’s book or as a hanging ornament. Excite viewers with the visual movement and performative qualities of this unusual book structure. Learn basic bookmaking techniques and experiment with hand-marbled papers, mixed media and collage scraps to customize your books.
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
