by Elissa | Sep 3, 2021 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, September 8, 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: Make a Zine and Prepare to Swap!
September brings a different kind of energy to life, doesn’t it? Let’s get together and make a zine!
In our June meeting, Emma Percy introduced us to zine culture and showed us examples from their collection. Now is our chance to practice the craft.
Our own Amy Burns will share some of her own comic zines and ideas on how to create your own. We will then make a one page fold book together, that can be printed on any home printer, and share a variety of versions to stimulate your creativity.
Ann Joppe-Mercure will introduce a new mail art challenge with a Zine Swap, that will enable us to see each other’s work in real life.
Here’s what you will need:
- A print out of this template at actual size
- 2 – 4 sheets of plain 8.5″ X 11″ paper
- Drawing/writing tools – your favorite pen is good, markers, etc.
- Subject matter – optional, but if you want to start some content, it’s nice to have a subject
B.A.G. Library Corner
Summer is ending, the holidays will be here before we know it, and with another mail art challenge on the horizon it’s a good time to review our envelope making skills. In her book Ultimate Cardmaking, Sarah Beaman shows us three different ways of crafting handmade envelopes.
The tutorials show how to use a template, trace an existing envelope, or create a pillow envelope to house three-dimensional contents. These easy to follow instructions will be sure to inspire the perfect enclosure for any mail art creations.
If you have ideas for books to feature or if you have a library book in your possession you’d like to share something from, email Sally at salblanch@gmail.com.
You can check out and download the selection here.
B.A.G. News
*** Now through September 25th, the Book Arts Guild of Vermont’s group show, THE ART OF THE BOOK: IS IT A BOOK? will be on view at the Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.
NEKAG is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. and is located at 430 Railroad Street.
Our reception is being rescheduled, at which time we hope that participating artists will be able to speak about their work. Stay tuned for more information.
*** Speaking of our exhibit, be sure to check out page 50 in this week’s issue of Seven Days. We received a great review:
A current show at the Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild in St. Johnsbury, were it an actual book, would have to be called a page-turner. Unputdownable. A best seller.
Our own Ann Joppe-Mercure also got a special mention for her work Written in Stone.
Can’t get your hands on a copy of the paper? Never fear – you can read the issue online.
*** The Rochester Public Library‘s 10th anniversary international exhibit, Art of the Book & Paper, is open now through November 1. The opening reception will be held on September 29 from 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
B.A.G. members Carolyn Shattuck, Debra Kraemer, and Dorsey Hogg have work that was juried into the exhibit. Dorsey’s pieces Bound to History won 2nd place and Delicious won Honorable Mention, both in the Altered Books category.
All of the work can be viewed in the online exhibit program.
Book Arts News
*** The Vermont Folklife Center is currently accepting applications for its Vermont Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program. The program works to sustain and pass down traditional art forms (bookbinding included!) in the state of Vermont .
The purpose of the program is to provide funding to help compensate the master artist for their time and to cover the cost of travel and of materials used during the apprenticeship. Accepted master artist/apprentice pairs are supported with up to $2,000.00 of funding.
Applications for the 2021-2022 cycle are due by September 17, 2021. For more information and to access the application, please visit the VFC website.
*** The Museum of Printing in Haverill, MA is offering free admission on September 18 as part of Smithsonian Magazine’s 17th annual Museum Day.
The museum is dedicated to preserving the rich history of the graphic arts, printing and typesetting technology, and printing craftsmanship. In addition to many special collections and small exhibits, the museum contains hundreds of antique printing, typesetting, and bindery machines, as well as a library of books and printing-related documents.
The on Museum Day, the museum will be hosting the Alphabet Factory, an interactive printing experience for all ages. While admission is free, you will need a Museum Day ticket for admission. Each ticket is valid for two visitors. You can download a ticket here.
September 18th is also the day of the museum’s Garage Sale. There will be lots of letterpress items for sale – printing presses, printing equipment, metal cuts, halftones, books, and other goodies.
*** The third annual Peace Paper Project street intervention will take place at City Hall Park in Burlington on Saturday, September 25 from 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Johnny LaFalce and Drew Matott with their bicycle powered paper pulp beater team up with A Revolutionary Press to pedal-pulp contemporary issues into messages of empowerment, peace, and love.
The public is invited to hand pull a sheet of paper made from a unique blend of pulped material and fibers. The identity of the mystery fiber source in the pulp vat will be revealed that day. A Revolutionary Press will set up its mobile letterpress print station for those wanting a free print on this paper. The selected quote will relate to the mysterious material incorporated in the pulp mixture.
*** The American Precision Museum in Windsor is hosting a temporary exhibit from now until September 13. Letters and Stitches features rarely seen typewriters and sewing machines from the museum collection.
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The Jaffe Center for Book Arts is offering Moving Circles: Volvelles with Stephanie Wolff on September 18.
Volvelles, sometimes known as wheel charts, have a centuries-long history. They have been used in historic books, in promotional materials, and in devices to aid computation. Two or more circles turn to show information through cut out windows. This workshop covers a basic version of a volvelle and discussion of variations and ideas about incorporating content.
Our focus in this workshop will be on making models and learning how these function in order to create more complex and finished versions after the workshop. Volvelles are fun to make as cards, personalized gifts or to include in artists’ books.
For more information or to register, please email John Cutrone at jcutrone@fau.edu.
*** The Center for Book Arts is offering Suminagashi Marbling with Sheryl Oppenheim on September 21.
Suminagashi is the oldest form of marbling, dating back to at least the 12th century. It is totally distinct, both in material and methods, from the size-based marbling practiced in Turkey, Iran, and Europe.
In this class you will learn about the history of Suminagashi, materials, and techniques, and you will each work at home to make your own Suminagashi marbled paper.
For more information or to register, please visit the CBA website.
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering the Slotted Tape Binding with Rachel Schend on September 28.
In this virtual workshop, learn how to construct a Slotted Tape Binding, a multiple-section binding sewn on tapes (thin strips paper) that features a decorative paper cover. Learn how to sew book pages onto paper tapes using a French web-sewing technique. Then, make a paper cover while considering a number of unique design possibilities.
Each technical step in the process will be demonstrated and participants will come away with a completed book. Some historical background and design alternatives will also be presented.
For more information or to register, please visit the MCBA 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 | Apr 7, 2018 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, April 11, 2018, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
We meet at the Unitarian Universalist Society Church located at 152 Pearl Street in Burlington, VT. We will be in the Sophia Fahs Community Room, a large room located in the basement. Click here for more information on directions/parking.
Program: Digging Deeper: A Hands-On Exploration of Tunnel Book Structures
Join us as we plumb the depths of tunnel book structures in a member-led mini workshop format similar to our ever-popular November program, Card Tricks and Book Blitz.
Bring a tunnel book you’ve made, or a model of a tunnel book structure you’ve put together, along with materials that will allow approximately six people to make a model of your structure. If you can, bring written instructions for making the model – strictly optional and extra credit, but always appreciated!
Each person who brings a book or model will have some time to share and explain what they’ve made to the group, then we’ll spend time individually exploring and creating the structures.
Please feel free to join in the fun even if you don’t have time to prepare a model tunnel book or materials. We use a similar meeting format every November and there is always enough to go around.
Warning: Tunnel book structures are addictive, and B.A.G. cannot be held responsible for other projects that may not get done once you discover the many techniques available for making these magical books!
Things to bring:
- A tunnel book you’ve made, or a model of a tunnel book structure (optional)
- Materials for 6 people to make a model of your structure (optional)
- Plain card stock for making models of structures (in case you need more materials to make models of the structures that interest you)
- Glue
- Scissors
- X-Acto knife
- Cutting mat
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Bone folder
- Awl or needle tool
The focus of our April meeting will be presenting content in a tunnel book format. However, if you are more interested in exploring one or two structures more thoroughly (rather than making several models) during the March meeting, you can bring in the following optional materials to experiment with adding visual content to those structures:
- Decorative punches
- Stamps and ink
- Pens, pencils, markers
- Decorative papers
- Collage materials such as magazine images
B.A.G. News
*** Book Arts Guild of Vermont 2018 exhibit entry forms now available!
B.A.G.’s two (!) exhibits are right around the corner. Your work never fails to amaze and impress us and we’re looking forward to seeing what new pieces you’ve cooked up.
Here’s the scoop on the exhibits to refresh your memory:
Beyond Words: Artworks by the Book Arts Guild of Vermont will be held at Studio Place Arts in Barre from May 22 – June 30, where we will be exhibiting in the second floor gallery. Here’s the description for the exhibit:
Books can take on a language of their own, as shown in the multimedia work of this group of artists that use shape, structure, and materials to get their message across.
Important dates:
- Entry deadline: May 9, 2018. Click here to download the entry form.
- Opening: May 22, 2018
- Closing: June 30, 2018
- Artist’s talk: Date TBD
The Art of the Book will be held at Frog Hollow Craft Gallery on Church Street from June 1 – June 30. This will be a great opportunity to get exposure for our group in the heart of Burlington. Since the theme of the show is wide open to interpretation, you are free to submit the work of your choice.
Important dates:
- Entry deadline: May 22, 2018. Click here to download the entry form.
- Opening: June 1, 2018
- Closing: June 30, 2018
- Artist’s talk: Date TBD
We’re looking forward to seeing your submissions!
Book Arts News
*** The University of Southern Maine‘s 6th annual Book Arts Bazaar will be held on Sunday, April 8th 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.
Also at USM is the exhibition Borderland: Contemporary Icelandic Book Artists and Bookbinders, open now through April 30th at the UNUM Great Reading Room, 7th floor, Glickman Family Library.
Both events are free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Rebecca Goodale.
*** The Museum of Printing in Haverill, MA is having a letterpress sale on April 7th from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Among the goodies for sale:
- Tabletop presses: 5×8 Victor, 5×8 Curtis & Mitchell, 4×6 Young America
- A large selection of borders & ornaments, newly packaged in handy boxes
- Type cabinets, wood and steel, complete with drawers
- Lots and lots of type
- Furniture and reglet cabinets
- Slug cutters, book staplers, quoins with lock-up keys, a Southworth Perforator, and lots of other good stuff.
The Museum is dedicated to preserving the rich history of the graphic arts, printing and typesetting technology, and printing craftsmanship.
*** The Darmouth Book Arts Workshop is hosting the 2018 Stephen Harvard Memorial Lecture, In Defense of the Roman Letter, on Thursday April 19th, from 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public and a reception will follow.
The talk will be given by John Nash, a calligrapher, stone lettercarver, and a Fellow of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators. The Roman letter survived because it did its job supremely well. Its precarious endurance as the basis of Western writing and printing will be the subject of Nash’s talk.
The lecture is being held in conjunction with the exhibit, Will Carter and the Dartmouth Typeface. In the early 1960s, Carter was commissioned to carve a series of dedicatory inscriptions in teak panels for the newly built Hopkins Center. Those letters were adapted and expanded into a family of type fonts that became known as the Dartmouth typeface. He was invited to return to Dartmouth in 1969 as an artist-in-residence and further refined the capital letters as a titling font.
The exhibition is the chonology of events and the story of the people behind those events and is open now through June 1st in the Main Hall of Dartmouth’s Baker Library.
For more information, please contact Book Arts Workshop Letterpress Instructor Won K. Chung at won.k.chung@dartmouth.edu.
*** The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers is looking for volunteers to help teach simple bookbinding techniques and creative content. Through this event, NEGBW volunteers will be helping Cadette scouts (age 11-14) to earn a Book Artist badge and potentially inspiring future bookbinders.
The event will be held on Sunday April 29, 2018 at Camp Maude Eaton in Andover, MA. There will be two sessions, one from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
If you are interested in volunteering or have any questions, please direct them at Lauren Telepak at negbwprograms@gmail.com.
Book Arts Classes
*** On Saturday, April 28th, the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is hosting a workshop with Erin Fletcher of Herringbone Bindery, Secret Belgian Binding – Two Ways. The workshop will be held in the Multi-Purpose Room in the Wishcamper Center at the University of Southern Maine in Portland.
This workshop will explore the Secret Belgian binding (also known as Criss Cross binding) and ways to modify it. The binding is simple and easy to construct; it opens flat and is perfect for smaller text blocks. Students will complete two versions of the structure; one bound in the traditional sense and the second will offer a bit more secrecy and refinement to the structure.
Registration is available online or alternatively, you can call (207) 780-5900.
*** The Eliot School is offering Art Towards Kindness with Elisa Hamilton on Sunday, May 6th from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
We each hold the tremendous capacity to create positive change within our communities and in our world. Sometimes that cycle of positivity can begin with the smallest offering. Create a series of meaningful art objects that you can use to ignite kindness in your own life and in the lives of others.
Make a variety of handmade paper objects with paper-craft and fine art techniques, including paper bunting utilizing handmade stencils, accordion thank you notes utilizing wax resist mixed-media drawing, handmade wrapping paper utilizing custom-made stamps and hand-constructed boxes utilizing ink drawing. These simple art-making techniques can hold tremendous impact when given to others, especially as an unexpected gesture of kindness.
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
*** From June 11 – 15, the North Bennet Street School is offering Miniature Bookbindings with James Reid-Cunningham.
Miniature books present difficult design and structural challenges to the bookbinder. A true miniature is less than three inches tall, and during this course, the student will construct three books of diminishing size: a long stitch binding with decorated boards, a lapped component binding, and an accordion in a wrapper with a tongue and slot enclosure.
The course will contrast the utility of case binding, accordion, and non-adhesive structures for miniature books, with a concentration on flexibility and book action. We will analyze materials and techniques suitable for small format books. The limitations inherent in small-scale books will challenge students to do precisely executed and finely detailed work.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
*** The North Bennet Street School is also offering Traditional Ethiopian Bookbinding with Bill Hanscom on June 16 & 17. 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 model 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 l?bas (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 or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
by Elissa | Jun 14, 2012 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, June 20, 2012, 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.
Photo by Christopher J. Campbell
Program: Open Bindery
Join us for Open Bindery in June!
Unfortunately, Margery Cantor is not able to present at our June meeting, but we look forward to having her share her letterpress expertise with us in the future. Instead, we have a program designed to get your summer bookbinding endeavors off to a roaring start.
This month, we invite you to bring a project to work on and join us for the Book Arts Guild’s first-ever Open Bindery! We hope to create a collaborative space where we can work on our own projects while at the same time sharing ideas, offering each other assistance, and inspiring each other. It also provides an opportunity to get to know each other better, to catch up with old friends, and to share what we’ve been working on.
Our mini-bindery will offer equipment such as book presses; a Kutrimmer™; a Xyron™ (a non-heat, non-spray alternative to wet adhesives), sewing frames, a Zutter Bind It All™ spiral binder, cutting mats, and various hand tools. There will also be a mini-library of books on bookbinding and book arts for instruction and inspiration, and materials available for purchase, such as bookboard and PVA glue.
We think it will be a very enjoyable and productive evening, and look forward to seeing you there!
Reflections on May’s Meeting
Our May meeting was such fun with Robin Cooper Collins leading us all on the makings of a very special movable mechanism that she discovered during a restoration project. Robin first provided us with an introduction of her work with the restoration and conservation of antiquarian children’s books. We were all fascinated by the detective skills, technology and wealth of art techniques Robin applies to her projects.
Robin, thank you for sharing your unique expertise with us on antique children’s books and for guiding us though the makings of challenging movable mechanism.
We have pictures from the meeting, but they’re not on the blog yet. As soon as they’re posted, we’ll let you know.
B.A.G. News
*** The Book Arts Guild of Vermont is pleased to announce that book artist Daniel Kelm will be coming to Vermont to offer The Book Restructured: Wire Edge Binding, a two-day workshop from 7/28/12 – 7/29/12.
Book artists produce a truly remarkable range of books – some diverging wildly from what we recognize as traditional book form. Wire edge binding, which employs a thin metal wire along the hinging edge of each page, was developed by master bookbinder, artist, and innovator Daniel Kelm to meet the challenge of creating a nontraditional book that opens exceptionally well and allows for unusual shapes.
During this two-day intensive workshop, which includes two projects, you will master basic wire edge skills for producing highly functional bindings of both traditional and unusual shapes. The first project – a simple codex of six identical page panels – teaches you the basics of integrating metal wire into a paperboard construction. The second project – an accordion with triangular pages that fold to form a tetrahedron – teaches you how to make books of various geometric shapes.
All experience levels welcome!
Dates: July 28 – 29, 2012 (Saturday – Sunday)
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (including lunch break)
Location: The Bindery Place, Shelburne Pond Studios, Shelburne, VT
Cost (all-inclusive!): $210.00 B.A.G. members, $225.00 non-members
Space is limited and B.A.G. members are getting a head start on registering, so sign up as soon as possible! Click here to download the registration form.
For further information about the workshop, please contact Jill Abilock at (802) 238-0883 or SixLoonsStudio@gmail.com.
*** The May/June exhibition at the Creative Space Gallery in Vergennes, VT includes work from our 2012 spring exhibit, Shaping Pages. Featured work includes handmade books by B.A.G. members Jill Abilock, Janet Ballantyne, Eloise Beil, Elissa Campbell, Elizabeth Rideout, Maryann Riker, Nancy Stone, Annie Watson, and Cynthia Weiss.
There will be a reception with the artists on Friday June 2nd from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. You can also visit during gallery hours on Thursday – Sunday, now through June 24th.
Book Arts News
*** The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers is holding their annual meeting on Tuesday, June 26th, at 6:00 p.m. This meeting is open to all current chapter members. The primary item of business is the election of an entirely new chapter committee. The presumptive committee members will be happy to speak with members about ideas for upcoming chapter activities. Outgoing Chapter Chair, Jeffrey Altepeter, will give one last annual report.
The meeting will be held at The Independent at 75 Union Square in Somerville, MA. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Jeffrey Altepeter.
*** The Museum of Printing in North Andover, MA will be having its Ninth Annual Printing Arts Fair on Sunday, June 17th, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The Fair is free and open to the public.
The Printing Arts Fair brings together printers, artisans, booksellers, graphic designers, specialty paper vendors – anyone interested in the printing arts – in a family atmosphere. Live demonstrations of turning molten lead into type, letterpress printing, intaglio printing, paper making and more.
For more information, please visit please visit The Museum of Printing’s website.
*** The Photo-Bookworks Symposium, presented by the Visual Studies Workshop, will take place from June 28 – 30, 2012 in Rochester, NY.
For the 2012 Photo-Bookworks Symposium, Visual Studies Workshop has invited national and international artists, critics, curators, and publishers to discuss some of the most challenging and innovative photobooks being created in the world today. Learn about the history of the medium, about being published and self-publishing, how artists and bookbinders are expanding the form, and much more.
There will also be a special pop-up bookstore by ARTBOOK as part of the symposium. Titles by the presenters and numerous other photobooks and artists’ books, including recent titles from VSW Press, will be available for purchase at discounted prices. There will be book signings by all the presenters throughout the symposium weekend.
For further information or to register contact Kristen Merola at workshops@vsw.org.
Book Arts Classes
*** Art New England is offering Artists Books To Go with Aimee Lee from 7/29/12 – 8/4/12 at Bennington College. In this workshop, students learn key ways to build artists’ books with a minimum amount of equipment and environmental impact, and explore the book form as a repository for images, text, and ideas.
Students experiment with a variety of folded and sewn structures that can easily be made at home or on the road. They also learn how to manipulate paper into pop-ups and unconventional pages that draw from fiber techniques. Transfers and mark-making techniques will convey content and students will gather tips on how to maintain a portable tool kit. Participants will leave with an armful of books and the knowledge and confidence to make books anywhere and anytime. This class is suitable for all levels of experience.
Registration is available online. To learn more about Aimee Lee, please visit her website.
*** Book Arts at the Stone House will be offering workshops from July 23 – 29, 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 printmaking, cyanotypes, paper-making, marbling, sequential images, inventive fold books, book design, and box making.
During the course, each student 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.
*** From 8/3/12 – 8/5/12, Velma Bolyard will be teaching Pulp Clouds: Hand Papermaking at the Long Ridge Farm in Westmoreland, NH. In this workshop, you’ll gather plants, cook pulp, form and dry sheets of your own papers.
Expect to make strong, useable, and beautiful waterleaf (un-sized) sheets. You’ll make a book from your papers, binding sheets into sample books utilizing structures that allow you to explore bookbinding as well. Each participant may expect to make a portfolio of sheets of various sizes from at least five different plants.
The fee for the workshop is $500.00 with a limited materials list. For more information, please contact Long Ridge Farm.
*** From 8/27 – 8/31, Erin Sweeney of Lovely In The Home Press will be teaching Book School 2012 in Peterborough, NH.
From 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. each day, you’ll tackle a new structure, and discuss form and content appropriate for each. Simple writing exercises will be explored to create and organize ideas for future projects. Projects include the Piano Hinge structure, several album structures, a traditional long-stitch structure, boxes, and a Plunder Book to wrap it all up and utilize our newly learned techniques.
For more information or to register, please contact Erin at erin@erinsweeney.net.
