by Elissa | Jun 2, 2022 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, June 8, 2022, 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
In continuing with our tradition of choosing a theme for our meetings every year, the B.A.G. Board has selected the theme of Woven for 2022.
Weaving is one of the oldest surviving crafts in history, and is an integral part of all of our lives. We wear woven clothing, we sit on woven seats, we use and admire woven baskets.
In the paper and book world, there are many examples of paper weaving, woven book covers, and woven structures. Here are a few resources to get your brain churning:
The possibilities are kind of endless!
During the meetings this year, guest presenters will guide you through techniques to get you started on your woven explorations. The simplest methods can produce exciting results and we can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Program: Crossed Structure Binding – Linked Variation with Elissa Campbell
The Crossed Structure binding is intriguing in that the sewing is done directly onto back cover straps that integrate into the front cover. This non-adhesive variation on the long stitch was developed by book artist Carmencho Arregui after studying pre-16th century bindings.
In June’s meeting, Elissa Campbell will teach you a variation of this binding. As time allows, you’ll add stitching to the covers to both reinforce the structure and add a decorative touch.
Supplies:
- 4 pieces of text weight paper: 4.75″ x 6.25″
- 2 pieces cover material (leather, heavy fabric, vinyl): 8″ x 4.75″
- 3 pieces sewing thread in the following lengths: 62″, 6″, 25″
- 1 piece cover weight paper: 4.75″ x 8″
- 1 piece cover weight paper: 1.5″ x 4.75″
- 1 piece cover weight paper: 1″ x 2″
Tools:
- Bone folder
- Scissors
- X-Acto knife
- Metal ruler Awl
- Cutting mat
- Bookbinding or tapestry needle
- Japanese screw punch or other leather punch (optional)
If you plan to attend the meeting, please contact Elissa so she can send you the Zoom meeting details.
May Meeting Reflections
I was very inspired by our meeting’s presenter, paper artist Karen Kreiger. As she pulled out beautiful work to show us, I really got a sense of how she arranged images in and around her weaving. And then, oh my, she added stitching! Could the work speak to me any more personally? A woven, stitched rolling pin! As a former baker, I need one of my own.
Here are my favorite take-aways:
- A dot of red fixes everything
- Dots make me happy
- Insert scraps into cut out windows
- Cut patterns into the ‘weft’
- Stitch on top of weaving
- And finally, organize your scraps (no matter how small) by color in small boxes.
Believe me, I have tried organizing my scraps, but somehow serendipity helps me to find the right one, even if they’re not so organized.
Thanks to all who showed up on screen, and thanks especially to Karen for a totally enjoyable and inspirational evening.
B.A.G. Library Corner
This month we’re taking a step back from how-to’s and looking at the conceptual process involved in bookmaking, or any art. In his introduction to Structure of the Visual Book, the illustrious Keith Smith takes us through his thought process and approach to making artist books.
Written as ponderously as his process, he describes his first foray into bookmaking and how he learned to see his subject matter.
If you have ideas for books to feature or if you have a library book in your possession you’d like to share something from, email Sally at salblanch@gmail.com.
You can check out and download the selection here.
B.A.G. News
*** The Book Arts Guild of Vermont is pleased to announce our annual member show at Grand Isle Art Works! The dates of the exhibit are July 1 – July 30 and our opening reception will be on July 6.
The submission deadline is June 17 and B.A.G. members can submit up to two pieces for the show. We’ll have a space devoted to zines, and you can submit zines in addition to the two pieces, without any limit.
Ann Joppe-Mercure will be doing a workshop at GIAW in conjunction with the show. If you’re interested in doing something similar, please contact Ann at joppemercure@gmail.com.
The submission form can be downloaded here.
We’d love to have your work in the show!
*** On June 10, Writers as Artists will showcase the work of award winning book artists/writers Beth Kephart and B.A.G. member Nina Gaby and award winning writer/sculptor Abigail Thomas.
The event will be held at Nancy’s Artisanal Creamery and Coffee House at 297 Tinker Street in Woodstock, NY.
Book Arts News
*** Artistree Gallery is accepting submissions for their 10th annual juried exhibit, UNBOUND: VOL X. The theme of the show is simple – art using books as a material or a format. Visitors will have an opportunity to examine curious folios, recent grimoires, tomes turned to sculpture and some works having a relation to “books” in concept only.
This exhibition is for artists working in all traditional and non-traditional 2D (wall mounted) and 3D media, who are working in Vermont or New Hampshire and are 18 years of age or older. All artwork must be original in concept, design and execution.
The deadline for submission is June 4, 2022. All submissions must be made through their online entry form.
For more information, please visit the Artistree website. Please contact exhibits@artistreevt.org with any questions.
*** North Country Studio Workshops in Bennington, VT is offering their next five-day intensive from January 24 -29, 2023 for artists and craftspeople in an atmosphere of discovery, energy, collaboration, and inspiration. There are two book artsy workshops that may be of interest to you:
The first is North Country Shifu with Velma Bolyard. Here’s the workshop description:
Experience the Japanese craft tradition of spun and woven paper textile called shifu. Make deep connections to place through text, textile (shifu), book, and paper. Haptic experiences will include experimental mark making, hand spinning, loom building, weaving, book construction, papermaking, dyeing, and stitching. You will leave with a wonderful book and a passel of techniques that you can add to your paper and fiber toolkit.
The next is The Artful Box with Mary Uthuppuru. Here’s the workshop description:
Construct a modified clamshell box. A box can enhance its contents or become an art piece of its own. Learn how to build a specific structure using a variety of decorative and assembly techniques. You will be encouraged to experiment and create components of the project drawing from personal inspiration. No special skills are required, just patience with a few techniques that require accuracy.
Registration opens on June 15 and historically, these workshops fill up fast. If you know that you want to take either of these workshops, don’t wait to enroll. There are a number of scholarships available if you need financial assistance. Applications are being accepted now through June 6.
*** The Are You Book Enough theme for June happens to be Weave, which works out well with our theme for this year. If you’re working on a book that has a woven element, then this is your month to submit to the Instagram challenge.
Use hashtag #areyoubookenough_weave if you participate. It most certainly will be inspirational to look at the work submitted using this theme. You can also check out past work by using the hashtag #areyoubookenough.
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The Jaffe Center for Book Arts is offering the Dove Dale Limp Case: A Sympathetic Update of an 1884 Binding with Karen Hanmer on June 11.
Edward Marston’s 1884 An Amateur Angler’s Days in Dove Dale: Or, How I Spent My Three Weeks’ Holiday was issued in a simple folded limp vellum case printed in two colors. We will examine two examples from this edition of 100 before creating a low-adhesive, facsimile-ish version in a limp paper case. This case can be made of any decorative text-weight paper.
The resulting book is lightweight, elegant, opens well, and can be made quickly and easily with no specialized tools or materials. This workshop is appropriate for intermediate binders, beginners who are ready for a fast-paced workout, and anyone who wants to add another limp case to their repertoire.
For more information or to register, please email John Cutrone at jcutrone@fau.edu.
*** The Frederick Book Arts Center is offering Islamic Bookbinding with Nic Heersema on June 16, 21, 23, 28, 30, and July 5 & 7.
Islamic bookbinding is one of the styles that developed in the Middle East before the 17th century. Used for everything from richly-decorated Qur’ans to scientific treatises, this style of bookbinding is recognizable by the pentagonal envelope flap.
This style of bookbinding is recommended for advanced beginners or intermediate/advanced bookbinders who have some experience with kettle stitches, endband sewing, and general bookbinding techniques.
This seven-class workshop series walks through all the stages of making a book in the Islamic style. Due to the nature of these classes some are planned to have longer slots of time then others to accommodate drying times and other waiting times.
For more information or to register, please visit the FBAC website.
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering Drum Leaf Binding with Karen Hanmer on June 29.
Developed by Tim Ely, the drum leaf binding has features in common with multiple preexisting Eastern and Western book structures. This adhesive binding is a perfect structure for printmakers, photographers, or anyone who desires to present visual narratives with no sewing thread to interrupt the flow of imagery. Because a drum leaf book is not laid out in signatures but made of single-sided folios, the complexities of imposition are not encountered when laying out text.
The binding opens flat and can be dressed up or down with a variety of spine treatments, board-covering materials, and edge decoration techniques. It can be constructed quickly, lends itself to edition work, and can be made in a sparsely equipped home studio.
In this virtual workshop, build skills working with common bookbinding tools, materials, techniques, and principles such as grain direction, folding signatures, tidy application of adhesive, and measuring one component of the book to fit another. This fast-paced workshop is appropriate for intermediate binders and beginners who are ready for their next challenge.
For more information or to register, please visit the MCBA website.
by Elissa | May 10, 2022 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 11, 2022, 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
In continuing with our tradition of choosing a theme for our meetings every year, the B.A.G. Board has selected the theme of Woven for 2022.
Weaving is one of the oldest surviving crafts in history, and is an integral part of all of our lives. We wear woven clothing, we sit on woven seats, we use and admire woven baskets.
In the paper and book world, there are many examples of paper weaving, woven book covers, and woven structures. Here are a few resources to get your brain churning:
The possibilities are kind of endless!
During the meetings this year, guest presenters will guide you through techniques to get you started on your woven explorations. The simplest methods can produce exciting results and we can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Program: Presentation by Paper Artist Karen Krieger
We are very excited to welcome artist Karen Krieger as a presenter for our May meeting. Karen has been working with paper for over a decade after a previous career as a metalsmith. Paper weaving has become an integral and joyous part of her work since 2019 when she took a month-long class with a daily weaving practice.
She’ll share some of her finished pieces, works in progress, and paper organizing tips. She’ll discuss materials and do a demo to demystify the process so you can begin to make your own weavings.
If you plan to attend the meeting, please contact Elissa so she can send you the Zoom meeting details.
April Meeting Reflections
Woven is shaping up to be one of my favorite themes. I had a great time messing up my cuts for the woven accordion structure, even though the instruction and pdf were as clear as a bell, thanks to our presenter, Dorsey Hogg.
The technique of weaving pages together to create the accordion just opened my eyes to possibilities, and Dorsey’s own interpretations of the combination of weaving and structure were both sophisticated and approachable at the same time.
Thanks, Dorsey, for the inspiration! I am always amazed at how your mind works, and how much you accomplish. Thanks also to all of you who continue to show up and make the positivity gauge go up.
B.A.G. Library Corner
Is everyone else as anxious for spring as I am? After what felt like a very long winter, let’s celebrate the longer, warmer days with a spring-inspired paper-cutting design!
This project from Naomi Shiek’s Fold It & Cut It is meant to be a three-dimensional tea light lantern or party favor box, but you could incorporate the design into any project. If you have any trouble with the template, contact Sally at salblanch@gmail.com for a cleaner copy.
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 project here.
B.A.G. News
*** The Book Arts Guild of Vermont is pleased to announce our annual member show at Grand Isle Art Works! The dates of the exhibit are July 1 – July 30 and our opening reception will be on July 6.
The submission deadline is June 17 and B.A.G. members can submit up to two pieces for the show. We’ll have a space devoted to zines, and you can submit zines in addition to the two pieces, without any limit.
Ann Joppe-Mercure will be doing a workshop at GIAW in conjunction with the show. If you’re interested in doing something similar, please contact Ann at joppemercure@gmail.com.
The submission form can be downloaded here.
We’d love to have your work in the show!
*** On June 10, Writers as Artists will showcase the work of award winning book artists/writers Beth Kephart and B.A.G. member Nina Gaby and award winning writer/sculptor Abigail Thomas.
The event will be held at Nancy’s Artisanal Creamery and Coffee House at 297 Tinker Street in Woodstock, NY.
*** Susan Smereka is teaching an Upcycle Journal Workshop on May 15, 2022.
Learn to take something old and make it new again! We will rebuild an old book and give it new life as a unique journal to inspire you to write and capture your precious ideas, collages, and drawings. And they make great gifts too!
You will break down an old book, and rebind it with blank pages interleaved with text from the original. Build your knowledge and skills around bookbinding as you learn the parts of a book and how to do a long stitch binding with waxed linen thread.
Whether you are new to bookbinding or not, this workshop is appropriate for all skill levels and interests. Join us for this opportunity to build your own creative journal or continue feeding your bookbinding passion!
For more information or to register, please visit Susan’s website.
*** Elissa Campbell is teaching Piano Play at Studio Place Arts on June 6 & 7.
The spine of the intriguing Piano Hinge binding is one that is woven instead of glued or sewn – it is held together using dowels or sticks. This structure, invented by Hedi Kyle, was named because of its resemblance to the hinge of a piano lid.
In this class, you’ll learn how to construct both the basic Piano Hinge book and the Piano Hinge Album (it’s got storage pockets!). No previous experience is required, although you’ll feel more comfortable if you’ve used an X-Acto knife before.
For more information or to register, please visit the SPA website.
*** B.A.G. member Laura Lacroix is looking for someone to make a guest presentation at a class on artist books at Hazen Union School in June. If this is up your alley, please contact Laura at lacroix.laura@yahoo.com.
Book Arts News
*** Artistree Gallery is accepting submissions for their 10th annual juried exhibit, UNBOUND: VOL X. The theme of the show is simple – art using books as a material or a format. Visitors will have an opportunity to examine curious folios, recent grimoires, tomes turned to sculpture and some works having a relation to “books” in concept only.
This exhibition is for artists working in all traditional and non-traditional 2D (wall mounted) and 3D media, who are working in Vermont or New Hampshire and are 18 years of age or older. All artwork must be original in concept, design and execution.
The deadline for submission is June 4, 2022. All submissions must be made through their online entry form.
For more information, please visit the Artistree website. Please contact exhibits@artistreevt.org with any questions.
*** Laszlo Bardos‘ website CutOutFoldUp.com is about the fun, interesting, and beautiful side of math. Most projects are easy to make, can be completed in less than an hour, and require only a few common materials. Each project is accompanied by printable patterns, detailed directions, and a difficulty level.
Not sure where to start? Click on the Random link in the navigation bar. Happy cutting and folding!
*** Russell Maret is delivering this year’s Gillett G. Griffin Memorial Lecture at the Princeton University Libraries on May 16. The lecture, The Post-Typographic Private Press?, will be presented in person and online. To attend the lecture, please register here.
If you would like to hear the talk but won’t be able to attend at the time, please register as an online participant – a link to the recorded talk will be sent to you shortly after the 16th.
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The Center for Book Arts is offering Soft Cover Drum Leaf with Beth Sheehan on May 23.
Created by Tim Ely, drum leaf is a simple but elegant book structure that uses folded “leaves” (pages) that are “drummed” (glued) together rather than being folded into signatures. Drum leaf book pages lay completely flat, making it an ideal book structure for artists, photographers, and printmakers in particular.
In this two-hour workshop, students will learn to fold and adhere pages to create the drum leaf textblock. Sheehan will then go over the steps for scoring and folding the drop-spine softcover. Finally, students will adhere covers to their text blocks, completing their respective books!
For more information or to register, please visit the CBA website.
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering Sewn Binding with Guards and Self-Locking Wrapper with Karen Hanmer on May 25.
For centuries, paper has served as a quick, elegant, and economical covering material for books. This versatile material can create structures ranging from pocket notebooks to conservation friendly bindings to a case durable enough for a heavily-used manual.
In this virtual workshop, learn how to sew an exposed binding, a book structure with decorative guards that features colorful link stitch sewing and slivers of decorative paper visible on the spine. The covers are hooked around the first and last signatures before sewing, then sewn normally along with the rest of the text block. A quick-to-construct self-locking flap keeps the text block clean and secure.
This fast-paced workshop is appropriate for intermediate binders, beginners who are ready for their next challenge, and anyone who wants to add more paper cases to their bookbinding repertoire.
For more information or to register, please visit the MCBA website.
*** The Jaffe Center for Book Arts is offering Circular (Toroidal) Accordion with Stephanie Wolff on June 2.
A circle? A donut? A torus! Whatever you think of when you see this accordion, the shape has lots of fun possibilities for content, which we’ll discuss. When open, it’s donut-shaped, when folded up it’s a wedge – like a piece of pie without the tip.
We’ll draw out the form, cut and fold, and make a simple wrapper. Our focus will be on making a model that participants can use as reference for making more after the workshop. No advanced math is required, but a drawing compass is.
For more information or to register, please email John Cutrone at jcutrone@fau.edu.
by Elissa | Aug 5, 2021 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, August 14, 2021, 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
This month’s meeting will be the opening reception for our members exhibit at the Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild. The gallery is located at 430 Railroad Street, #2 in St. Johnsbury, VT.
Don’t worry if you can’t make it to the exhibit – all of the work will be photographed and put on our website.
We hope to see you at the gallery!
The B.A.G. Board
Program: B.A.G Exhibit Opening Reception at Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild
The Book Arts Guild of Vermont is proud to present our group show for 2021, THE ART OF THE BOOK: IS IT A BOOK?
Here are the juicy details:
The members’ show will run from August 6 through September 18, 2021, in the Back Room Gallery at Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. The opening reception will be on August 14 from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. and will take the place of our regular meeting.
At the reception, artists will have the opportunity to speak about their work, so if you would like to share, please be prepared.
July Meeting Reflections
For the wrap up of our Text Me! theme, we asked members and friends to share work they have done based on techniques and ideas we have learned from previous meetings.
It was exciting to see the variety and quality of work produced! We can’t wait to see some of these pieces in person at the show in August.
Thanks to all who shared and listened.
B.A.G. Library Corner
It’s time to wrap up our text theme and what better way than with the Lively Art of Lettering feature from Somerset Studio magazine.
The January/February 2010 issue features the work of three artists: Jane Harrison-Williams turns the English alphabet into a whimsical animal menagerie; Linda Schneider paints figures from words in what she calls “penned personas;” and Joyce Bank pairs art with a love of tea, creating “book ghosts” from tea bag pages. All three have creative ways of utilizing text in their work that showcases their unique expression.
If you have ideas for books to feature or if you have a library book in your possession you’d like to share something from, email Sally at salblanch@gmail.com.
You can check out and download the selection here.
B.A.G. News
*** The exhibit Mixed States, recent work from sisters Nina and Sari Gaby, runs September 2 – 29 with a reception and artist talk Sunday September 26, from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at The Little Theater Café Gallery. The gallery is located at 240 East Avenue in Rochester, New York.
Nina’s collage is based on book imagery, referencing mood, terrain, geography, and the always changing landscape of visual narrative.
For more information, please visit The Little Theater website.
*** Elissa Campbell is teaching the Travel Companion Journal on August 26 at the Swanson Inn in Waitsfield.
In this workshop, participants will create a journal with a double-needle coptic binding, an intricate stitch that will be visible on the spine of the book. Not only is the coptic binding beautiful, but it also allows books to remain flat when opened.
The journal will include pockets both inside the covers and in the text block, allowing you the opportunity to save lots of stuff from your travels – tickets, photos, pressed flowers – you name it!
All materials and tools will be provided. Lunch and snacks are also included in the fee – all you have to do is show up!
For more information, please visit the Swanson Inn website.
To register, please contact the Inn at stay@swansoninn.com.
Book Arts News
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is hosting The Art of Korean Paper, an online artist talk and demonstration with Aimee Lee on Wednesday August 18th. Lee is an artist, papermaker, writer, and the leading hanji (Korean handmade paper) researcher and practitioner in North America.
While studying papermaking in the US, Aimee noticed a gap in paper history and decided to research, learn, and teach Korean papermaking to fill that gap. She will show examples of her artwork featuring hanji in her presentation and demonstrate the ancient papercraft of noyeokgae, known colloquially as jiseung, the process of cording and twining hanji.
For more information or to register, visit the MCBA website.
*** The Newport Paper and Book Arts Festival is being held online this year and registration for the festival itself is free! You will have full access to the NPBAF community, including mini lectures, artist talks, a live Art and Happy Hour Zoom gathering plus a space to chat and share with other festival goers. In addition to the free content, there are lecture and studio workshops available for purchase.
Lecture workshops will be live streamed with students watching the instructor work through a process, technique or structure. The instructor will take you through all the steps, pass along some great tips and tricks, and provide you with a materials and tools list. The lecture will be recorded and you will have access to watch it as many times as you like until February 1, 2022.
Studio workshops will be live streamed and designed for you to work along with the instructor. Your materials fee has two parts: the materials themselves plus the cost to ship them in a USPS flat rate box. There is also a student supply list of materials and tools you will need to gather before the workshop. The lecture will be recorded and you will have access to watch it as many times as you like until February 1, 2022.
To register for the festival, please visit the NPBAF website. To view the festival brochure, please click here.
*** If you missed the virtual Focus on Book Arts conference that was recently held online, you’re in luck – much of the content is now available online through the end of August:
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The Jaffe Center for Book Arts is offering Magic Box of Mysteries with Keri Miki-Lani Schroeder on August 19 & 26, and September 2.
Mystify and mesmerize with this magic box of mysterious toys and tricks! In this workshop you will learn the secrets of this hidden compartment, magic wallet box. Open the magic box to reveal hypnotizing optical paper toys. Then close the box and open again to unveil an entirely different set of paper toys, including a volvelle, flexagon, and thaumatrope. How does it work, you ask? Through the magic of book arts, all will be revealed.
For more information or to register, please email John Cutrone at jcutrone@fau.edu.
*** The Center for Book Arts is offering How to Conceptualize and Create an Artist Book with Maria Veronica San Martin on August 23 – 25.
During this intensive project-based remote course, students will learn “how to think and create an artist book” by examining their concept, aesthetic, and techniques. The course will be taught from the artist’s studio and will start with a brief exploration of what an artist book is, followed by demonstrations of an accordion book structure (dos-a-dos); the technique of monoprints on plexiglass, zinc or copper (a form of printmaking that produces a unique print) for images and/or text, and the final creation and construction of a flag book.
Students will be able to create their own artist book in four sessions with a final critique. No prerequisites needed, but ideally participants should have some book arts knowledge or experience.
For more information or to register, please visit the CBA website.
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering Single-Page Books: The Next Level with Rosae Reeder on August 25th.
Single-page books, also called flutter-fold books, are extremely versatile folded structures that can be used to make books, zines, and unique formats for written greetings. These books are created by folding and cutting paper, incorporating simple elements of origami with principles of bookbinding.
These small wonders can be used as one-of-a-kind works or in multiples to create structures that twist, turn, and further expand this already-interesting construction. In this one-day virtual workshop, learn how to fold a series of ten single-page books, as well as other folded structures as time allows. Some experience folding paper or binding books is helpful but not required.
For more information or to register, please visit the MCBA website.
by Elissa | 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 | Oct 4, 2018 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, October 10, 2018, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
The October meeting will be held at UVM’s Special Collections‘ new home in Billings Library at 48 University Place.
Click here for directions to Special Collections’ new location.
Please note that in October we will not be meeting as usual at the Unitarian Church in Burlington. In addition, the meeting will start 1/2 hour earlier than our normal meeting time, at 6:00 p.m.
Program: Field Trip to UVM Special Collections
At this month’s meeting, University of Vermont Librarian Prudence Doherty will guide us through some of the amazing artists’ books held in the Special Collections department.
Not everyone knows that we have one of the finest collections of artists’ books in the nation, right here in Burlington. Join us in a hands-on exploration that will stimulate your imagination and spark your creativity!
* Please bring a pencil, not a pen, if you plan to take notes.
September Meeting Reflections
We had a great time at the September 12th Book Arts Guild meeting. Ann Joppe-Mercure provided us with the materials to construct three hard cover books in the space of less than two hours!
The first book contained a simple accordion signature, the second a single sewn signature book, and the third contained a post-it pad. We covered them with decorative paper or cloth, and made the spines with pre-cut book cloth from Ann. It was so satisfying to leave the meeting with three lovely, 3” x 3” little books.
They felt really good in the hand and everyone could leave feeling confident that they could make more of these books with the skills Ann taught us.
A giant thanks to Ann, and to everyone who participated!
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** The Book Arts Guild of Vermont is proud to be participating in this year’s Burlington Book Festival on October 12 – 14, 2018 at the UVM Alumni House Silver Pavilion. This annual event celebrates the written word by offering readings, book signings, panels, workshops, demos, family activities, and special events.
We have been invited to exhibit original works at the festival to introduce the community to the book arts and increase awareness of our organization. We will have an exhibit during the evening opening ceremonies on Friday, October 12 as well as on Saturday, October 13 throughout the day. During the exhibit time, we have also committed to demonstrating various book structures (not hands-on workshops).
Although the deadline for submitting work for sale has passed, the festival is very generously providing us with exhibit space free of charge. We would love to share your beautiful work with literary book lovers who may not have had much exposure to the book arts. Please consider submitting work for display! You can submit new work or something you have previously exhibited.
If you would like to submit work for the exhibit, please download the entry form and bring it, along with your work, to the October meeting at Special Collections. If you cannot attend the meeting but would like to submit work, please email Jill Abilock by Monday, October 8 to make arrangements to get your work to her.
We also need volunteers to “staff” the exhibit table on Saturday, October 13 during the festival. Volunteers at the 2016 festival found the experience fun and rewarding – please join us this year! To sign up to volunteer, simply email Jill!
*** Book Arts Guild of Vermont artists Nina Gaby and Jill Abilock will be presenting Exploring Dimensionality in Narrative at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday October 13th at the Burlington Book Festival with moderator Rachel Moore, director of the Helen Day Art Center.
Artists Josh Turk and Cynthia Close round out the panel. “Words can be presented on the flat page but can the thoughts behind those words find shape in other materials?” This and other questions will be considered in what is sure to be a lively dialogue. B.A.G. will be exhibiting and offering demonstrations in conjunction with this panel.
*** The Book Arts Guild of Vermont has once again reserved table space at the Northampton Book and Book Arts Fair in Northampton, MA. The Fair will take place Friday, November 30th from 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., and Saturday, December 1st from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Smith College.
This is an opportunity for the Book Arts Guild to spread the word about book arts, show and sell work, and meet other like minded book people. Last year, a group of members stayed at an Airbnb during the show and had a great time together.
If you are interested in participating by manning the table, helping to set up and break down, and/ or having work shown, please contact Marcia.
*** On October 13 & 14, Elissa Campbell will be participating in the statewide Fall Open Studio Weekend. The event is a great way to combine fall foliage viewing and harvest activities with visits to artists across Vermont.
Come for a tour of the studio, demonstrations, and tantalizing talk about the world of handmade books. Feel free to paw through my paper drawers and peruse my extensive library of bookbinding manuals! There will also be selection of bookbinding supplies available for purchase.
Copies of the the 2018 Fall Event & Resource Guide will be available at the October B.A.G. meeting. You can also download a pdf of the guide from the VT Crafts Council website. Please note that this is a really big file.
County-specific maps and directions to studios are also available on the VT Crafts Council website.
Book Arts News
*** Dartmouth College is presenting two days of programming featuring book artist Daniel E. Kelm – Daniel Kelm and Poetic Science: A Life in Science and Art.
On Thursday, October 4th from 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., there will be reception for Kelm in the East Reading Room of Baker-Berry Library. This will be followed by a lecture from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
On Friday, October 5th from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m., there will be a follow up to Thursday’s lecture. Kelm will have books and objects to show in a more intimate setting allowing for more conversation. This event will be held in the Kresge Library Conference Room.
Daniel E. Kelm is a book artist who enjoys expanding the concept of the book. He is known for his innovative structures as well as his traditional work. His expression as an artist emerges from the integration of work in science and the arts. Alchemy is a common theme in his book work. Before Daniel began his career in the book arts he received formal training in chemistry and taught at the University of Minnesota.
For more information, please contact Sarah Smith at book.arts@dartmouth.edu.
*** On Thursday, October 18 at 5:30 p.m., the Silver Special Collections Library at the University of Vermont is presenting The Stewardship of History: Reconfiguring the Markings of Time, a lecture with Michele Burgess.
Burgess will talk about The Stratigraphic Archives, a series of eleven linked artists’ books, all concerned with the archives of both quiet and cataclysmic events – natural and human made. Working in collaboration with poets, Burgess has interwoven remnants of human and natural history, questioning the honesty and inclusivity of our institutionalized “record keeping.”
Michele Burgess works in book arts, printmaking, painting, and sculpture. She is the director of Brighton Press and collaborates with other artists and poets on projects that involve the book as an art medium. Burgess’s books are housed in over seventy-five public collections across the country, including the University of Vermont.
The lecture is free and open to the public and will be held in the Marsh Room at Billings Library.
For more information, contact Silver Special Collections at uvmsc@uvm.edu or (802) 656-2138.
*** On Friday October 12th at 4:00 p.m., the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts will host Building A Sustainable Visual Art Practice, a lecture with Andrea Dezsö.
Andrea Dezsö is a visual artist who works across a broad range of media including drawing, painting, artist’s books, embroidery, cut paper, animation, sculpture, site-specific installation and public art. Dezsö’s permanent public art has been installed in two New York City subway stations, at the United States Embassy in Bucharest, Romania and at CUNY BMCC Fiterman Hall in Lower Manhattan. Community Garden, Dezsö’s mosaic in the New York City subway was recognized as Best American Public Art in 2007 by Americans for the Arts.
Dezsö exhibits in museums and galleries around the world. She is Associate Professor of Art at Hampshire College in Amherst, MA and maintains studios in NYC and in Western Massachusetts.
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
*** On Saturday, October 13, 2018, the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is hosting a Tunnel Book workshop with Andrea Dezsö. The workshop will be held in room 424 in Luther Bonney Hall at the University of Southern Maine in Portland.
When popped open tunnel books reveal miniature, multi-layered worlds viewers can peek into as into dioramas. Structurally, tunnel books belong in the same family as carousel books and toy theaters and were extremely popular during the Victorian era. In this class students will create a fully developed one-of-a-kind artists book of their own design, based on a four-layer, hand-cut and assembled single scene tunnel book developed by Dezsö using either a subtractive (paper cutting), an additive (collage) method or a mix of the two;
Students will learn to rapid prototype by first creating a tunnel book model to understand the form, followed by creating their fully developed books. Students will be encouraged to consider composition, layering, materials and to treat form and content as an interdependent whole as they create their one-of-a-kind tunnel books. All levels welcome.
Register online or call (207) 780-5900.
*** The Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, MA has two book arts classes coming up this fall. Here’s the scoop:
Altered Books Workshop with Cristina Hajosy will take place on Sunday, November 11th from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Transform books, old or new, into art objects. The book becomes a canvas, a sculpture or a reliquary of personally meaningful content. Draw inspiration from the book’s author or contents, or purely use the book as a structure. Incorporate paper cutting, collage, bookmaking and other processes. The instructor will have books on hand, or bring your own, along with small objects and images to include.
Paste Paper with Cristina Hajosy will take place on Sunday November 25th from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Paste paper is traditionally used for endpapers and book covers, offering a textural and colorful alternative to marbling. See some historical and contemporary approaches, then create your own. Start with a traditional method, then learn ways to make more creative and painterly versions.
For more information about the classes, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
