by Elissa | Jul 6, 2022 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, July 13, 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: Weave a House with Helen Hiebert
Paper artist extraordinaire Helen Hiebert learned to weave paper strips in grade school, but it wasn’t until she was in her 20’s that she decided to make some deviations! She started out by cutting curved strips, and then she came up with a way of cutting windows to expose various parts of the paper that would otherwise be hidden. She hopes you’ll discover some new tricks as you make a woven paper house with her.
Supplies:
- 2 sheets of text weight (not too thin) 8-1/2” x 11” paper that look good together, one decorative, one plain
- Cutting mat
- X-Acto knife
- Ruler
- Glue stick or PVA glue + 1/8” – 1/4” glue brush
- Small (5” x 5”) piece of thin, flexible plastic – like a piece of a yogurt or laundry container, or a flexible kitchen cutting mat (this is optional and will be used for cutting windows in the weaving
If you plan to attend the meeting, please contact Elissa so she can send you the Zoom meeting details.
June Meeting Reflections
We haven’t done a real hands-on meeting for a while, and so I was super excited to learn a new structure. Luckily, Elissa is a seasoned professional instructor and led us through the steps for the Crossed Structure Binding, making it doable and fun.
We didn’t get to the weaving part yet, but I’m looking forward to finishing it at the August meeting. In the meantime, I’m going to fancify my cover with some extra weaving or embroidery on it.
Thanks, Elissa, for the extra clear instructions that made the meeting fly by, and thanks to everyone who showed up for it.
B.A.G. Library Corner
We all know summer is busy, and it can be tough to find the space to create. But that means these summer months are a great time for using up scraps to create mini journals!
Find inspiration to use in your own stash from Tina Walker’s journals, showcased in the Somerset Studio November/December 2017 issue. Walker’s theme of “let there be love” is some added inspiration for these times.
If you have ideas for books to feature or if you have a B.A.G. library book in your possession from which you’d like to share something, 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’s annual member show is open now at Grand Isle Art Works through July 31. Our opening reception will be on July 6 from 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Ann Joppe-Mercure will be leading a free zine-making workshop during the reception.
B.A.G. member Susan Smereka is teaching an Upcycled Journal Making workshop on July 17, from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. For more information or to register, visit the GIAW website.
*** Artistree Gallery is hosting another show in conjunction with the UNBOUND: VOL X exhibit (see below) – Cover to Cover: Book Lab Explorations.
Book Lab is a group of nine Vermont-based women who specialize in book arts. They meet regularly to critique one another’s work, collaborate on projects, and provide support as they explore the many ways a book can be art.
Book Lab members exhibiting work include B.A.G. members Rebecca Boardman, Elissa Campbell, Dorsey Hogg, Marilyn Gillis, Debra Kraemer, Ann Joppe-Mercure, Vera Ryerbach, Penne Tompkins, and Marcia Vogler. Each artist is exhibiting her own work, along with collaborative pieces they have co-created.
For more information, visit the Artistree website.
*** Vermont book artists and the Book Arts Guild of Vermont are well represented at Art of the Book at the Rochester Public Library this year. This international juried show runs from June 27 through November 1.
Dorsey Hogg took 1st place in the altered book category with her work titled Words are Unruly, Carolyn Shattuck‘s work Quilters received an honorable mention in the book sculpture category, and Marcia Vogler received an honorable mention for Bird Totem in the artist’s book category. Congratulations!
Book Arts News
*** Now through July 16, Artistree Gallery is hosting their 10th annual juried exhibit, UNBOUND: VOL X. This exhibit includes work by artists from the northeast looking to explore “the book” as concept, object, and format.
The broad theme of the exhibit encompasses all of the possibilities of what we may think or may not think a “book” is. Is it story? An entry to another world? An exploration? What does it indicate? This show looks to explore this idea of “the book” and all the ways artists use that format as a stepping-off point or as material to explore new ideas.
For more information, please visit the Artistree website.
*** 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 is a book artsy workshop that still has openings and may be of interest to you – 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 is open now and historically, these workshops fill up fast. If you know that you want to take the workshop, don’t wait to enroll.
*** The Are You Book Enough theme for June was Weave, which worked out well with our theme for this year.
Whether you participated in last month’s challenge or not, it’s still worth checking out the submissions for some woven inspiration.
Check out hashtags #areyoubookenough and #areyoubookenough_weave to see the wonderful work that was created. The approaches are so varied!
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The Jaffe Center for Book Arts is offering the Rough & Tumble Ergonomic Notebook with Karen Hanmer on July 16 & 17.
More traditionally called a “limp paper case,” this binding has its origins in the limp parchment cases of antiquity. This update is flexible enough to read on the beach, yet sturdy enough to throw in a backpack. The rounded, breakaway spine feels great in the hand, keeps its shape with repeated use, and ensures the book will open fully. The folded “yapp” fore edge protects the pages at the open edge of the book.
Sewing on tapes keeps the text block square and organized while it is being constructed, and later fortifies the attachment of the text block to the case. The hooked endsheets allow complete opening at the title page.
Best of all, the book can be made in a sparsely-equipped home studio. You’ll have so much fun making and using this book you’ll forget you are learning foundational bookbinding skills. This workshop is appropriate for intermediate binders, beginners who are ready for a fast-paced workout, and anyone who wants to add another quick and sturdy binding to their repertoire.
For more information or to register, please email John Cutrone at jcutrone@fau.edu.
*** The San Francisco Center for the Book is offering The Magic of Sewing Cards with Rosae Reeder on July 22 & 27.
The sewing card is a wonderful aid in learning how to master a simple to difficult sewing. Practicing the mechanics of any sewing on a piece of two-dimensional card is tantamount to working on an actual book.
Learn how to prepare and make sewing cards for a few different types of book structures in the first session. Take what you have learned and apply it to making an actual book in the second session. Students will choose which book to make once we have completed several types of sewing cards.
For more information or to register please visit the SFCB website.
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering Pop-Up Curious? Explore Dimension! with Shawn Sheehy on July 26.
Do you look at pop-up books and wonder how they are engineered? Do you make greeting cards and harbor the desire to make your cards more spectacular? Do you make artist’s books and yearn to introduce dimension and animation? Even if you are simply compelled to read this description, you might be POP-UP CURIOUS.
This class—with a focus on dimension—will explore the fundamentals of paper engineering that address pop-ups. You’ll build a series of simple models using the tools, techniques, and materials of the trade. You’ll examine trade pop-up books that show how the structures have been used. When finished, you’ll bind your models into a simple case. This quick beginner class is an entertaining gateway into more advanced study. All are welcome!
For more information or to register, please visit the MCBA website.
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 | Aug 7, 2013 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, August 14 2013, 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: Carolyn Guest presents An Evening Adventure with Paper Cut Art
Our August evening will include a “Trunk Show” sampling of work by paper cut artist Carolyn Guest. Carolyn creates original art by cutting paper with sheep shearing shears – a rudimentary tool that continually challenges her to push the limits of fine detail in her designs, which are inspired by her rural heritage.
Carolyn has also chosen to cut with sheep shears to honor her Polish teachers and the women who have had to make do with what they have. In addition to her rural designs, Carolyn also cuts silhouettes of individuals in person using a “look and cut” technique to capture a person’s essence in profile, using her scissors to “draw” as she cuts.
After a short presentation about paper cut art, Carolyn will demonstrate her techniques for paper cutting, followed by a hands-on mini workshop creating one of a kind story board cuttings.
Bring your favorite cutting tools and pencils to join in on the evening’s adventures. Paper and extra small scissors & a few pair of sheep shears will be provided.
July Meeting Reflections
Erin Sweeney wowed us all with her amazing artist’s life story and work at July meeting. Truly an inspiring presentation, she shared slides of her hometown as well as her work, and gave us insight into what shapes her thinking.
Then on to some hands-on demonstrations easy enough for us all to follow. Best of all, she provided us with cool paper of her own prints! We ran a little late because we just couldn’t stop folding.
We all came away with a fold book, a pocket model, a stage with marquis model, and a slipcase to hold them. Special thanks to Erin!
Notes from Erin:
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** Several members of the Book Arts Guild of Vermont will be represented at the Artistree Gallery in Woodstock, Vermont. Included in the show, UNBOUND VOL III, are works by Amy Burns, Dorsey Hogg, Ann Joppe Mercure, Debra Kraemer, Lorraine Reynolds, Carolyn Shattuck, and Marcia Vogler.
The broad theme of UNBOUND VOL. III encompasses all of the possibilities of what we may think or may not think a “book” is. Is it story? An entry to another world? An exploration? What does it indicate? This show, juried by Erin Sweeney, looks to explore this idea of “the book” and all the ways artists use that format as a stepping-off point or as material to explore new ideas.
The show runs from July 26 – September 7, 2013.
*** B.A.G. is introducing a new membership option for those who wish to join later in the year. We now have a July – December membership for only $20.00, which is cheaper than paying $5.00 for each of the five remaining meetings. We hope that this will encourage you to join B.A.G. as a member and take advantage of the many benefits we offer.
*** Are you looking for an opportunity to participate in the Burlington Art Hop but don’t know how? Do you have work that you think could sell at an artists’ market but maybe you don’t have enough inventory to have your own table?
Here is a great opportunity to help represent the Book Arts Guild of Vermont and participate in the Art Hop at the same time – join us in a group table at the Art Hop Artist Market Extravaganza on September 7, 2013! The B.A.G. board has decided to cover the cost for the table, so this is now a free opportunity for our members!
Participation is limited to the first 10 responding members. Please be aware that you must agree to our guidelines before committing to participation – please download the Art Hop exhibition sheet and review the terms before agreeing to participate.
Book Arts Classes
*** Bill Hanscom is teaching Enclosures for Preservation and Beyond on October 13, 2013 at the Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science in Boston. Boxes, wrappers and slipcases are widely used to house and protect library and archival collections, but they also offer terrific opportunities for artistic exploration.
Beyond the protective housing of original artistic works such as books or print portfolios, enclosures can be altered and embellished to complement, enhance, and conspire with their contents. Over the course of this workshop students will work to create a reference set of enclosures which neatly nest together.
For more information or to register, please send an Email to gslisce@simmons.edu or call (617) 521-2803. The workshop will be held at 300 The Fenway.
*** Daniel Kelm is offering Leather Onlay & Inlay at his studio, The Wide Awake Garage, in Easthampton, MA, August 17 – 18, 2013.
Onlay and inlay are traditional techniques for design that still speak to us today. Both methods use pieces of leather to lay down fields of color. We will focus on a technique that stabilizes the leather sufficiently to produce onlay and inlay with clean, hard edges.
Participants will each produce five models: four variations of onlay, and one inlay – all on leather-covered board. Details of paste production, leather preparation using the Schärf-Fix paring machine, knife selection, cutting surfaces, and onlay/inlay application will be covered.
For more details, please visit Daniel’s website.
*** Carol Barton will be teaching Book Arts: Paper Engineering and Sculptural Binding at the North Country Studio Workshops from January 28, 2014 – February 2, 2014. This is an ideal session for book artists, teachers, graphic designers, and anyone who likes to play with paper.
Discover the magic of the sculptural book through exploration of three-dimensional and pop-up forms. Learn how to use book structures to help convey your message. Participants will construct a series of pop-ups from simple to more complex glued structures, along with an accordion book, a carousel book, and a tunnel book.
Registration is available online.
by Elissa | Feb 10, 2013 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 13, 2013, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
DATE CHANGE: PLEASE NOTE THAT WE NOW MEET ON THE SECOND WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH.
There will be no change in location – we meet at the Unitarian Universalist Society Church located at 152 Pearl Street in Burlington, VT. We will be in the Sophia Fahs Community Room, a large room located in the basement.
Click here for more information on directions/parking.
Program: Amazing Accordions and Fabulous Flags: An Upcycling Odyssey with Dorsey Hogg
Confronted with the depressing task of packing and purging years’ worth of art supplies and unfinished art projects when she and her family moved to Sweden in 2010, Dorsey Hogg resolved to become a master of using on-hand materials.
While in Sweden, she started a study on accordion and flag books using only what she could get for free, secondhand, or at minimal cost. She achieved amazing results using large advertising posters from shopping centers and bus stops. Since returning to Burlington, Dorsey has continued creating books by reconstructing and interacting with whatever she has on-hand.
At our February meeting, Dorsey will share her body of upcycled work, including pieces made by reconstructing used books. She will also lead us in a hands-on project building a multi-accordion book using old movie posters.
Dorsey will provide the posters, but please bring the following tools:
- Glue Stick
- X-Acto Knife
- Ruler
- Cutting Mat
- Bone folder
Reflections on January’s Meeting
January’s meeting brought out hearty members on a cold winter’s night. We shared resources, ideas, challenges and book projects. We formed an informal critique group helping members work though possible directions and solutions for works in process. The discussion was rich and the ideas were flowing.
Again we demonstrated that one of the strengths of the Book Arts Guild is our enthusiasm and appreciation of each other and our creative book arts projects.
You can view the list of resources on the B.A.G. blog.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** Please note that in 2013, our meeting date has permanently changed to the second Wednesday of the month. The change was made to resolve meeting/holiday conflicts.
Mark your calendars! Our 2013 meeting dates are:
- February 13, 2013
- March 13, 2013
- April 10, 2013
- May 8, 2013
- June 12, 2013
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- September 11, 2013
- October 9, 2013
- November 13, 2013
- December 11, 2013
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*** B.A.G. is happy to announce that our 2013 spring exhibit, There’s No Place Like Home, will be hosted by Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT. The show will take place at the same time as an exhibit on children’s literature in the Main Floor Gallery.
The exhibit will be in SPA’s Third Floor Gallery from June 4 – July 6, 2013. The deadline for submissions is April 10, 2013. The official call for artists will go out soon, along with more details on the exhibit.
Members are encouraged to submit work for this exciting show. This is a great opportunity to get your work out there, whether you are a first time exhibitor or a seasoned artist. The theme is very accessible, and brings up many references that are unique to each person.
Beyond the reference to The Wizard of Oz, the idea of ‘home’ can suggest family, rooms, objects, memories, and dreams, just to mention a few. Start now with some brainstorming and word association techniques presented by Stephanie Wolff at the September meeting, and generate content for your book.
*** B.A.G. member Elissa Campbell is teaching a brand-new class, Leather Pocket Journals, at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT on 2 Tuesdays in February 12 & 19, 2013 from 4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
In this workshop, you’ll learn 6 bindings that use only leather, paper, and thread – no glue needed! For each binding, you’ll sew 3 sections of folded pages into covers cut from one piece of leather. These bindings are very flexible and allow the books to open completely flat, making them perfect for use as sketchbooks or journals.
Each sewing technique creates a different decorative sewing pattern on the spine and we’ll try out different closure methods. No previous experience required – this is a great class for a beginner. You can even bring in your own leather to customize your book.
To register, contact SPA via phone (802) 479-7069 or Email.
Book Arts News
*** A Book Arts Bazaar, presented by the Kate Cheney Chappell ’83 Center for Book Arts in conjunction with Maine Reads and the Maine Festival of the Book, will take place on April 7th, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the University of Southern Maine.
The Bazaar will feature book artists, papermakers, bookbinders, printmakers, educators, writers, and all things related to the book. 50 tables on the first floor of the Wishcamper Center are available for those interested in selling their products to the public. Tables are $45.00 and are for Book Arts related vendors only.
The Wishcamper Center is located at 34 Bedford Street on the University of Southern Maine’s Portland Campus. For more information, download the registration form or contact Rebecca Goodale via Email or phone: (207) 228- 8014.
Books On Tape by Woody Leslie
*** The Book As Art exhibit at the Cooperative Gallery 213 in Binghamton assembles artist’s books from over 30 local and national artists and represents the first local overview of the emerging book art form. Peg Johnston curated the exhibit that runs now through February 23rd.
On February 21st at 7:00 p.m., in an event related to the exhibit, is an artist talk by Bertha Rogers of the Bright Hill Press and Literary Center in Treadwell NY Rogers is not only a book artist, but also curates book arts and showcases poets and artists at the center.
The Cooperative Gallery 213 is located at 213 State Street in Binghamton, NY and is open from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Fridays, 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturdays, and by appointment.
*** Open now through April 30th at the University of Southern Maine is the exhibit Fashionable Books and Paper Fashion. Exhibitors include Anne-Claude Cotty, Mary Howe, Alex Rheault, Crystal Cawley, Allison Cooke Brown, Julie Stackpole, Susan Perrine, Sissy Buck, Edward Maeder, and Erin Sweeney.
The exhibit features artists’ books on, about, or picturing fashion and/or paper constructions and prints related to apparel of any kind.
These pieces are on display in the glass cases in the UNUM Great Reading Room on the 7th floor of the Glickman Family Library. Some work is also displayed on the walls and on top of the cabinets and book shelves in the Reading Room.
The exhibit is free and open to the public during regular library hours. For more information please contact Rebecca Goodale via Email or phone: (207) 228- 8014.
The USM Glickman Family Library is located at 314 Forest Avenue on the University of Southern Maine’s Portland Campus.
Book Arts Classes
*** Carol Barton‘s most recent newsletter announced that she’ll be teaching at the North Country Studio Workshops at Bennington College in 2014. Unfortunately, there are no further details. If you’re interested in learning more, keep an eye on Carol’s schedule on her website.
Bennington College is located in Bennington, Vermont.
*** Richard Horton will be teaching a photo album structure workshop on May 24-25, 2013 at his book restoration department at Bridgeport National Bindery in Agawam, MA.
The course focuses on eight album page structures based on historical structures. Students will make a set of completed leaves, sew them, make a folding paper cover for them, and make a one-piece folding box for the album. They will then get started on a larger album project which they will complete at home.
For more information and to express interest, contact via Email.
