by Elissa | Sep 9, 2016 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, September 14, 2016, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
The September meeting will be held at UVM’s Special Collections in the basement of Bailey Howe Library. Click here to download a pdf of the directions to Special Collections.
Please note that in September we will not be meeting as usual on the second Wednesday at the Unitarian Church in Burlington.
Program: Visit to Special Collections at UVM
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.
August Meeting Reflections
We did a lot of sharing at the Studio Support and Workshop Time meeting. In fact, we hardly had enough time to get it all out there! We learned many new tips, tools, and techniques to invigorate our papers and surface designs.
We generated many new ideas for programs, and we agreed on a theme for next year’s exhibit – Correspondence. Don’t be scared, you don’t have to stick to the script on this one, but while you’re thinking of ideas for a new project, keep it in mind (and then send someone a postcard or letter.)
The time went by super fast, as we learned more about each other’s work, interests, and great deeds. Thank you to all those who brought their energy and ideas.
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 September 16 – 17, 2016 at UVM’s Davis Center. This annual event celebrates the written word by offering readings, book signings, panels, workshops, demos, family activities, and special events.
We are planning to exhibit works from members to introduce the community to book arts, and increase awareness of book arts and our group. We will have an exhibit during the opening ceremonies on Friday September 16 as well as on Saturday during the day. During the exhibit time, we have also committed to demonstrating various book structures (not hands-on workshops).
Here are the opportunities for participation:
- Exhibit Artists’ Books: You can submit new work or something you have previously exhibited. Limited to 20 works. If you would like to submit work for the exhibit, please download the entry form and bring it, along with your work, to the September 14th Book Arts Guild meeting (at Special Collections). If you cannot attend the meeting but would like to submit work, please email Marcia by Monday, September 12th to make arrangements to get your work to her.
- Volunteers at the Book Arts Guild table for set up and/or break down: If you would like to help set up the exhibit on Friday night event, please email Jill. If you would like to participate by volunteering for a 2 – 3 hour slot at the Book Arts Guild table on Saturday (9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.), please email Marcia with your interest. If you would like to demonstrate a particular structure, please let us know. You won’t have to teach others to make the structure, just bring a book project you are working on and share your process with visitors.
*** B.A.G. member Nina Gaby has lots to share! Her work has been included in the book Memoir Your Way: Telling Your Story Through Writing, Recipes, Quilts, Graphic Novels, and More by the Memoir Roundtable, Sky Horse Publishing, 2016.
An essay made from her three dimensional book art work is a finalist in the DIAGRAM ESSAY CONTEST 2016 and may be published soon. And lastly, she’ll be exhibiting her work in the Vermont Technical College library this fall. She hopes to offer a lecture for the students.
She adds that she doesn’t mind bragging – “We work hard as artists with often little to show for it.”
*** B.A.G. member Elissa Campbell is teaching Leather Pocket Journals at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT on October 13 & 20, 2016 from 4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
You’ll learn how to create 5 bindings that use only leather, paper, and thread – no glue needed! For each binding, you will sew 3 sections of folded papers 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 will try out different closure methods. No previous experience required – this is a great class for a beginner.
To register, contact SPA via phone (802) 479-7069 or email.
*** The statewide Vermont Fall Open Studio Weekend is coming up next month with two weekends of artist studios – October 1 & 2 and October 8 & 9, 2016.
Two B.A.G. members will be participating in the event, each on different dates. Here’s the scoop:
- Amy Burns will be demonstrating at the Artists’ Mediums Art Shop in Cambridge VT on October 2 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. She’ll be demonstrating the Coptic stitch, among other things. The shop is #2 in the tour guide.
- During the weekend of October 1 & 2, Elissa Campbell will offer demonstrations and studio tours in Montpelier. She also has a selection of bookbinding supplies available for purchase. Her studio is #65 is in the tour guide.
You can find maps and directions to studios on the VT Crafts Council website.
Book Arts News
*** The Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA is hosting the exhibit Metamorphosis: The Art of Altered Books, now until November 6, 2016. The exhibit features mixed media artists who carve, gouge, fold, collage, and manipulate books to transform the printed pages into a sculptural object.
Exhibited works explore the materiality of the object, layers of meaning within, communication and cultural connections, design potential, and possible extinction of books in today’s tech-driven world. Exhibiting artists include Long-Bin Chen, Andy Hayes, Wendy Wahl, and Jacqueline Rush Lee.
For more information, please visit the Fuller Craft Museum’s website.
*** The North Bennet Street School is hosting a public lecture with Martin Frost on Tuesday, September 13 from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. – The Curious Art of the Secret Fore-edge Painting. Using books from his own collection, he will discuss the history of and techniques used in fore-edge painting. Frost has painted the edges of over 3,500 books, including examples of the scarce all-edge, split and two-way doubles. He also binds many of his books.
The event is free and open to the public. Registration is available online.
The North Bennet Street School is located in Boston, MA. For more information, please visit the NBSS website.
*** In celebration of her 65th birthday, Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord is holding an Open Studio event on September 17, 2016 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Susan is the author of Handmade Books For A Healthy Planet and Multicultural Books to Make and Share.
Work from the past 38 years will on view in both her studio and her home at 311 High Street in Newburyport, MA.
For more information, please visit Susan’s website.
*** In collaboration with The Ticknor Society, The Movable Book Society is holding its biennial conference in Boston on September 15 – 17, 2016. The Movable Book Society was organized in 1993 to provide a forum for collectors, artists, curators, book sellers, book producers, and others to share enthusiasm and exchange information about pop-up and movable books.
This year’s speakers include Matthew Reinhart, Shawn Sheehy, Laura Davidson, and Emily Martin. The conference also features hands-on activities, presentations, a silent auction, and a book sale.
For more information, please download the conference program or contact The Movable Book Society at info@movablebooksociety.org.
*** Vermont artist Janet Wormser has a stash of Japanese paper she doesn’t need and she’s offering it for sale.
Here’s what she has:
- Hosho Natural 16.5″ x 22″
- Hosho Professional 24″ x 36″
- Tosa Kasagami 15.5″ x 19″
She also has a 14″ x 18″ portfolio (0.75″ spine thickness) for sale for $5.00.
Please contact Janet if you’d like more information or you’re interested in buying something from her.
Book Arts Classes
*** The Eliot School is offering the series Wild Journals with Susan Porter in October and November. Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Transform plain, store-bought, hardbound sketchbooks into gorgeously rich, densely colored, printed, cut and folded journals. These dramatic works of art can incorporate text, collage, found objects, windows, flaps and surface design.
The skills you learn can also be used in any form of handmade book. Expect to get messy. Bring an apron or work shirt to protect your clothing.
You can sign up for individual sessions or the whole series.
- Getting Started – Color & Paint: October 6, 2016
- Cut-outs, Pop-ups & Extensions: Thursday October 13, 2016
- Stamps, Stencils & Simple Printmaking: October 20, 2016
- Layers, Pockets, Windows & Tags: October 27, 2016
- Collaged Covers & Pages: November 3, 2016
- Story, Text & Narrative: November 10, 2016
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
*** The North Bennet Street School is hosting two workshops in collaboration with this year’s joint conference of the Movable Book Society and The Ticknor Society. Both workshops are open to the public. Registration is required.
Making Pop-ups Using Origami Techniques with Joel Stern
Sunday, September 18, 2016
9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Using origami and pop-up techniques, this short workshop focuses on making paper-folded faces that can be incorporated into hand-made books. Models taught are of increasing complexity, with opportunity for students to create their own.
Paper Craft Meets Circuitry with Jie Qi
Sunday, September 18, 2016
1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Add electronics to your paper crafts to make them dynamic and interactive. Design and craft circuits on paper with Chibitronics Circuit Stickers, tiny peel-and-stick electronic parts that you can use to make interactive glowing paper craft projects. No circuit building or crafting experience necessary.
The North Bennet Street School is located in Boston, MA. For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
by Elissa | May 4, 2016 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 11, 2016, 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: Jacob’s Ladder Books with Ann Joppe-Mercure
Join us in May as we explore the enchanting structure of Jacob’s Ladder to make a very unique book.
Under the expert guidance of Ann Joppe-Mercure, we will each will make a five-section Jacob’s Ladder book. Just like the old fashioned toy, the pages will flip back and forth, revealing different information in a mesmerizing fashion. Ann will provide the basic materials (mat board, ribbon, and paper squares).
Please bring the following tools and materials:
- See-Thru ruler for measuring
- Pencil
- Glue (or double-sided tape) to adhere the mat board squares together
- Scissors
- X-Acto knife or scalpel
- Cutting mat
- Fun materials to design your pages
April Meeting Reflections
Remember when we made the origami cubes back in December as a contribution to a group project? The project’s originator and designer, Valerie Hird, presented a video of her finished project, The Genesis Tree, at our meeting in April, and talked about her idea behind the project and how it came to be. Really good stuff here, an example of how important collaboration can be in a world so broken up by false perceptions. Watch the video here, and be proud of our group’s contribution.
During the workshop time, we had a lot of different projects going on, giving way to lively discussion as well as focused work. Without a planned program, there was the opportunity to find out more about each other, and to get work done that may otherwise sit on the worktable at home until we ‘get to it’. It was hard to get everyone out of the room at the clearing out time.
Thanks to all who participated, and a special thanks to Valerie.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** On May 28 & 29 (Memorial Day Weekend), the statewide Open Studio Weekend is offering a wonderful selection of book artsy studios for you to visit.
If you’re up for a tour, you can find your comrades in the following locations:
Elissa created a Google Map with all of the locations to help you with your tour. You can find maps and directions to studios on the VT Crafts Council website. You can also download a pdf of the 2016 Spring Event & Resource Guide. Please note that this is a really big file.
*** B.A.G.’s very own Ann Joppe-Mercure will be teaching The Art of the Book at Saint Michael’s College from July 5 – 15 (no class on 7/4).
Educators and students are invited to explore and create in this studio course addressing the art of the book. Participants will experiment with forms, structures, materials, and concepts as we investigate the limitless possibilities of the Book. By surveying the historical need to record and contain knowledge and by examining the work of contemporary book artist students will gain a foundation for their own creative expression of ideas and meaning. Students will make a working portfolio of paper treatments, book models and altered structures then create their own individual art books.
The class will be a working model of a 21st century collaborative community supporting the creative process through practice, constructive criticism, reflecting, and refining technique. The Common Core anchor standards of Craft and Structure and Integration of Knowledge and Ideas will be addressed.
No previous bookmaking or art experience required. Students who have previously taken GED 671 The Art of Bookmaking and/or GED 673 Science, Art and Bookmaking: Making Connections, are welcome in this class. A $50.00 materials fee is required and due at registration.
For more information, please visit St. Mike’s website.
Book Arts News
*** On Thursday, May 26th, Burlington City Arts is hosting a party in honor of those who participated in the The Genesis Tree project.
There will be a video tour of the tree and its assembly, as well as some of the outstanding examples of the origami cubes, boxes and birds. Parents, teachers and friends are welcome.
Please RSVP to Valerie Hird at valerieb.hird@gmail.com if you plan to attend the event.
*** The Rochester Institute of Technology’s Cary Graphic Arts Collection is hosting the Guild of Book Workers‘ juried traveling exhibition, Vessel, now through June 17, 2016.
The book as vessel inspires beautiful metaphor – a craft for traveling, a container, a holder, a receiver, a transporter. Across time and culture, the vessel is at the center of many ceremonies and rites of passage. Native American cultures regarded the vessel as a portal to a sacred realm. The book as craft is our vessel to sail the high seas, to hold our dearest memories, and to indicate the pulse of life. Guild of Book Workers members contributed works to interpret “vessel” as broadly or as narrowly as they wished.
The exhibition features approximately 50 works by GBW members. Selected works include fine and edition bindings, artist’s books, broadsides, and historical binding models.
For more information about the exhibit, please visit the GBW website.
*** On Thursday, May 12th at 5:30 p.m., the Rochester Institute of Technology’s Cary Graphic Arts Collection is presenting a lecture with Todd Pattison, Art, Craft and Conservation: De-mystifying A Book Conservator. Pattison is the Senior Book Conservator at the Northeast Document Conservation Center. A reception will follow the lecture.
Todd will discuss his work as a book conservator and how it relates to research and teaching in the field of bibliophily. He will also highlight his artistic contribution to the Vessel exhibition, as well as those of some of his peers, who are also professional book conservators around the country.
For more information, please visit the Cary Graphic Arts Collection’s website.
*** The Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA is hosting the exhibit Paper and Blade: Modern Paper Cutting, now through July 31, 2016. The exhibit celebrates the pioneering spirit of artists working in cut paper.
Exhibiting artists were selected for their passion for this humble material, their masterful techniques, and their innovative approaches to working in this media, and together they will present a collective vision of the future of paper craft. Participants includes Beatrice Coron, Maude White, Randal Thurston, Nikki McClure, Elizabeth Alexander, Bovey Lee, and Charles Clary.
For more information, please visit the Fuller Craft Museum’s website.
*** In collaboration with The Ticknor Society, The Movable Book Society is holding its biennial conference in Boston on September 15 – 17, 2016. The Movable Book Society was organized in 1993 to provide a forum for collectors, artists, curators, book sellers, book producers, and others to share enthusiasm and exchange information about pop-up and movable books.
This year’s speakers include Matthew Reinhart, Shawn Sheehy, Laura Davidson, and Emily Martin. The conference also features hands-on activities, presentations, a silent auction, and a book sale.
For more information, please download the conference program or contact The Movable Book Society at info@movablebooksociety.org.
Book Arts Classes
*** The Women’s Studio Workshop is offering The Medium as Message: An Adventure in Low Tech with Caroline Walp from July 11 – 15, 2016. The workshop will take place in Kingston, NY.
You will begin this workshop by learning letterpress basics, including setting type, mixing ink, and various ways of generating images by different means. You’ll also learn basic bookbinding techniques to make accordion or single signature artists’ books and/or zines.
In this immersive, multi-media class, students will learn the simplest and most direct ways of generating text and image as a multiples, using a table top letterpress, hand printing, lino cuts, hand stamping, rubber stamping, and other alternative printing processes. The emphasis will be on effectively transmitting your message into a publishable format.
For more information or to register, please visit the Women’s Studio Workshop website.
*** On June 25- 26, 2016, the New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers is excited to present Making Simple Finishing Tools with Jeffrey Altepeter.
For traditional design nothing really beats a collection of decorative finishing tools. But making your own tools can offer more immediate control in the design process, the ability to modify as you work, and the ability to do more unique work. Making tools is also gratifying and fun.
This workshop will offer an introduction to the materials, tools and techniques of making your own brass finishing tools for bookbinding. A combination of demonstration, discussion and hands-on practice will prepare students for continued experimentation and more advanced future projects.
The workshop will be held at Third Year Studio in Boston, MA. For more information or to register, please visit the GBW website.
*** Maine Media Workshops + College is offering Merging Content & Craft with Frank Hamrick on June 19 – 25. The college is located in Rockport, Maine.
The first part of this weeklong workshop will focus on learning four bookbinding methods: hardbound pamphlet, accordion, Japanese and Coptic. Each structure introduces various techniques materials, closure methods and sewing methods. In the second half of the workshop each student will take what they have learned to make a small artists’ book of content, be it image, text or some combination of the two.
You will work together one on one and in group critiques to edit, sequence and shape each person’s images and/or writing to create a book structure fitting for each body of work.
For more information or to register, please visit the Maine Media Workshops + College’s website.
by Elissa | May 7, 2015 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 13, 2015, 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: Exquisite Corpse Collaborative Book with Rebecca Boardman
Many guild members have expressed interest in participating in collaborative projects. Fortunately for us, Becky Boardman has taken the initiative and will get us going on a series collaborative book projects that promise to be fun, inventive, and inspiring. At our May meeting, Becky will introduce the first of these projects: The Exquisite Corpse Collaborative Book.
During the first part of the meeting, Becky will give a brief description of Exquisite Corpse books and how the project will work, and share some samples. She’ll then provide us with templates and written instructions, and lead us in creating an Exquisite Corpse image. Whether your creation turns out to be a work of art or a fun practice piece, it will certainly familiarize you with the process and get your creative juices flowing. And even if you’re not inclined to participate in the collaborative project, please join us and learn how to make your own Exquisite Corpse book!
Tools and materials: Please bring whatever you like to use to create images.
Possibilities include:
Drawing tools:
- Pens
- Pencils
- Colored pencils
- Markers, Sharpies, Gel pens, etc.
Collage tools and materials:
- Collage materials you like to work with
- X-Acto knife/cutting blade
- Cutting mat
- Scissors
- Glue stick or Quick Dry glue
April Meeting and SEABA Show Reflections
It was a cold snowy evening – in April! Thanks to everyone who came out for the artists’ talk at the SEABA gallery, and to all the artists for sharing details about their amazing work. I was struck by the level of emotion that the group expressed in and about their books, and really thankful that we were able to share the insights.
So what is a book? Nancy Stone noted that if she says it’s a book, then it is. Nina Gaby seconded that notion, citing her porcelain vessels full of ‘pages’ as reminiscent of scrolls, an early book structure. Ann Joppe Mercure answered the question with a book of the same title, a Jacob’s Ladder structure that confirmed that a book can be read, played with, and enjoyed.
And how does a book come into being? Elissa Campbell explained her method of making it difficult for herself by soliciting answers from her blog readers, and magically forming them into a story that makes sense, according to her quirky sense of humor. Yes, books may even have capes. Others take an idea for structure or material and make it speak to them. Nancy Stone could not leave a collection of glass slides alone, and worked with them until the answer unfolded.
Where does the meaning come from? So many of the works contained remembrance, grief, or tribute to loved ones. Bonnie Hooper’s moving story about her mother’s influence on her life choices revealed itself in a lovely folded book, full of beautiful natural imagery. Rebecca Boardman’s Tribute to Ellen pays homage to a dedicated and beloved teacher of book arts, with intricate patterns reminiscent of Ellen’s work. Debra Kramer’s shrine containing her deceased relatives’ holy cards is a fascinating combination of religious imagery and influences of gravestones and statuary. My own Shoes for M serves not only as a remembrance to my friend, but also a record of my life over the course of three years. Dorsey Hogg explained her piece, The People of Moeng College, sharing her luck of having taken pictures of the people she worked with 20 years ago, and forming them into a dynamic flag structure which seemed to embody the idealism of her Peace Corps experience. Jill Dawson’s Farewell to Robin Williams incorporated LED’s in the binding, and featured a heart on the cover as a memorium.
Really, each piece deserves special attention. I hope you have all had a chance to visit and enjoy the show. Thank you all for participating, supporting, and attending. I’m looking forward to the next show, and seeing the fantastic work I know is coming!
– Marcia Vogler
You can view images from the meeting and work in the exhibit on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** The Book Arts Guild of Vermont is pleased to announce a fun and creative weekend workshop with bookbinder Elizabeth Rideout. Creative Box Making for Book and Paper Artists will take place on June 27 – 28, from 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Participants will construct a variety of basic box structures using traditional box making materials and techniques. Pre-cut bookbinders’ board, book cloth, and decorative papers will be provided for each student to assemble and cover three different finished box styles as well as personal reference models to take home. Students will leave the workshop with a clear understanding of basic box making (design and construction) and three completed boxes including a classic dropspine box, flip-top box, and miniature box with fitted lid.
Box making is an important and FUN skill to have for any artist or art owner. I strongly believe that these skills can broaden an artist’s toolbox both creatively and professionally. Whether applied in an integrative manner or simply in efforts to protect or preserve a special object, box making enhances what we make, how we experience it, and how long it will last.
All experience levels welcome!
Dates: June 27 – June 28 (Saturday – Sunday)
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Location: Six Loons Studio at Shelburne Pond Studios, Shelburne, VT
Class fee (all-inclusive): $145.00
Space is limited, 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.
*** On May 23 & 24 (Memorial Day Weekend), the statewide Open Studio Weekend is offering a wonderful selection of book artsy studios for you to visit.
If you’re up for a tour, you can find your comrades in the following locations:
Elissa created a Google Map with all of the locations to help you with your tour. You can find maps and directions to studios on the VT Crafts Council website. You can also download a pdf of the 2015 Spring Vermont Open Studio Event & Resource Guide. Please note that this is a really big file.
Book Arts News
*** Geographies: New England Book Work, the New England Chapter of The Guild of Book Workers exhibition, is now on view at the Dartmouth College Library in Hanover, New Hampshire through August 21, 2015.
Geographies: New England Book Work includes bookbindings and artist’s books that relate to the theme of New England created by 26 of their members. Included are classic regional texts, books that make personal connections to the region, and New England history from a variety of perspectives, among other topics.
For more information on the exhibition and the complete schedule please read the post on the chapter blog.
*** ArtisTree Gallery is looking for submissions for their upcoming exhibit, UNBOUND: VOL V. The broad theme of UNBOUND: VOL V 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 juried show looks to explore these ideas of “the book” and all the ways artists use its format as a stepping off point or as a material to explore new ideas.
This call for submission is open to all New England and New York residents of the U.S. who are 18 years of age or older. All artwork must be original in concept, design and execution. The deadline for submission is June 13, 2015. For more information, please visit the ArtisTree Gallery’s website.
Book Arts Classes
*** From January 26 – 31, 2016, Daniel Essig will be teaching Wooden Books – Greek & Centipede Binding at the North Country Studio Workshops in Bennington, VT.
Easily master the centipede stitch by first understanding the structure and workings of this ornate 7th century Greek binding. Using simple hand tools to begin, we will drill, shape, and smooth our wooden book covers. Sealing the covers with milk paint will create a leathery appearance. We will adorn our books with the centipede stitch using two different colors of thread. This elegant sewing structure, combined with wooden covers, opens a wide range of possibilities for both the beginner and the advanced bookbinder.
Applications are now available and the review process begins June 1st. For more information or if you have any questions, please visit the NCSW website.
*** The Guild of Book Workers is offering Making Simple Finishing Tools with Jeff Altepeter, June 13 & 14 in Portland, ME.
This two-day workshop will offer an introduction to the materials, tools and techniques of making your own finishing tools for bookbinding. A robust combination of demonstration, discussion and hands-on practice will prepare students for continued experimentation and more advanced future projects. During the workshop students should be able to complete 3 tools – a simple line pallet, and a couple of decorative tools of either closed or open designs (a dot and a circle being very basic examples of closed and open designs).
For more information or to register, please visit the GBW website.
*** From June 12 – 14, the North Bennet Street School is offering the 19th Century Field Book with Martha Kearsley.
This 3-day workshop concentrates on making useful books to bring into the field. Based on historic examples of 19th-century field notebooks, students produce a quarter- or half-leather binding, tight-back over sawn-in cords, with a handy pencil-locking mechanism. Issues of utility, ease of use and accessibility are addressed, as well as practical techniques to include specimens, notes and ephemera. This workshop is a great introduction for students interested in working with leather, as edge paring, shaping spine pieces and covering are addressed.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
*** The Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, MA is offering Artists’ Book Boot Camp with Annie Silverman on August 24 – 28, from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Present your photographs, prints, collages or paintings in book form. Bring 2-D imagery you have generated to incorporate into your books. Learn basic folded and sewn bindings, discover a range of hard and soft cover options, and explore how to sequence your content. Forms will include pamphlets, multiple signatures, accordions, composites, dos-a-dos and French doors.
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
by Elissa | Oct 3, 2014 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, October 8, 2014, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
The October meeting will be held at UVM’s Special Collections in the basement of Bailey Howe Library. Click here to download a pdf of the directions to Special Collections.
Please note that in October we will not be meeting as usual on the second Wednesday at the Unitarian Church in Burlington.
Program: Special Visit to UVM Special Collections
This year, our visit to Special Collections will provide the unique opportunity to view the spectacular work of the members of the New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers, as their traveling exhibit – Geographies: New England Book Work – is currently on display at UVM’s Bailey/Howe Library.
Even more exciting, exhibitors Deborah Howe and Stephanie Wolff will be on hand to offer a guided tour of the exhibit! They will discuss the creation of their own books in the show, methods of construction used by other exhibitors, and contemporary bookbinding and book arts. The exhibition contains a variety of artist books, bindings, and manuscript books on the theme “New England.”
Deborah Howe is the Collections Conservator and a Book Arts Instructor at Dartmouth College Library, and board member of the Morgan Conservatory in Cleveland, Ohio. Stephanie Wolff is an artist, hand bookbinder, and book conservator. She teaches book arts to students of all ages, including at Dartmouth College Library’s Book Arts Workshop.
The Guild of Book Workers, a national organization founded in 1906, brings together people interested in all the book arts, including bookbinding, book conservation, calligraphy, decorative paper, papermaking, and printing. For more information visit negbw.wordpress.com and www.guildofbookworkers.org.
* Please bring a pencil, not a pen, if you plan to take notes.
September Meeting Reflections
Our September meeting was one of learning and giving. Judy Sgantas provided the group with first hand knowledge of the altruistic work provided by Team Heart. Our hearts opened as she described the culture and conditions in Rwanda. The medical team will return to Rwanda again in February to provide heart surgery for young patients. This year Judy will accompany them and work with the children in the orphanage. She will teach bookmaking and provide art supplies donated by our Book Arts Guild.
At our meeting Judy taught us the book structure of wallet books. We made several for Team Heart to give to patients and care givers in Rwanda. Jill Abilock provided beautiful paste papers for the books so each one is unique special.
Thank you Judy and Jill for providing us with a few hours away from our lives to learn about the needs of others and to have the opportunity to make a positive contribution through bookmaking.
Judy will accept more wallet books and donations through December for the work of Team Heart.
Book Arts News
*** The Champlain Mini Maker Faire will be held at Shelburne Farms Coach Barn on Saturday, October 4th from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., and Sunday, October 5th from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The Faire is a family-friendly event to MAKE, create, learn, invent, CRAFT, recycle, think, play and be inspired by celebrating arts, crafts, engineering, food, music, science and technology.
The Book Arts Guild of Vermont will have a booth at the Faire where we will demonstrate simple book structures, and allow participants to try their hand at book arts. Stop by if you are at the Faire!
*** 
On October 4 & 5, the statewide Open Studio Weekend is offering a wonderful selection of book artsy studios for you to visit.
If you’re up for a tour, you can find your comrades in the following locations:
Elissa created a Google Map with all of the locations to help you with your tour. You can find maps and directions to studios on the VT Crafts Council website. You can also download a pdf of the 2014 Fall Vermont Open Studio Tour Guide. Please note that this is a really big file.
*** Fiber artist Marion Seasholtz generates a lot of cotton batting and fabric scraps in her work and is offering them to anyone interested in using them for papermaking. If you’re interested, please contact Marion at marion@windsedgestudio.com.
*** Al Mutanabbi Street Starts Here is on exhibit at the Eliot D. Pratt Library Art Gallery at Goddard College now through October 10, 2014. The exhibit commemorates the 2007 bombing that resulted in the loss of a vibrant cultural and literary community in Baghdad.
The exhibit has been traveling the world since 2012 and includes artists’ books and broadsides by artists from 26 countries. Goddard College is in Plainfield, VT.
*** The McGrath Lecture in Contemporary Book Arts presents Twenty Years of the Double Elephant Press: Harnessing Influence & Ignorance on October 8, 2014 at 4:00 p.m. in the Neilson Browsing Room at Smith College, in Northampton, MA. To accompany this lecture, there is an exhibition of selected works from the Double Elephant Press, on view through December 15 at the entrance to the Mortimer Rare Book Room (Neilson Library, level 3).
Michael Kuch of Double Elephant Press began drawing in pen and ink at the age of eleven at home in northern Vermont; one year later he had a one-man show at a local museum. For the past twenty years Kuch has worked with book artisans in the Northampton area, notably the letterpress printer Art Larson, as well as numerous bookbinders. Lately, Kuch has delved into printing his own etched text and made forays into bookbinding.
For more information, please visit the Smith College Libraries website.
Book Arts Classes
*** On October 25, 2014, the North Bennet Street School, in collaboration with the New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers, is offering an Onion Skin Binding workshop with Benjamin Elbel.
Learn the complex sequence of scores, folds and gluings involved in the amazing Onion Skin binding, a structure that grows from the inside to the outside, gradually incorporating the single sheets into a continuous stub.
While you will learn in a traditional workshop setting, Benjamin’s instruction will be projected on a screen for students as he will be located at his studio in London.
For more information or to register, please visit the Guild of Book Workers website.
*** The Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, MA is offering Fold & Stitch Books with Annie Silverman on Sunday, October 19 & 26, 2014 from 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Using simple techniques that build upon each other, learn a variety of essential book forms: sewn pamphlets, multiple-signature books, accordion and flag books, along with simple wrappers and envelopes.
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
by Elissa | Sep 4, 2014 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, September 10, 2014, 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: Art with a Heart: Creating Journals for Team Heart Patients in Africa with Judy Sgantas
Join us for a very special meeting in September when we come together as a group and make books to help Judy Sgantas support the efforts of Team Heart, a non-profit group of volunteer physicians, nurses, and technicians dedicated to providing life-saving cardiac surgeries in Rwanda, primarily to children suffering from rheumatic heart disease, a preventable condition.
Judy’s husband Mark is a cardio-thoracic nurse at Fletcher Allen Health Care. Last year, he and six other volunteers from Fletcher Allen became part of the 40 members of Team Heart in Rwanda, performing valve surgeries on 16 patients over a two week period. He will be participating again this year and Judy will be joining him, working to support Team Heart’s efforts at an orphanage near the hospital.
Last year, Judy made “wallet books” (pamphlet-stitched journals with pockets folded into the covers) for all of Team Heart’s patients and a few of the Rwandan nurses, so they would each have a book that would hold their stories, pictures and even medical instructions. The books were such a huge success that this year Judy has invited the Book Arts Guild to help create the books that she will bring with her to Rwanda this fall.
So come to the September meeting prepared to learn an easy but interesting and useful new book structure as Judy leads us in creating wallet books for the Rwandan care givers and patients served by Team Heart!
Please bring the following:
- Bone folder
- Awl
- Scissors
- X-Acto knife/cutting blade
- Cutting mat
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Bookbinding or tapestry needle
- Waxed linen thread
Optional:
- Judy puts index cards for medical instructions in one of the book pockets, along with a postcard of one of her illustrations. If you would like to bring a personal card to place in the book that you make, that would be lovely!
August Meeting Reflections
Our August meeting was full of fun and hands-on experimenting. Jen Alderman and Gwen Morey came well prepared with demonstrations, written suggestion and loads of materials for us to explore. They believe in recycling trash and found objects into exciting stamping possibilities and they made believers out of us.
Some highlights included bubble wrap, ramen noodles and marbles. Their expertise and experience was appreciated as we got tips on the different types of inks, refill systems, punches and sponges to improve our techniques.
Thanks Jen and Gwen, what a wonderful way to learn and play on a summer’s evening.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
Book Arts News
*** On October 4 & 5, the statewide Open Studio Weekend is offering a wonderful selection of book artsy studios for you to visit.
If you’re up for a tour, you can find your comrades in the following locations:
Elissa created a Google Map with all of the locations to help you with your tour. You can find maps and directions to studios on the VT Crafts Council website. You can also download a pdf of the 2014 Fall Vermont Open Studio Tour Guide. Please note that this is a really big file.
*** Fiber artist Sandy Jefferis is selling her stash of handmade papers. Here’s what’s for sale:
- 83 sheets of Thai Lama Li Lokta, assorted colors, 20″ x 30″
- 29 sheets of Thai Unryu Marbled Momi, 24″ x 36″
- 21+ sheets of assorted bark and other handmade papers
The retail price for the batch is about $636.00. She is asking for $350.00 for all of it. If you are interested, please contact Sandy at sandyjefferis@gmail.com
*** Al Mutanabbi Street Starts Here is on exhibit at the Eliot D. Pratt Library Art Gallery at Goddard College now through October 10, 2014. The exhibit commemorates the 2007 bombing that resulted in the loss of a vibrant cultural and literary community in Baghdad.
The exhibit has been traveling the world since 2012 and includes artists’ books and broadsides by artists from 26 countries. Goddard College is in Plainfield, VT.
*** The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers has organized a mini-conference in northern Maine during September 12 – 14, 2014. Spend a weekend in Northern Maine with a community of local artists working in the field of bookbinding, paper making and calligraphy.
The conference will be held at the Cobscook Community Learning Center near Whiting, ME. Programming includes a visit to the Book Arts Studio at UMaine Machias Friday afternoon, evening lectures by Alan Furth, Walter Tisdale and Gray Parrot Friday night, half-day workshops by Katie MacGregor and Nancy Leavitt on Saturday followed by a special presentation by David Yarborough.
For more information or to register, please visit the Guild of Book Workers website.
*** The exhibit UNBOUND VOL. IV: Art Using books as a material/format will be open from July 25 – August 23, 2014 at the Artistree Gallery in Woodstock, VT. This juried 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.
Book Arts Classes
*** On September 22-26, 2014, the North Bennet Street School is offering Fundamentals of Bookbinding I with Erin Fletcher in Boston.The course covers non-adhesive structures and case bindings, students learn about structural elements, sewing variations, covering and cutting techniques using various materials, and tools and equipment. The focus is on non-adhesive structures such as coptic, historical long stitch and case bindings such as flat back, rounded back.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
*** The Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, MA is offering Fold & Stitch Books with Annie Silverman on Sunday, October 19 & 26, 2014 from 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Using simple techniques that build upon each other, learn a variety of essential book forms: sewn pamphlets, multiple-signature books, accordion and flag books, along with simple wrappers and envelopes.
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
