by Elissa | Sep 3, 2021 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, September 8, 2021, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
This month’s meeting will once again be held via Zoom, an online conference program. If you’ve never attended a Zoom meeting before, check out this video – it will go over the basics of how to join a meeting.
Stay safe!
The B.A.G. Board
Program: Make a Zine and Prepare to Swap!
September brings a different kind of energy to life, doesn’t it? Let’s get together and make a zine!
In our June meeting, Emma Percy introduced us to zine culture and showed us examples from their collection. Now is our chance to practice the craft.
Our own Amy Burns will share some of her own comic zines and ideas on how to create your own. We will then make a one page fold book together, that can be printed on any home printer, and share a variety of versions to stimulate your creativity.
Ann Joppe-Mercure will introduce a new mail art challenge with a Zine Swap, that will enable us to see each other’s work in real life.
Here’s what you will need:
- A print out of this template at actual size
- 2 – 4 sheets of plain 8.5″ X 11″ paper
- Drawing/writing tools – your favorite pen is good, markers, etc.
- Subject matter – optional, but if you want to start some content, it’s nice to have a subject
B.A.G. Library Corner
Summer is ending, the holidays will be here before we know it, and with another mail art challenge on the horizon it’s a good time to review our envelope making skills. In her book Ultimate Cardmaking, Sarah Beaman shows us three different ways of crafting handmade envelopes.
The tutorials show how to use a template, trace an existing envelope, or create a pillow envelope to house three-dimensional contents. These easy to follow instructions will be sure to inspire the perfect enclosure for any mail art creations.
If you have ideas for books to feature or if you have a library book in your possession you’d like to share something from, email Sally at salblanch@gmail.com.
You can check out and download the selection here.
B.A.G. News
*** Now through September 25th, the Book Arts Guild of Vermont’s group show, THE ART OF THE BOOK: IS IT A BOOK? will be on view at the Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.
NEKAG is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. and is located at 430 Railroad Street.
Our reception is being rescheduled, at which time we hope that participating artists will be able to speak about their work. Stay tuned for more information.
*** Speaking of our exhibit, be sure to check out page 50 in this week’s issue of Seven Days. We received a great review:
A current show at the Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild in St. Johnsbury, were it an actual book, would have to be called a page-turner. Unputdownable. A best seller.
Our own Ann Joppe-Mercure also got a special mention for her work Written in Stone.
Can’t get your hands on a copy of the paper? Never fear – you can read the issue online.
*** The Rochester Public Library‘s 10th anniversary international exhibit, Art of the Book & Paper, is open now through November 1. The opening reception will be held on September 29 from 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
B.A.G. members Carolyn Shattuck, Debra Kraemer, and Dorsey Hogg have work that was juried into the exhibit. Dorsey’s pieces Bound to History won 2nd place and Delicious won Honorable Mention, both in the Altered Books category.
All of the work can be viewed in the online exhibit program.
Book Arts News
*** The Vermont Folklife Center is currently accepting applications for its Vermont Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program. The program works to sustain and pass down traditional art forms (bookbinding included!) in the state of Vermont .
The purpose of the program is to provide funding to help compensate the master artist for their time and to cover the cost of travel and of materials used during the apprenticeship. Accepted master artist/apprentice pairs are supported with up to $2,000.00 of funding.
Applications for the 2021-2022 cycle are due by September 17, 2021. For more information and to access the application, please visit the VFC website.
*** The Museum of Printing in Haverill, MA is offering free admission on September 18 as part of Smithsonian Magazine’s 17th annual Museum Day.
The museum is dedicated to preserving the rich history of the graphic arts, printing and typesetting technology, and printing craftsmanship. In addition to many special collections and small exhibits, the museum contains hundreds of antique printing, typesetting, and bindery machines, as well as a library of books and printing-related documents.
The on Museum Day, the museum will be hosting the Alphabet Factory, an interactive printing experience for all ages. While admission is free, you will need a Museum Day ticket for admission. Each ticket is valid for two visitors. You can download a ticket here.
September 18th is also the day of the museum’s Garage Sale. There will be lots of letterpress items for sale – printing presses, printing equipment, metal cuts, halftones, books, and other goodies.
*** The third annual Peace Paper Project street intervention will take place at City Hall Park in Burlington on Saturday, September 25 from 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Johnny LaFalce and Drew Matott with their bicycle powered paper pulp beater team up with A Revolutionary Press to pedal-pulp contemporary issues into messages of empowerment, peace, and love.
The public is invited to hand pull a sheet of paper made from a unique blend of pulped material and fibers. The identity of the mystery fiber source in the pulp vat will be revealed that day. A Revolutionary Press will set up its mobile letterpress print station for those wanting a free print on this paper. The selected quote will relate to the mysterious material incorporated in the pulp mixture.
*** The American Precision Museum in Windsor is hosting a temporary exhibit from now until September 13. Letters and Stitches features rarely seen typewriters and sewing machines from the museum collection.
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The Jaffe Center for Book Arts is offering Moving Circles: Volvelles with Stephanie Wolff on September 18.
Volvelles, sometimes known as wheel charts, have a centuries-long history. They have been used in historic books, in promotional materials, and in devices to aid computation. Two or more circles turn to show information through cut out windows. This workshop covers a basic version of a volvelle and discussion of variations and ideas about incorporating content.
Our focus in this workshop will be on making models and learning how these function in order to create more complex and finished versions after the workshop. Volvelles are fun to make as cards, personalized gifts or to include in artists’ books.
For more information or to register, please email John Cutrone at jcutrone@fau.edu.
*** The Center for Book Arts is offering Suminagashi Marbling with Sheryl Oppenheim on September 21.
Suminagashi is the oldest form of marbling, dating back to at least the 12th century. It is totally distinct, both in material and methods, from the size-based marbling practiced in Turkey, Iran, and Europe.
In this class you will learn about the history of Suminagashi, materials, and techniques, and you will each work at home to make your own Suminagashi marbled paper.
For more information or to register, please visit the CBA website.
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering the Slotted Tape Binding with Rachel Schend on September 28.
In this virtual workshop, learn how to construct a Slotted Tape Binding, a multiple-section binding sewn on tapes (thin strips paper) that features a decorative paper cover. Learn how to sew book pages onto paper tapes using a French web-sewing technique. Then, make a paper cover while considering a number of unique design possibilities.
Each technical step in the process will be demonstrated and participants will come away with a completed book. Some historical background and design alternatives will also be presented.
For more information or to register, please visit the MCBA website.
by Elissa | Oct 6, 2016 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, October 12, 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: Mini Leather Journals with Elissa Campbell
In this hands-on presentation, Elissa will teach you Keith Smith‘s Broken Herringbone binding, using soft leather for the cover. This three signature binding creates a lovely decorative pattern on the spine. The book also has an integrated closure that coordinates with the sewing.
Leather, paper and thread will be provided. Please bring the following with you to the workshop:
- Bone folder
- Awl
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Bookbinding or tapestry needle
Optional (for punching small holes in leather):
September Meeting Reflections
Our annual visit to the Special Collections Department of the Bailey/Howe Library proved to be particularly fascinating this September. Prudence Doherty, Public Services Librarian, chose handmade paper and papermaking as her theme for the evening.
She presented books about paper and books made with handmade paper, and created a lively discussion about both. For a roomful of paper lovers, it was magic.
Thanks to everyone who participated in oohing and ahing, and special thanks to Prudence for a wonderful experience.
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 introduce our first ever book swap!
In a nutshell, participants will be randomly assigned a person for whom they will anonymously create a book – it’s a bit like Secret Santa, but more like Confidential Codex.
The focus of each swap will vary. We want to encourage our members to step outside their comfort zones, have fun, and experiment with new materials, structures, etc. For the first swap, you’ll have to create a blank book that incorporates recycled materials.
If the swap generates enough interest and folks enjoy it, then we’d love to continue the project on an ongoing basis.
Here are the details:
- Sign up deadline: 10/15/16
- Assignment of names: 10/20/16
- Book swap (and deadline for book completion): 12/14/16 (December B.A.G. meeting)
If you’d like to participate or have questions, please contact Elissa by October 15th. Don’t worry if you can’t make it to the December meeting – you can always mail your book.
We can’t wait to see the final books!
*** B.A.G. member Nancy Stone wrote the following about her recent experience working with the Visiting Nurse Association’s Respite House:
The Joy of Donating Artwork
Last autumn I took a workshop on Your Art Legacy, a thought-provoking discussion about planning for dispersal of our artwork upon our death. That was a good wake-up call for someone in her 70’s! I realized that as my husband and I worked at ‘down-sizing’, I would have to figure out what to do with my remaining art sooner than later.
After letting our kids select paintings, I thought about the Visiting Nurse Association’s Respite House that was moving from my town of Williston to a larger place being built in Colchester. It was delightful to find that they wanted more than a couple of donated pieces; they accepted 11 works and asked if I could do a large one for the entrance!
That completed work, titled Sanctuary, is a 2′ X 6′ diptych of a woodland path with the destination brighter and more detailed than the soft dappled sunlight in the foreground. I felt very honored that an older piece titled Serenity is hanging in the Meditation Room and will hopefully soothe staff, patients and families. Since many of my paintings have a spiritual quality, they fit well into a place where people come to live until they die.
I came to realize that the holiday song Little Drummer Boy holds a good message…though artists may not be able to make significant donations of gold, myrrh or frankincense to a good cause, we can offer our gift of creativity.
*** Jill Abilock reports that Shelburne Pond Studios has an artist’s studio for rent. The size is 27′ x 13′ and it has good lighting. Rent is $275.00 per month with all utilities included. Shelburne Pond Studios is a community of 12 supportive artists located in a converted dairy barn in a quiet rural setting across from Shelburne Pond, in Shelburne, VT.
Please contact Kathy Stockman for more information.
Book Arts News
*** On October 11th at 5:30 p.m., UVM’s Special Collections Department of the Bailey/Howe Library presents Breaking the Deckle: Using the Paper Arts for Social Justice, a lecture with Drew Matott, Director of the Peace Paper Project.
Matott is a master papermaker with an expertise using traditional papermaking as a form of trauma therapy, social engagement, and community activism. In this presentation, he will discuss how he became involved with the paper arts and describe the genesis of the community papermaking programs he has co-founded, including Green Door Studio, Combat Paper Project, Peace Paper Project, Papermaking as Art Therapy, and Panty Pulping.
The presentation is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact the Special Collections Department at uvmsc@uvm.edu or (802) 656-2138.
*** On October 12 & 13 from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Peace Paper Project’s Artists-in-Residence at Champlain College will offer hands-on Panty Pulping workshops in the Rozendaal courtyard. Students, faculty, staff and community members are encouraged to contribute a piece of clothing and make paper out of clothing.
An opening reception will be held on October 13th at 5:00 p.m. in the Champlain College Gallery Lounge. The workshops are pesented in collaboration with the Champlain College Women’s and Gender Center.
For more information, please contact Chris Thompson.
*** The North Bennet Street School is hosting a free public lecture on October 25th with Luigi Castiglioni entitled Binding a Livre de Peintre. The lecture will take place from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Castiglioni will share the process of binding an important “livre de peintre” in the French tradition. Using images from his recent project creating a binding for a copy of Jaime Sabartès’s Dans l’Atelier de Picasso, with 6 original lithographies of Pablo Picasso and 30 reproductions, the presentation will cover the full process from the design stage through the final finishing techniques. It is only by knowing every aspect of the work that one can fully take pleasure in a binding from the great French tradition.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website. The NBSS is located in Boston, MA.
*** From October 29 – December 4, 2016 the Pucker Gallery in Boston will present Of Light and Shadow: New Work by 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. She has been creating one-of-a-kind tunnel books since 2004.
The opening reception will be on October 29th from 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. The Pucker Gallery is located at 240 Newbury Street on the 3rd floor.
For more information, please contact the Pucker Gallery.
*** Claire Van Vliet and Elizabeth Steiner announce that their book Woven and Interlocking Book Structures is now available free at the Internet Archive. Published in 2002 and no longer in print, this book is a self-teaching manual with directions for making basic models of 16 book structures designed for Janus, Steiner, and Gefn Press publications.
Claire suggests printing the pages of the digital version 2-sided and binding them in a 3-ring binder to function as a bench top manual. Here are the directions:
- Click here to access the files.
- Under Download Options (lower right), choose PDF and download the file.
- Save this file to your computer.
- Open the file in Acrobat.
- Open the Print menu and print all 152 pages 2-sided on 8.5″ x 11” paper.
*** Beyond Words, a collaborative exhibition taking place at three different venues, highlights Medieval and Renaissance illumination manuscripts in Boston collections. The exhibits may be seen at the Boston College’s McMullen Museum, Harvard University’s Houghton Library, and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
Outstanding manuscripts and printed books dating from the ninth to seventeenth centuries have been selected from eighteen Boston-area repositories. The three exhibits combined are offering the largest display of Medieval and Renaissance manuscripts ever shown in the United States.
Please visit the individual venue websites for details on the days and hours they’re open.
Book Arts Classes
*** 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 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.
