by Elissa | Jun 2, 2016 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, June 8, 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: Studio Support and Workshop Time
Studio Support and Workshop Time is two hours that you give yourself, in the company of fellow book- and paper-arts lovers, to learn, share and create in a supportive and encouraging environment.
The meeting will begin with some group time, both for sharing – something you’ve made, a great resource or tool you’ve found, a source of inspiration – and for asking questions or puzzling out challenges you may be having with a project or particular technique.
The remainder of the time will be devoted to creative work. Bring along a project or model from a previous meeting that you’d like to continue working on or develop further, or bring a piece of your own to simply continue working on in the company of others.
Not sure of what to bring? No worries! Every Studio Support and Workshop Time session will have suggestions, resources or materials for a project.
This session will offer the opportunity to continue exploring (or discover the pleasure of making) the Jacob’s Ladder books presented by Ann Joppe-Mercure in May. If you missed the last meeting and would like to try making one, or you’d like to make a companion to the one you made in May, you’ll need to bring:
- A tool such as an X-Acto or scalpel capable of cutting mat board
- Cutting mat
- Metal ruler
- See-Thru ruler for measuring
- Scissors
- Double-sided tape (or quick-dry white glue – glue sticks don’t work)
- Pencil
- Fun materials to design your pages
Bonus: Ann will be on hand with instruction sheets, guidance and moral support!
May Meeting Reflections
Our program for May focused on the Jacob’s Ladder book structure. Ann Joppe-Mercure first gave us an overview of the unique, fun structure that flips back and forth, and then gave us inspiration through her own magical books.
Ann led us through the step-by-step to make our own model, and then encouraged us to fill in the blank pages. It was amazing to see the variety of directions that participants took with the same simple materials.
Thanks to all who participated, and special thanks to Ann for sharing with us. Let’s do it again!
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** This summer, B.A.G. member Jill Abilock is teaching a series of five bookbinding workshops at the Bixby Memorial Free Library in Vergennes, VT. All workshops run from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
You’ll learn how to make five elegant book structures, each offering a variety of uses and exciting artistic possibilities. Each workshop focuses on a different technique and book structure. You can sign up for individual workshops or the whole series – all workshops cover basic skills.
Soft-Covered Books – The Pamphlet Stitch and Long Stitch
Saturday, June 11, 2016
This workshop will cover the basics of hand-sewn books. You will a make two books to take home: a beautiful, pamphlet-stitched journal with a wraparound tie, and a long-stitch journal or sketchbook that incorporates an optional beaded embellishment in the binding.
The Amazing Accordion
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Deceptively simple, the accordion fold can be used alone or in combination with other techniques to make a broad range of beautiful and innovative books. In addition to learning the secret to folding a perfect accordion, you will make a hard-covered accordion album – great for displaying art, poetry or photographs – as well as several models of compound books, such as dos-a-dos and flag books, that feature accordion spines with sewn or glued pages.
Hardcover Coptic Books
Saturday, July 9, 2016
Coptic-stitch bindings have endured through the centuries because, in addition to their strength and beauty, they are flexible enough to lie flat when open. You will make a traditional Coptic bound book with covers made from heavy book board and decorative paper.
Case-Bound (Hardcover) Books – Part I
Saturday, July 16, 2016
Although historically not the first structure to be called a book, the sturdiness, durability and attractive appearance of hardcover books have made them both ubiquitous and highly prized. In the first session of this two-part workshop, you will learn the basics of case binding by making and attaching a hardcover case to a single-signature textblock to create a thin, elegant hardcover book.
Case-Bound (Hardcover) Books – Part II
Saturday, July 23, 2016
Prerequisite: Case-Bound (Hardcover) Books Part I
The second session of this two-part workshop will be held at Six Loons Studio in Shelburne, VT. You will begin by making traditional multi-signature textblocks that are sewn onto tapes. After discussing methods of end-sheet and case construction, you will create a case for your textblock and assemble it into a beautiful, handmade hardcover book.
For more information and a registration form, please email Jill Abilock at jabilock@japanlink-trans.com.
*** 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
*** ArtisTree Gallery, in partnership with Pentangle Arts, is looking for submissions for their 6th annual juried exhibit, UNBOUND: VOL VI. The theme of the show is simple – an exploration of what a book can be…art using books as a material or a format.
The exhibit will open in tandem with the Bookstock Literary Festival in Woodstock, VT.
This call for submissions 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. Note: Reproductions, if used as mixed media, will be considered.
The deadline for submission is July 2, 2016. For more information, please visit the ArtisTree Gallery’s website.
*** The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers will be holding their second New England Chapter Mini-Conference in northern Maine from August 26-28, 2016. Spend a weekend with a community of local artists working in the field of bookbinding, book arts, paper making and calligraphy.
The event includes two 1-day workshops, evening lectures, a mix and mingle event and material swap. Registration is open to both members and non-members of the Guild of Book Workers and covers both workshops and all meals.
For more information or to register, please visit the GBW website. You can also feel free to contact Erin Fletcher at negbwprograms@gmail.com.
*** 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.
*** 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 New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers, in collaboration with the Dartmouth College Library Preservation Services, is presenting Bookbinding According to Diderot with Abigail Bainbridge. The workshop will take place on July 15-16, 2016 at the Dartmouth College Library in Hanover, NH.
Mid- to late-18th century France is marked by the appearance of descriptions of the art of bookbinding, giving for the first-time a thorough (if not always specific or accurate) description of the previously guarded trade secret. The style of the time was so prescriptive that the average binding is recognizable immediately: full brown calf, often sprinkled or with tree marbling, raised bands, panels tooled in gilt with centerpieces, corners, and stars, solid red or perhaps marbled blue edges, single core front bead endbands, French curl endpapers. Features less visible are the particular lacing patterns, parchment spine linings, and edges cut in boards.
In this busy two day workshop we will bind a text of a manual describing this 18th century style using the techniques set forth, thus replicating this distinguished style. Participants will get an in depth look at the contemporary sources and the bindings themselves, and come away with a thorough understanding of this notable binding style in the context of its time.
* Prior bookbinding experience required.
For more information or to register, please visit the GBW website. You can also contact NEGBWprograms@gmail.com with any questions.
*** 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 The Art of Bookmaking with Eliot Dudik on June 26 – July 2. The college is located in Rockport, Maine.
The photobook, as a means of presenting an artist’s vision, has never been as popular as it is today. In this workshop, you will discuss and practice techniques in bookbinding and hardcover casing, as well as editing, sequencing, and layout design for personal handmade art books. Learn how to showcase and present your photographs in an artistic and professional manner, and have fun while you’re doing it!
Students will work with Adobe software for layout design, digital printmaking, and hand tools to create unique handmade art books. Depending on the needs of the individual student, you will be working with Coptic stitch or Saddle stitch bindings and hard cover casings.
For more information or to register, please visit the Maine Media Workshops + College’s website.
by Elissa | May 2, 2013 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 8, 2013, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
The May 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 May we will not be meeting as usual on the second Wednesday at the Unitarian Church in Burlington.
Program: Visit to UVM Special Collections
Librarian Prudence Doherty will guide us through some of the amazing artists’ books held in the Special Collections Department at UVM. 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.
Reflections on April’s Meeting
April’s B.A.G. meeting was full of rich chocolate treats and rich inspiration for committing to making art. April is edible book celebration time and we had delicious treats including Lord of the Ring Dings and the Invisible Man.
As good as the food was, Marcia Vogler‘s sharing of her postcard a day initiative was the real inspiration of the evening. Marcia has been making collaged postcards with messages and sending one a day to friends while they’re going through challenging times.
Her postcards were exquisite and the whole undertaking beautiful on so many different levels. Marcia shared her process and we all had time to create postcards of our own. It was a very enjoyable evening and one that will resonate within our hearts and our stomachs too.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
 *** B.A.G.’s 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.
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.You can download the entry form here. If you would like to bring your work to the May 8th meeting instead of mailing it, please email the entry form and your accompanying artist statement to Marcia to indicate that you will be bringing it then.
The exhibit will be in SPA’s Third Floor Gallery from June 4 – July 6, 2013. The opening will be on Thursday June 6, 2013 from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (please note that this is a date change). |
*** On May 25 & 26 (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 2013 Spring Vermont Open Studio Tour Guide. Please note that this is a really big file.
*** B.A.G. member Nancy Stone will exhibit her handmade books in the exhibit Drawn to Music. Nancy’s work will include Line Notes, a window installation of seven translucent accordion books traced from her sketches of performing musicians; Vibrations, a suite of six triptych-books of watercolor paintings developed from Line Notes; and Ecclesiastes III, a suite of diverse pop-up, white-on-white books based on “A time for war; a time for peace”, etc.
The show runs from June 4, 2013 – August 29, 2013 at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Burlington, VT. The opening is on Friday June 7, 2013 from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. with an artists’ talk at 6:30 p.m. Summer hours are Tuesday – Friday, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 pm. Jazz, folk and classical musical events will correlate with the exhibit.
*** B.A.G. Chair Elizabeth Rideout will be teaching Bookbinding Intensive: Simplified Binding With Leather Relief Cover on June 22 & 23, 2013, from 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at The Bindery Place, Shelburne Pond Studios in Shelburne.
Discover the joy of working with leather as you create a relief pattern in leather for the front cover of this book! Using professional sewing, cutting and pasting techniques, you will create a text block and encase it an elegant binding. In addition to showcasing your leather relief cover, this binding style offers the opportunity to create well-crafted books with a variety of cover possibilities.
For more information please contact Jill Abilock via Email at SixLoonsStudio@gmail.com or call (802) 238-0883. There are only 10 places in the workshop and it is filling up fast, so download the registration form and send it in soon!
*** B.A.G. member Elissa Campbell is teaching Leather Pocket Journals – The Sequel, at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT on June 4 & 11, 2013 from 4:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Some say that a sequel is never as good as the original – but not in this case!
In Leather Pocket Journals Part II, you’ll learn 5 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
*** ArtisTree Gallery and Pentangle Arts Council, in conjunction with the Bookstock Literary Festival, are looking for submissions for their upcoming exhibit, Unbound Vol III: Art Using the Book as a Material/Format. The show will be juried by book artist Erin Sweeney, owner of Lovely In The Home Press in Peterborough, NH
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 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. Submissions must be postmarked by mail or Emailed by June 15, 2013. For more information, please visit the ArtisTree Gallery’s website.
*** On May 9, 2013 at 6:00 p.m., The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers will be sponsoring a talk by Amy Lapidow and Stacie Dolin on their experience publishing their new book, the Book Arts Studio Handbook.
The longtime North Bennet Street School bookbinding workshop instructors have put together projects; techniques; and tools from information gleaned from their teaching experiences.
The talk will take place in the Radcliffe Room of the Schlesinger Library at Harvard University.
Book Arts Classes
*** Bill Hanscom will be offering a Books in Motion workshop on May 18, 2013, from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science in Boston.
Create books that burst open, tumble, spin, sway and dance! During this workshop we will explore the possibilities of movable parts within books. These elegant mechanical devices can stand on their own, in combination, or be used to enhance a variety of other book structures. We will explore the Flag Book, Blossom Book, Woven Flexagon, Exploding Map Fold Book, Jacob’s Ladder, Volvelles, and basic Pop-up construction.
Required tools: bone folder, utility knife, 12″ steel ruler, 12 x 18″ self-healing cutting mat, small brush for glue and pencil.
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.
*** 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 for 2014 opens June 15, 2013, so be sure to mark the date on your calendar!
*** The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers is also hosting two workshops in June with Paul Johnson in Maine (one workshop will be repeated):
- Spirit House – A Three Dimensional Pop-Up Model: In this workshop, you will make a 3D pop-up spirit house from paper. There are no folds – the whole structure (comprising over thirty separate parts) is made from hinges and dovetails joints and will fold down flat.
- Book as Architecture: In this workshop, you will make a pop-up gazebo in which there are no folds and therefore no paper ‘fatigue’. All sections are fastened together using a range of paper hinges, locks, and dovetail joints. Sections can be modified and redesigned as the model develops – you simply take out one section and replace it with another.
For more information, please download the registration form(s) below or contact Todd Pattison via Email: bookandtile@att.net.
by Elissa | Aug 15, 2012 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, August 22, 2012, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
The August 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 August we will not be meeting as usual on the third Wednesday at the Unitarian Church in Burlington.
Program: Visit to UVM Special Collections
Librarian Prudence Doherty will guide us through some of the amazing artists’ books held in the Special Collections Department at UVM, including Vermont artists’ books and books from the 18th – 19th centuries. 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!
Note: Please try to arrive on time – Bailey/Howe Library will actually be closed when we visit, but Prudence will have someone greeting people at the door from about 6:20 p.m. – 6:40 p.m. If you arrive late, you can call Special Collections at (802) 656-2138 and someone will open the door for you. In an effort to minimize disruptions, please arrive on time!
* Please bring a pencil, not a pen, if you plan to take notes.
Reflections on June’s Meeting
Our first Open Bindery brought a cozy group of B.A.G. members to the Unitarian Church. A variety of bookbinding tools and equipment were provided for use – among them a book press, sewing frame, Kutrimmer, and hand tools. While attendees brought projects to work on, the meeting evolved into a Show and Tell.
Marcia Vogler shared her wonderful Word of the Day, a single sheet, Coptic-bound book of artwork created as part of a daily practice. Jill Abilock demontrated Elizabeth Rideout’s bedazzled Xyron machine for everyone, which brought oohs and ahs. Overall, it was a fun evening and thanks to everyone who attended!
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** B.A.G. members Lorraine Reynolds and Carolyn Shattuck currently have work in the juried exhibit, Unbound Vol II: Art using the book as a material/format. Congrats to Lorraine for earning Juror’s 2nd place for her entry.
The exhibition is sponsored by ArtisTree Gallery and Pentangle Arts Council, in conjunction with the Bookstock Festival in Woodstock, VT. The exhibit was juried by Daniel E. Kelm, founder of the Garage Annex School for Book Arts in Easthampton, MA.
The broad theme of Unbound Vol II 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 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 Gallery’s website.
*** Carolyn Shattuck also has her work on display in the WalkOver Gallery exhibit, Key West Inside/Outside. The exhibit runs now through August 25, 2012 and includes mixed media collage and artists’ books inspired by her experience living in the Keys. Carolyn will give an artist’s talk at the gallery on August 16th at 6:00 p.m.
The WalkOver Gallery is located at 15 Main Street in Bristol, VT.
*** B.A.G. member Judy Sgantas recently collaborated with Claire Van Vliet on the ABC of Bugs and Plants in Northern Gardens. The content is about garden pests – what attracts or repels them – and a plant’s defenses.
There is a tri-fold page for each letter of the alphabet and these open to 19″ x 6.5″. The classical Roman letter forms are entwined with plant life and insects. There are two different images for each letter of the alphabet – one in black & white and one in color. Text fills the middle panel. The form is a woven strip binding, in a new pattern designed by Van Vliet for this book.
You can order one of the 120 copies signed by Judy from The Veatchs.
Book Arts News
*** There is an effort being put forth to create a Book Arts Academy of New England. In early May, a group of about 25 people gathered in the Boston area to discuss the importance of the art of the book. The one common thread among the group is an appreciation of the book as an object.
There are courses and workshops available throughout New England for various facets of the book arts (i.e. bookbinding, letterpress printing, calligraphy, etc.) but there is currently not a facility with a comprehensive curriculum that encompasses all aspects of the book arts; courses such as: the history of the alphabet, calligraphy, typography and font design, the history of the book, page layout, bookbinding, manuscript gilding, paper making, paper marbling, paper conservation, preparing a manuscript for commercial printing, creative writing, and others.
Small groups will meet over the next few months to discuss formulation of a business plan and feasibility study; faculty and curriculum; location and facility requirements; marketing and fund raising. An early fall gathering will be scheduled to update the full group and plan out how to proceed from that point.
If you would like to receive Emails about the progress of the school, please send an Email to bookarts@theabbeystudio.com and include “‘add to list serve” in the subject line.
*** From September 4 – October 31, 2012, the Burns Library at Boston College is hosting the exhibition Fine Specimens of the Bibliopegistic Art: Bookbindings from the Burns Library Collections. The show includes books in a variety of styles from a wide span of years and represents many different topics in the library’s collections.
The exhibition will be on display in the O’Brien Fine Print Room and the Irish Room on the Chestnut Hill, MA campus.
*** 23 Sandy Gallery in Portland, OR is soliciting entries for Infinite Possibilities: Science, Math, Book Arts, a juried exhibition of book art inspired by the world of math and science, real or imagined. The exhibit will run from November 30 – December 29, 2012.
By those in the know, meaning those left-brained, analytical types, math and science are often described in artistic terms: the eloquence of an equation, the beauty of a concept. Infinite Possibilities looks at the opposite: how math and science can be used artistically to inspire book artists to think creatively about such topics. The Gallery is looking for book art works that incorporate mechanical and theoretical concepts, from serious to humorous exploring subjects ranging from math, science to medicine, space, architecture, engineering, physics, genetics and more.
The exhibit is open to book and paper arts related works created as either edition or one-of-a-kind. Artist books, sculptural books, book objects, altered books, zines, broadsides and sculptural pieces are all encouraged. Any medium, any style, any size. A maximum of three works may be submitted per artist. Entries must be received online no later than midnight on SEPTEMBER 28, 2012.
For more information, please visit the 23 Sandy Gallery website.
Book Arts Classes
*** B.A.G. member Ann Joppe-Mercure is teaching The Art of Bookmaking for Educators this fall at Saint Michael’s College, on Thursdays from 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Educators from all disciplines and grade levels are invited to explore traditional and nontraditional book structures and their application to curriculum. Participants will create unique book projects that demonstrate learning in their chosen content area, produce a working portfolio of handmade papers and book models, and develop lessons that integrate bookmaking as a teaching resource.
Class discussion and readings will connect bookmaking to the Vermont Content Standards and the 21st Century innovation skills of creativity, critical thinking and communication. No previous bookmaking experience required. A materials fee of $30.00 is due at registration.
Registration forms are available on the Saint Michael’s College website.
*** The Massachusetts College of Art and Design is offering The Art of the Book with Peter Madden on Tuesdays from September 25 – November 13, 2012. Learn the basics of bookbinding beginning with simple structures and building daily on your skills.
Through demonstrations and hands on guided studio time, you’ll progress quickly from easy, magical books made from a single sheet of paper to more elaborate, hardcover, multi-signature books. No unusual or expensive equipment is required and everything covered in class can be easily continued at home. Participants in this workshop typically leave with at least 10 book structures and the inspiration and knowledge to create dozens more.
For more information or to register, please visit the MassArt website.
by Elissa | May 12, 2012 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
We meet at the Unitarian Universalist Society Church located at 152 Pearl Street in Burlington, VT. We will be in the Sophia Fahs Community Room, a large room located in the basement.
Click here for more information on directions/parking.
Program: Paper Engineering with Robin Cooper Collins
Please join us in May when Robin Cooper Collins shares her expertise in pop-up and movable books.
During the first part of the meeting, Robin will present From a Sows Ear to a Silk Purse, a talk she gave at the Movable Book Society conference in Portland, OR. The talk focuses on movable books that came across her work bench as complete train wrecks, and how they were brought back to life. She will also offer a glimpse at several unique and unusual books.
After the talk, everyone will have the opportunity to build a plate using one of the more unusual mechanisms she has encountered. The base papers will be provided but, but you will need to bring:
- Scissors
- Glue (White glue, PVA, and Elmers, etc. are fine, but not glue stick, because we will be gluing wood to paper.)
- Embellishments (decorative papers, paints, pencils, etc., as well as decorative cutting tools)
Robin Cooper Collins’ hand bookbinding practice is focused on the restoration and conservation of antiquarian children’s books. Her specialty is the restoration of pop-up and movables from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Reflections on April’s Meeting
Deborah Howe gave a fascinating presentation at our April meeting. She chronicled her investigation and work on the conservation of Dartmouth’s 15th century manuscript called the Brut Chronicle. This legendary and historical chronicle of England is valued as a working text and will be used for research.
Deborah led us thorough her investigation with slides and a working model that she created to bind the text. The final decision for conserving this manuscript came as a bit of a surprise to our group as a simple cover was chosen over the historical binding that Deborah reproduced and we greatly admired. We all gained new insight and appreciation for the work of a conservator and the choices made for academic conservation.
Thank you Deborah for traveling up to Burlington and sharing your presentation with us.
B.A.G. News
*** The Book Arts Guild of Vermont is pleased to announce that book artist Daniel Kelm will be coming to Vermont to offer The Book Restructured: Wire Edge Binding, a two-day workshop from 7/28/12 – 7/29/12.
Book artists produce a truly remarkable range of books – some diverging wildly from what we recognize as traditional book form. Wire edge binding, which employs a thin metal wire along the hinging edge of each page, was developed by master bookbinder, artist, and innovator Daniel Kelm to meet the challenge of creating a nontraditional book that opens exceptionally well and allows for unusual shapes.
During this two-day intensive workshop, which includes two projects, you will master basic wire edge skills for producing highly functional bindings of both traditional and unusual shapes. The first project – a simple codex of six identical page panels – teaches you the basics of integrating metal wire into a paperboard construction. The second project – an accordion with triangular pages that fold to form a tetrahedron – teaches you how to make books of various geometric shapes.
All experience levels welcome!
Dates: July 28 – 29, 2012 (Saturday – Sunday)
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (including lunch break)
Location: The Bindery Place, Shelburne Pond Studios, Shelburne, VT
Cost (all-inclusive!):
– Paid by 5/16/12: $195.00 (members), $210.00 (non-members)
– Paid after 5/16/12: $210.00 (members), $225.00 (non-members)
Space is limited and B.A.G. members are getting a head start on registering, so sign up as soon as possible! Click here to download the registration form.
For further information about the workshop, please contact Jill Abilock at (802) 238-0883 or SixLoonsStudio@gmail.com.
*** The May/June exhibition at the Creative Space Gallery in Vergennes, VT includes work from our 2012 spring exhibit, Shaping Pages. Featured work includes handmade books by B.A.G. members Jill Abilock, Janet Ballantyne, Eloise Beil, Elissa Campbell, Elizabeth Rideout, Maryann Riker, Nancy Stone, Annie Watson, and Cynthia Weiss.
There will be a reception with the artists on Friday June 2nd from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. You can also visit during gallery hours on Thursday – Sunday, now through June 24th.
*** B.A.G. members Carolyn Shattuck, Meta Strick, Ken Leslie, Marianna Holzer, Elizabeth Rideout, Jill Abilock, and Elissa Campbell are opening their studios as part of the state-wide Open Studio Weekend sponsored by the Vermont Crafts Council. The Creative Space Gallery is hosting books from our Shaping Pages exhibit during the event, so if you missed it in Burlington, you now have another chance to see it.
If you want to visit fellow book artists on May 26 – 27 (Memorial Day weekend), you can find them in the following locations:
- Carolyn: Rutland, studio #88
- Creative Space Gallery: Vergennes, studio #125
- Jill: Shelburne, studio #130
- Elizabeth: Shelburne, studio #130
- Marianna: Hinesburg, studio #135
- Meta: Fairfield, studio #172
- Ken: Hardwick, studio #186
- Elissa: Montpelier, studio #211
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 2012 Spring Vermont Open Studio Tour Guide. Please note that this is a really big file – 13.5 M
Book Arts News
*** Chemically Altered: Historic Paper Marbling, a lecture by Gretchen and Garrett Dixon from The Marbler’s Apprentice, will take place on May 14, 2012 at the North Bennet Street School in Boston, MA. The lecture, sponsored by the New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers is free and open to the public.
There will be discussion of the history, patterns, and fabrication techniques for chemically-altered patterns of marbled paper – Stormont, Shell, Broken, Romantic, Schroetel, and Tiger Eye. These patterns all involve the use of chemical additives to the watercolor paint in order to achieve their effect. These patterns were popular from the end of the 18th century through the 19th century.
For directions, please visit the North Bennet Street School’s website.
*** ArtisTree Gallery and Pentangle Arts Council, in conjunction with the Bookstock Festival, are looking for submissions for their upcoming exhibit, Unbound Vol II: Art using the book as a material/format. The show will be juried by Daniel E. Kelm, founder of the Garage Annex School for Book Arts in Easthampton, MA.
The broad theme of UNBOUND Vol II 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 2nd annual 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.
The exhibit is open to all 2D and 3D, installation, and assemblage artists working in New England and New York. Submissions must be postmarked by mail or Emailed by June 9, 2012. For more information, please visit the ArtisTree Gallery’s website.
Book Arts Classes
*** From 8/3/12 – 8/5/12, Velma Bolyard will be teaching Pulp Clouds: Hand Papermaking at the Long Ridge Farm in Westmoreland, NH. In this workshop, you’ll gather plants, cook pulp, form and dry sheets of your own papers.
Expect to make strong, useable, and beautiful waterleaf (un-sized) sheets. You’ll make a book from your papers, binding sheets into sample books utilizing structures that allow you to explore bookbinding as well. Each participant may expect to make a portfolio of sheets of various sizes from at least five different plants.
The fee for the workshop is $500.00 with a limited materials list. For more information, please contact Long Ridge Farm.
*** The Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, MA is offering a Shockingly Good Book Arts Course with Sarah Smith from June 4 – June 8, 2012. This course is designed to teach you the basics of two traditional techniques that are enjoying a modern resurgence: bookbinding and letterpress.
Along with mastering the art of setting metal and wood type, students will also have the opportunity to convert their own imagery into a printable format by creating polymer plates. Additionally, learn to sew, fold and glue some simple binding structures to bring images, text and three-dimensional ideas together. By the end of the course, you will have produced bound and printed models as well as a simple artist book of your own.
The fee for the workshop is $795.00 and you can register online. For more information, please contact either Kathleen Burke or Chelsea Sams.
*** The North Bennet Street School is offering a Bookbinding Intensive with Stacie Dolin from June 25 – July 27, 2012. The five-week program meets Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
This class is designed for individuals interested in an intensive, hands-on bookbinding experience and is suitable for book artists and novice binders wishing to learn or enhance fundamental bookbinding skills. Explore a variety of book structures and binding techniques and the process for determining what materials and structures to use for a given project.
Field trips and other specific topics are part of the curriculum and will be based on student interests. The tuition includes a materials fee for paper, board, and other basic supplies; students are expected to provide some materials and all hand tools.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBBS’s website.
by Elissa | Apr 16, 2012 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, April 18, 2012, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
We meet at the Unitarian Universalist Society Church located at 152 Pearl Street in Burlington, VT. We will be in the Sophia Fahs Community Room, a large room located in the basement.
Click here for more information on directions/parking.
Program: Book Conservation and Repair with Deborah Howe
Please join us at our April meeting when Deborah Howe, the collections conservator at Dartmouth College Library, provides us with a rare in-depth look at the repair and handling of precious, ancient manuscripts. Through a slide presentation, Deborah will talk about a conservation treatment done on a 15th century manuscript called the Brut Chronicle, which was purchased by Dartmouth.
As it was received, the manuscript came in a tacket binding which was deteriorating and therefore was no longer protecting the manuscript. The treatment involved investigation and decision making on many levels, and Deborah’s talk will explore the actual treatment, what transpires to make choices about the treatment, and how those choices fit within the context of an academic institution.
This presentation will offer an exciting an opportunity to learn quite a bit about a very important subject!
Deborah Howe is the Collections Conservator at Dartmouth College Library. Previously she headed the conservation lab at Northwestern University Library for over 10 years. She has taught classes at Columbia Center for Paper and Book, the Newberry Library and currently teaches bookbinding classes at the Book Arts Workshop at Dartmouth. She is a long standing member of the Guild of Book Workers and on the board of directors of the Morgan Conservatory in Cleveland, Ohio.
Reflections on March’s Meeting
Our March Book Arts Guild meeting was attended by a group of fun loving creative book arts enthusiasts. Jill Abilock orchestrated our Build-a-Book Round Robin workshop. First Jill introduced us to a multitude of book designs. When we were beginning to get overwhelmed with the infinite possibilities of book structures, Jill let us loose. We worked in a rotating manner with materials and “in process” book designs that were passed to us.
At the end of the evening our original materials were passed back to us as a “book”! The books were all unique in their design and materials. We delighted over the how the collaborative process made books beyond our own individual imaginations. What a great way to get our creative juices flowing. Thanks Jill!
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
"There Will Be" by Ann Joppe-Mercure
*** Our 2012 spring exhibit, Shaping Pages: An Exhibit of Artist Books & Fine Bindings is on display now through April 28th at the S.P.A.C.E Gallery in Burlington.
You can view images from the exhibit on the B.A.G. website. Be sure to check out our review in Seven Days.
*** Save the date! We are pleased to announce that book artist Daniel Kelm will be coming to Vermont to offer a Wire-Edge Binding workshop, a two-day workshop from 7/28/12 – 7/29/12. We know that this workshop will be amazing, so start saving up now!
Cost, location and other information about the workshop will be coming soon. For more information, please contact Jill Abilock.
*** B.A.G.’s Chair, Elizabeth Rideout, recently wrote an article for Dartmouth’s Preservation Services blog – Toning Book Cloth and Basic Color Mixing. A common use for this type of technique is to use a color-matched piece of muslin to replace a broken spine or hinge. Check out the blog post for tips and great visuals!
*** B.A.G. members Carolyn Shattuck, Meta Strick, Ken Leslie, Marianna Holzer, Elizabeth Rideout, Jill Abilock, and Elissa Campbell are opening their studios as part of the state-wide Open Studio Weekend sponsored by the Vermont Crafts Council. If you want to visit fellow book artists on May 26 – 27 (Memorial Day weekend), you can find them in the following locations:
- Carolyn: Rutland, studio #88
- Jill: Shelburne, studio #130
- Elizabeth: Shelburne, studio #130
- Marianna: Hinesburg, studio #135
- Meta: Fairfield, studio #172
- Ken: Hardwick, studio #186
- Elissa: Montpelier, studio #211
You can find maps and directions to studios on the VT Crafts Council website. You can also download a pdf of the 2012 Spring Vermont Open Studio Tour Guide. Please note that this is a really big file – 13.5 MB.
Book Arts News
*** The exhibition Paste Papers of the Pioneer Valley is running now through the end of May at the Mortimer Rare Book Room at Smith College. A reception will be held on Thursday, April 26 from 4:00 p.m. – 6: 00 p.m. Carol Blinn will be giving a paste paper-making demo at which you’ll be able to make your own paste papers.
For more information, please visit the Rare Book Room’s website.
*** Unbound: Speculations on the Future of the Book, a symposium exploring the future potential of the book, will take place on May 3 – 4, 2012 at the Bartos Theater at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA.
The symposium showcases practices by writers and artists in and outside of MIT, putting them in conversation with scholars and thinkers from across the disciplines who are framing discourse about this technology’s possible futures, promises, and challenges.
Keynote speakers include James Reid-Cunningham (Associate Director for Digital Programs and Preservation of the Boston Athenaeum, also a bookbinder and book artist) and Bob Stein (founder and president of the Institute for the Future of the Book.
The event is free and you can register online. For more information, please contact Amaranth Borsuk or Gretchen Henderson.
*** ArtisTree Gallery and Pentangle Arts Council, in conjunction with the Bookstock Festival, are looking for submissions for their upcoming exhibit, Unbound Vol II: Art using the book as a material/format. The show will be juried by Daniel E. Kelm, founder of the Garage Annex School for Book Arts in Easthampton, MA.
The broad theme of UNBOUND Vol II 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 2nd annual 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.
The exhibit is open to all 2D and 3D, installation, and assemblage artists working in New England and New York. Submissions must be postmarked by mail or Emailed by June 9, 2012. For more information, please visit the ArtisTree Gallery’s website.
Book Arts Classes
*** Susan Bonthron is teaching a Tunnel Book class on May 19th from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. All materials are included except those you may want to incorporate in your tunnel book, such as photographs, postcards, etc. The tunnel is a book with content, so I do urge you to think about what you want to commemorate/play with/include in it.
The fee for the class is $90.00 and includes lunch. For more information, please contact Susan via Email.
*** The North Bennet Street School is offering a Bookbinding Intensive with Stacie Dolin from June 25 – July 27, 2012. The five-week program meets Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
This class is designed for individuals interested in an intensive, hands-on bookbinding experience and is suitable for book artists and novice binders wishing to learn or enhance fundamental bookbinding skills. Explore a variety of book structures and binding techniques and the process for determining what materials and structures to use for a given project.
Field trips and other specific topics are part of the curriculum and will be based on student interests. The tuition includes a materials fee for paper, board, and other basic supplies; students are expected to provide some materials and all hand tools.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBBS’s website.
*** The North Bennet Street School is also offering a Springback Bookbinding workshop with Amy Lapidow from June 8 – 10, 2012. The workshop meets from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
The spring-back binding is a structure originally developed in Britain for ledger books or anything that needed writing across the gutter. This flat spine is achieved using a rigid spine and lever system to snap the book open. In this class we will make a more portable version of this historic structure. This is an advanced beginner class.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBBS’s website.
