by Elissa | Feb 5, 2021 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, MailB.A.G., Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 10, 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
Text Me!
Text is an important consideration when creating a piece, just as imagery, structure, and materials are. Our members often tell us that they struggle with incorporating text in their work.
We’ve heard you!
Our 2021 series of themed meetings – Text Me! – will focus on how to approach text in the book arts.
We’ll look at how to choose text, methods for adding text to the page, and determining where to put it. We’ll also be visiting Special Collections at both UVM and Dartmouth to look at how other artists approach text in their work.
We hope you’ll join us as we journey into the world of text!
Program: Text Me, Part 1 – Visit to UVM’s Silver Special Collections
Prudence Doherty from UVM Special Collections has graciously offered to present to us again as we kick off our series of meetings focusing on text in the book arts.
She has selected examples from the collection that illustrate the many creative and different ways artists have used text in their books. We are sure this will give us many ideas to use in our own books.
If you plan to attend the meeting, please contact Elissa so she can send you the Zoom meeting details.
January Meeting Reflections
What a great way to spend an evening with you all. I just loved seeing the mail art exchanged for the Winter Mail Art Swap, and sharing the wonderful artwork that was sent to me. It’s kind of addictive, and I hope you will join me in continuing to send cool stuff to friends and relatives just for fun.
And thanks to Debra Kraemer, we all know how to make a Mennonite Foldnote, from Creative Correspondence (2003) by Michael and Judy Jacobs, so we can send a note and envelope all in one! Brilliant and more fun than a plain ole white envelope. I’ve been making mine with used 2020 calendar pages (not that I had written anything on most of the pages).
Thanks for spending the evening with us, and we hope to see you again at the next meeting.
B.A.G. Library Corner
This month, we’re starting a new section to feature a part of the B.A.G. library! As the pandemic wears on, we’re looking for new inspiration and a new way to connect with the library resources as we remain physically distant from it. In the coming months, 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.
In connection with the February meeting’s theme of text, this month’s library selection comes from The Decorated Page by Gwen Diehn. A guest writer, Ann Turkle, takes us through some ideas for including writing within a book or art journal project. Some of her suggestions include list making, making collections of observations, micro-journal entries, and more.
You can check out and download the article here.
B.A.G. News
*** Support the Book Arts Guild of Vermont by becoming a member!
Big News!
Our 2021 dues have been reduced from $35.00 to $25.00 for one year’s membership since we are saving on meeting rental space.
The Book Arts Guild of Vermont is supported by its members and you have kept us going for fifteen years. Our organization is solely run by volunteers and we do what we do because we love the book arts and we love B.A.G.. We continue to be inspired by our community, and the enthusiasm and talents that you bring to our meetings.
Membership dues are our main source of income and we hope that you will show that you value what we have to offer – quality programming, future exhibits, and more – by becoming a member. You get so much value out of your $25.00 and attending just one meeting can give you your full money’s worth.
Just to give you an idea of where membership dues go, here’s a breakdown of B.A.G.’s annual expenses:
- Zoom subscription: $149.90 per year
- Rent: $50.00 per month when we can return to in-person attendance
- Presenter honorarium: $35.00 per meeting
- Website and email newsletter: $100.00 per year
- Presenter reimbursement for supplies: Varies
We hope that you will renew your membership to help us with our annual expenses. You can download our membership form and send it in with your payment by check of $25.00 made out to the Book Arts Guild of Vermont:
Book Arts Guild of Vermont
c/o Ann Joppe-Mercure
10 Brookwood Dr
South Burlington, VT 05403
Thank you so much for your continued support of the guild. We wouldn’t be here without you.
Book Arts News
*** The Kalamazoo Book Arts Center (KBAC) announced a call to artists for the non-juried exhibition The Illustrated Accordion, which will be held in the KBAC Gallery, April 9 – June 18. The exhibit will be both in-person and online.
Open to all emerging and established artists, this 13th annual exhibition focuses on books created in the accordion form. All media, variations, and interpretations of this style of book will be accepted and included in the exhibition.
The deadline for submission is March 26. For more information, check out the prospectus.
*** 23 Sandy Gallery has a call to artists for their upcoming juried show Unseen. The exhibition will be at form & concept in Santa Fe from August 11 – November 20.
When imperceptible phenomena burst into view, revolutionary change may follow. We learned this in 2020, as an invisible but deadly virus spread across the world, an urgent racial justice movement illuminated dark societal realities, and humanity’s long-simmering crimes against the environment unleashed fires and floods.
Unseen forces can shape our lives and surface in unexpected ways, often altering our behaviors and worldviews if and when we are made aware of them. This call for entries invites artists to submit work exploring the idea of the unseen – physically, psychologically, philosophically – and encourages artists to consider the theme through concept, structure, and material.
Deadline for submissions is June 3. For more information, check out the prospectus.
*** The Artery Art Gallery in Davis, CA has a call to artists for CONTENT: An Artist Book Exhibition, which will take place April 2 – May 3.
Artists Books typically defy classification, definition, and expectations. They are vessels and containers for an artist’s vision. To understand what an artists book is you have to forget your definition of a book. Whatever way your intent has led you to make an artist book, that’s the kind of book we are looking for.
Deadline to enter is February 28. For more information, check out the prospectus.
*** The University of South Dakota University Libraries is seeking entries for their sixth international biennial altered book exhibition, Bound and Unbound VI: Altered Book Exhibition, scheduled for display August 23, 2021 – January 3, 2022.
Bound and Unbound VI features an exhibit of altered books, which are a mixed media artwork that changes a book from its original form by altering its state or meaning. Books from any source utilizing any medium are eligible. All work must be original and executed within the last three years.
Deadline for entries is March 5. For more information, check out the prospectus.
*** Dedicated to ancient, modern and contemporary movable books, the POP-APP, International Conference will take place virtually from February 16 – 19. Sessions will be in both Italian and English, with slides available in English.
Thirty Italian and foreign speakers from the academic world and national institutions working in the field of bibliographical description and conservation will discuss the themes of the conference. Enhancement/use of such books will be explored by highlighting their didactic-educational potential, digital experimentations, the achievements of contemporary pop up designers and – on a historical level – their relationship with pre-cinema.
For more information or to register, please visit the POP-APP website (it’s in Italian, so give Google Translate a try).
*** From February 26 – 28, the 2021 Contemporary Artists’ Books Conference (CABC) will take place virtually, free to attendees. The conference will be presented as part of Printed Matter’s Virtual Art Book Fair.
The conference will focus on The Temperature of Art Book Criticism and Scholarship. As the scale of participation in and range of approaches to artists’ books and publishing have blossomed in recent years, now is a key time to develop new critical tools for assessing artists’ books and their broader impact on the cultural and artistic practice. Artists’ book criticism in the 21st century must contend not only with the book as an artistic medium, but also art books’ engagement with a range of cultural histories and publishing traditions.
Across 7 panels representing artists, scholars, writers from across the globe and from a wide range of backgrounds, the conference will explore these questions and look to progress the conversations on what artist book criticism and discourse can be. The subjects covered will include the roles of institutions, how artist books are functioning in times of crisis, perspectives on insider vs. outsider makers and marginalized communities, and the book in the face of oppression and censorship.
For more information or to register, visit the CABC website.
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering Intermediate: Building Narrative in Artist’s Books with Radha Pandey on the following Saturdays (6 sessions total): March 6, 13, 20, 27, April 3, &10. This virtual workshop will focus on the juxtaposition of text and image, page layout, and pacing to create a narrative artist’s book.
Participants should have an idea of what they would like to work on. This can be something in progress that is stuck or an idea they would like to turn into a book but are not sure how to start. Depending on ideas and related discussions, book structures and writing exercises will be taught and assigned.
In addition, methods of low-tech image-making – hand-printing linoleum blocks, gelatin printing, pochoir, trace monotypes, and papercutting – will be demonstrated as needed.
Participants should have some binding experience.
For more information or to register visit the MCBA website.
*** The Center for Book Arts is offering Bookbinding for Teachers: Simple Bookmaking for ages 7+ with Stephanie Krause on February 18.
In this two-hour course, participants will learn how to make a few simple books that are kid-approved, low-mess, and high-impact, along with tips to teach in the classroom. This workshop is designed for teachers of 7 to 12-year-olds, with methods and techniques that may be modified to accommodate other age groups. We’ll be looking at non-adhesive bindings created by folding and stitching.
Using simple materials, the instructor will go over single-sheet origami pamphlets (how to make, modify, and connect them); simple pamphlet stitch with a wraparound-style paper cover; and beaded pamphlet stitch with a pocketed paper cover.
For more information or to register, please visit the CBA website.
*** The San Francisco Center for the Book is offering Roll-Up: Pop-Up Books (Level 1) with Shawn Sheehy on March 5 – 7.
You have explored the pop-up how-to books. You’re ready to make your own pop-up project. You are stymied by the question: “How do I adapt these classic, foundational structures to make MY OWN structures?”
This workshop will help you think through that problem by exploring three different structures at three levels: foundational, transitional, and transformational. To add to the fun, you will employ an innovative roll-up binding approach (think scroll rather than codex) for the pop-up folios. In the end you will have a tidy bound collection of study models that will propel you to the next step of pop-up invention. All are welcome!
For more information or to register, visit the SFCB website.
by Elissa | Sep 4, 2020 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, September 9, 2020, 6:30 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: Sharing from the Mail Art Challenge
With seventeen B.A.G. members taking up the challenge to send Mail Art, our September Zoom meeting will be a sharing of the mail we received. If you wish to share, have your Mail Art pieces ready to hold up to the camera for a quick show and tell.
Our meeting will surely be a feast for the eyes and spirit!
Things to bring:
- Received mail art
- Enthusiasm
If you plan to attend the meeting, please contact Elissa so she can send you the Zoom meeting details.
August Meeting Reflections
Our August meeting was a balance of challenges and meditative acts of sewing signatures. Marcia Vogler led the workshop and again highlighted the versatility of the accordion. Using the concertina as the spine, Marcia demonstrated how to sew signatures into the mountains or the valleys for different results.
Once we found the pattern there was quiet concentration as we stitched. (Of course we were on Zoom and everyone was on mute – but we could all feel the calm.)
Marcia ended with multiple variations of how to include covers demonstrating her craftsmanship and abundance of creativity.
Thanks Marcia!
Book Arts News
*** The Camden Public Library is hosting a virtual exhibit of work by the Midcoast Maine Book Arts Group through the month of September.
The exhibit, Structure & Narrative encompasses two concepts about artists’ books for viewers to consider. First, each book is a made object -something that has a material aspect, a structural component, and a nod to what a book does: invite the viewer in. The second idea is the narrative: What is the story being told, how is it being told, and what are the aspects of narrative that a viewer can discern?
For more information and to view the books in the exhibit, visit the library’s website.
*** On Tuesday, September 8 at 6:00 p.m., the Camden Public Library will host artists from the Midcoast Maine Book Arts Group for a special event, Zoom Into the Book Arts Studio.
This will be an opportunity to virtually visit the studios of Rebecca Goodale, Cynthia McGuirl, Joelle Webber, and Dudley Zopp. You’ll learn about their work and some of the tools and processes they use. The event will provide you with an intimate look at the artists’ work spaces from the comfort of home. A Q&A session will follow each studio visit.
Please email jpierce@librarycamden.org to request a Zoom link to attend.
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** BookArtsLA has a number of online courses coming up during the month of September:
September 26: Drumleaf Binding with Anne Covell
The Drumleaf Binding is an ideal structure for featuring photographs, prints, or drawings that span the spread of a book. In this binding, individual folios are folded, stacked, and glued at the spine and tipped at the fore-edge. There is no sewing to interrupt the images. The spine remains flexible, allowing open pages to lay flat.
In this workshop, students will complete one hardcover binding with a decorative Japanese tissue spine. Students in this class will be provided with a descriptive handout and materials list in advance of the class to allow students to bind along with the instructor during the demonstration.
September 27: Packed Tacket Binding with Anne Covell
The packed tacket binding, dating to the 2nd century AD, is one of oldest known multi-quire sewing styles. Composed of an exposed spine that combines coils of thread that snake up and down the spine, this structure combines speed and simplicity with flexibility and durability of form. Few tools and little to no adhesives are required to make this binding. Emphasis in this class will be on signature punching and sewing methods.
Students in this class will be provided with a descriptive handout and materials list in advance of the class to allow students to bind along with the instructor during the demonstration.
For more information or to register, visit the BookArtsLA website.
*** Papermaker and letterpress printer Radha Pandey is offering the following online papermaking workshops during the month of September:
September 18: Paper from Plants
In this class, participants will learn how to process plants for papermaking. There are several plants that are good for making into paper and fall is the best time to harvest what you have in your yard or in neighbourhood.
Participants will learn how to identify which part of the plant might be good for papermaking, how to process the plant for fiber by steaming, stripping, cooking, or all three, how to process fiber into pulp and how make simple sheets of paper from materials you may have around the house.
September 26 & 27: Natural Indigo Vats
In this class, participants will learn how to set up two types of natural indigo vats, the fruit vat and the ferrous vat. We will cover the history of Indigo in India, how to be conscientious when sourcing this and other dyes, using natural indigo for a range of projects on paper and cloth, reviving the vat for re-use over a long period, as well as safe disposal of the vat after you are finished with it.
This class will not cover shibori or resist-dyeing in detail, but will provide general information and resources on these techniques.
For more information or to register, visit Radha’s website.
*** The Pyramid Atlantic Art Center is also offering online workshops during September. Here’s a few to check out:
September 17: Long Stitch Binding with Aubrey Dunn
In this workshop, you’ll learn how to make a soft-cover journal using the long stitch. This book structure binds the pages and cover directly together, eliminating the need for any glue. You will also learn some of the many possible variations to this stitch, making it highly decorative. This is a fantastic book making foundation for more complex stitches, especially if you are interested in binding with leather.
September 26 & 27: Clay Resist and Indigo Printing with Gretchen Schermerhorn
In this workshop, students will learn how to make a clay-resist paste, print and paint with it on fabric, and then overdye their work with organic indigo. Day one will be spent learning how to mix the non-toxic clay-resist paste and the various, inventive methods of applying it. This will include block-printing, screenprinting, stenciling, and direct painting. Day two will cover how to make and maintain a vat of organic, fructose indigo, and the techniques for dyeing.
Students will learn how to build layers of pattern and imagery with additional resist to create varying shades of beautiful indigo blue. At the end of class, each student will leave with their samples, recipes, and trade secrets to continue developing the techniques at home. This workshop includes a kit that will provide all of the necessary ingredients for the resist and indigo vat.
For more information or to register, visit the Pyramid Atlantic Art Center website.
*** The San Francisco Center for the Book is also offering a number of online workshops via Zoom. Here is a selection of what’s available during the month of September:
September 14, 21, & 28: Introduction to the Artist’s Book with Matt Runkle
In the first of three sessions, we’ll look at an overview of artist’s books, discussing definitions, concepts, and numerous examples from the form’s history. We’ll then learn a simple book structure, which students will then develop into a “book sketch” as homework.
The second session will involve learning several more advanced book models and structures, as well as a couple low-tech printing techniques (stenciling, image transfers) that students can do at home. Students will then pick a model that they’ll begin to develop with content for a mockup that they may hope to later develop into a more finished edition.
In the final session, students will share their works in progress. The instructor will help them address any hurdles they face on their way to completing an artist book edition, discussing strategies for furthering and expanding concepts developed during the class. We’ll wrap up by talking about some of the practical considerations when embarking on a content-based book project and how they relate to the book artist’s many roles: author, illustrator, editor, publisher, printer, and binder.
September 19: Papercutting Basics with Béatrice Coron
During this workshop, participants will discover the multiple facets of papercutting by making their own samples of different techniques.
Learning basic principles of designing with full and empty shapes, each student will explore adapting pictures they collected to papercutting. Tips and tricks will be shared.
For more information or to register, visit the SFCB website.
by Elissa | Mar 1, 2017 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, March 8, 2017, 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 Diagonal T’s 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):
- Japanese screw punch
- Eyelet hole punch
- Leather hole punch
February Meeting Reflections
We packed the meeting hall that night, and spent a lovely evening running from station to station, trying out new techniques for getting images onto paper.
There were demos of packing tape image transfer, wood block printing, textural printing using ink and paint, stamping, and foam molding. Everyone dove in to experience as much as they could, and we all came away with new ideas and skills.
Thanks everyone for sharing and preparing, and we look forward to seeing your prints for exchanging at the next meeting.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** Join the Book Arts Guild of Vermont for a two-part printmaking / bookmaking challenge!
Here’s how it will work:
- Create an edition of 12-16, 6″ x 6″ prints at home; paper and techniques are up to you. Please sign your work on the front and include a title if you have one.
- Bring those prints to the March meeting to exchange with other members.
- Everyone participating will give away 11-15 prints (you keep one for yourself) and receive 11-15 new prints in return.
- Make a book incorporating the 12-16, 6″ x 6″ prints.
- Completed books will be shared at the May B.A.G. meeting.
If you are unable to join us for the March meeting, please mail 11-15 of your prints with a self-addressed and stamped return envelope by March 8th to Ann Joppe-Mercure at 10 Brookwood Drive, South Burlington, VT 05403.
After the March B.A.G. meeting, Ann will mail you your exchanged prints.
*** Announcing the Book Arts Guild of Vermont’s Annual Book Arts Show!
Our show for this year will be at SEABA on Pine Street in Burlington, during the months of July and August. This venue gives us a great exhibit space and a lot of exposure to the community.
Important dates:
- Submission deadline: June 14, 2017
- Reception: First Friday, July 7, 2017
Members and friends are invited to submit up to 3 pieces.
If you need some inspiration, you may use a loosely defined theme of Correspondence as a stepping off place. All work is welcome, though, so no need to fret about the ‘theme’.
*** B.A.G. member Marcia Vogler will be teaching a workshop at the Generator, Collage Garage: Art Among Friends, on March 9, from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. The evening will start with a discussion and demonstration of techniques and materials, and then provide open work time to explore collage and visual meaning. Expect to take home 2-3 collage pieces.
For more information or to register, please visit the Generator website.
*** Axel’s Frame Shop and Gallery in Waterbury is hosting an exhibit, The Book as Art, co-curated by B.A.G. member Marilyn Gillis. Artists included in the exhibit are B.A.G. members Elissa Campbell, Marilyn Gillis, Penne Tompkins, Ann Joppe-Mercure, Rebecca Boardman, Vera Ryersbach, Judy Sgantas, and Marcia Vogler.
An artist reception will take place on March 10th from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Axel’s is located at 5 Stowe Street.
*** B.A.G. member Marilyn Gillis‘ work is featured this month at Creative Space Gallery in Vergennes, through March 12, 2017. The show, A Visual Record: Recent Work by Marilyn Gillis, includes Marilyn’s fiber art, mixed media, and book sculptures.
For more information, please visit Creative Space Gallery’s website.
*** Issue #3 of the Vermont Art Guide includes an article about the Book Arts Guild of Vermont, Making of the Book. Written by Cynthia Close, the article highlights the work of B.A.G. members Nancy Stone, Jill Abilock, and Nina Gaby.
The magazine is available for purchase online.
Book Arts News
*** The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers is looking for volunteers for an upcoming Girl Scout event. They will be partnering with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts offering programs for Cadette scouts (age 11-14) to earn a Book Artist badge. In addition, they will run a program for younger scouts.
The event will be held on Saturday March 25, 2017 at Camp Cedar Hill in Waltham, MA. They will run a 3-hour program for Cadettes in the morning from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and then have a 2-hour program for younger girls from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. You can volunteer for just one program or make a day out of it and do both!
There will be an introduction and then five stations that the girls will rotate through which may include printing, accordion folds, a pamphlet, origami book, a scroll, decorating paper or a collaborative book, depending on the interests of the volunteers. Each rotation will last for about 30 minutes. The younger girls will have similar programming in a shorter time frame with only four rotations. If you have a book arts technique or project that you’d like to see done with the Girl Scouts please make some suggestions.
You do not need to be a member of the NEGBW to volunteer. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Todd Pattison at bookandtile@att.net.
*** On Thursday, March 9th, the North Bennet Street School is presenting a free lecture with Radha Pandey – Islamic World Papermaking.
The talk explores traditional Islamic-world papermaking history and technique, with a focus on contemporary practices in India. The Kagzi family is used as a case study to illuminate the introduction of papermaking in India and how it changed under British rule. The talk will also briefly cover how papermaking affected printing, publishing and literacy, and why it is relevant today.
Please register in advance as space is limited.
*** Now through April 30, 2017, the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is hosting the exhibit Bookbinding and the Pursuit of the Human Touch: The Work of Gray Parrot, curated by Britta Konau.
Gray Parrot began learning the ancient craft of bookbinding in 1971, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, under Master Bookbinder Arno Werner, who trained several generations of U.S. binders. While there, Mr. Parrot absorbed Mr. Werner’s work ethic and his appreciation and knowledge of time-honored materials and techniques, which to this day have directed the course of his career. After studying fine finishing techniques at the Legatoria Artistica in Ascona, Switzerland, he opened his own bindery in 1973. Except for an 8-year interlude in Massachusetts, Mr. Parrot has worked from his home in Hancock, Maine.
During the past 43 years, Mr. Parrot has been commissioned to create edition bindings for numerous private presses, including Leonard Baskin’s Gehenna Press, Dard Hunter’s Mountain House Press, Henry Morris’ Bird & Bull press, and the Khelcom/New York press of Peter Bogardus. In addition, he has produced many fine bindings and housings for rare books, as well as modern rebindings. His work may be found worldwide in major libraries and museums, as well as in many private collections.
The Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is located in Portland, Maine. The exhibit is in the UNUM Great Reading Room on the 7th floor of the Albert Brenner Glickman Library.
*** The Currier Museum of Art is currently hosting the exhibit Deep Cuts: Contemporary Paper Cutting. The exhibit, open through May 21st, showcases work by contemporary artists who reconsider, redefine and even subvert the centuries-old practice of paper cutting.
In the tradition of the craft, the art featured in the exhibition is impressive and intricate, but its subject matter is updated for the 21st century. Addressing deeper personal or social themes, the work touches upon complex reference points including the various cultural, economic and environmental associations imbued in the humble medium of paper.
The Currier Museum of Art is located at 150 Ash Street in Manchester, NH. For more information, please call (603) 669-6144.
Book Arts Classes
*** B.A.G. member Elissa Campbell is teaching Do the Dos-à-dos at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT on March 16 & 23 from 4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
The dos-à-dos (translated from the French, “back-to-back”), is a book structure in which two separate texts are bound together so that they share a central back cover. The two books open in opposite directions. This binding offers many creative possibilities in that it can be used to physically represent the relationship between two books.
In this workshop, participants will create a 2-sided journal with a double-needle coptic binding, an intricate stitch that will be visible on each of the book spines. Not only is the coptic binding beautiful, but it also allows books to remain flat when opened.
To register, contact SPA via phone (802) 479-7069 or email.
*** Masscribes is hosting a workshop with Jacqueline Sullivan, the Sumptuous Surface Collage Book on April 8 and 9, 2017. The workshop will take place at the Sportsman’s Club in Norwood, MA.
This class will be an unhurried exploration of how to develop a rich surface as pages for your books. Through a series of exercises, you’ll use simple materials – mainly paint and gesso. You’ll build layers, starting with mark making and Asemic writing. You’ll add gesso and color then cover and uncover portions of those layers. As you practice simplifying, omitting and adding text as we go, balancing visual activity and quiet, you will discover from within what leads to the best integration of our ideas and feelings. Covering, uncovering, discovering!
Your final project will be a sewn book made from one sheet of watercolor paper. The flaps and folds of this artist book make way for many creative opportunities for cut outs and collage. As you assemble your pages, you will talk about and use the elements of good design as they apply to your books.
For more information, please contact Elissa Barr or Nita Padamsee.
*** On Saturday, April 8th, the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is hosting a workshop with Todd Pattison, The Case for Leather: A “Fairly” Simple Leather-Spine Binding.
Leather can seem a bit intimidating to work with, but in this one-day workshop a simple method will be taught for using leather as a spine covering. Incorporating a technique learned by the instructor in Switzerland in the 1980’s, a variation of a case structure will be made that allows for binding with a leather spine with a minimal amount of paring or shaping.
Covering and decoration of the boards with leather will also be demonstrated. Using the technique with cloth, paper and other materials will also be discussed and demonstrated as time allows.
For more information or to register, please visit USM’s website. If you have any questions please contact Todd Pattison.
*** Axel’s Frame Shop and Gallery is hosting a free Folded Page Book Sculptures workshop on Saturday, March 18th from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Come learn an easy art activity that is fun and very relaxing.
Folded page book sculptures require no materials other than an old book or two – no set-up, no mess, and no clean-up. Your artistic voice shows through in the ways you fold the pages and decorate the sculpture. The finished book sculptures are small enough to decorate many spaces in your home, or they make terrific gifts.
Please bring 1 or 2 medium sized books to work on. This class is appropriate for ages 12+. Space is limited.
To register, please contact the gallery at info@AxelsGallery.com or call (802) 244-7801. Axel’s is located at 5 Stowe Street.
by Elissa | Feb 3, 2017 | B.A.G. Book Swap, B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 8, 2017, 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: Adventures in Surface Design Part II – Hands-On Printing Extravaganza!
In January, about 20 members gathered to share, show, and tell their favorite methods for printing designs or images on paper. This month, we invite you to once again bring your favorite printmaking tools or methods, this time with enough inks, paints and other materials to demonstrate your method to the group, and to enable at least six members to try it out.
The format of the meeting will be similar to the November Card Tricks and Book Blitz meeting: first everyone will do a quick demo of their method, and then members can move around freely, trying out the different methods. There will be 8.5″ x 11″ copy paper available for trying out different methods (and taking notes on what you did); you are also welcome to bring your own paper.
After the meeting, the Guild will hold a two-part printmaking/bookmaking challenge to encourage you to use some of the new techniques you’ve learned. Here’s how it will work:
- Create an edition of sixteen 6″ x 6″ prints at home.
- Bring those prints to the March meeting to exchange with other members.
- Everyone participating will give away 15 prints (you keep one for yourself) and receive 15 new prints in return.
- Make a book incorporating the sixteen 6″ x 6″ prints.
- Completed books will be shared at the May B.A.G. meeting.
Even if you don’t have a technique to share, please feel free to come and try out new techniques and ideas, and participate in the subsequent printmaking challenge!
Things to bring (optional):
- Your favorite tool and/or techniques for printing designs or images on paper
- A sample image or design made with the tools or techniques
- Enough ink, paint or other material to demonstrate your method and enable at least 6 members to try it out
- An apron (or clothing you don’t mind possibly getting paint or ink on)
January Meeting Reflections
What I love about the Book Arts Guild meetings is the surprising variety of people, skill sets, knowledge, and well, just about everything. The January meeting gave members and friends an opportunity to share tools and methods for surface design, printing, and stamping.
No surprise that we all learned a lot about those things and each other. While we didn’t have time to practice any methods during the meeting, I’m sure everyone took home inspiration to start working on a new project.
Thanks to Ann Joppe Mercure for facilitating!
And thanks to Jill Abilock for lugging the entire contents of our lending library to the meeting, so everyone could peruse the collection and make some choices. Not exactly like Special Collections, but almost as fun.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** Announcing the Book Arts Guild of Vermont’s Annual Book Arts Show!
Our show for this year will be at SEABA on Pine Street in Burlington, during the months of July and August. This venue gives us a great exhibit space and a lot of exposure to the community.
If you need some inspiration, you may use a loosely defined theme of Correspondence as a stepping off place. All work is welcome, though, so no need to fret about the ‘theme’. Further details about the timing and submissions will be coming soon!
*** Based on the success of our first book swap, we’re going forward with another challenge.
For those of you who missed it the first time around, here’s the scoop – participants are randomly assigned a person for whom they anonymously create a book – it’s a bit like Secret Santa, but more like Confidential Codex.
We want to encourage our members to step outside their comfort zones, have fun, and experiment with new materials, structures, etc. For this swap, you’ll have to create a book that primarily uses one color – you can interpret this as broadly as you like.
Here are the details:
- Sign up deadline: 2/17/17
- Assignment of names: 2/20/17
- Book swap (and deadline for book completion): 4/12/17 (April B.A.G. meeting)
If you’d like to participate or have questions, please contact Elissa by February 17th. Don’t worry if you can’t make it to the April meeting – you can always mail your book.
We can’t wait to see the final books!
*** It’s time to renew your annual membership!
The primary mission of the Book Arts Guild of Vermont is to act as both an educational and creative resource in the field of book arts. Our monthly meetings are $5.00 an evening or free with a $35.00 annual membership. Your membership supports the mission of the Book Arts Guild, pays for our rented space, provides opportunities to exhibit and supports honorariums to presenters.
In addition to the benefits you receive (outlined in the sidebar of this newsletter), your paid membership also enables us to cover expenses such our website and email newsletter – key tools for keeping our book arts community in touch and informed. A special membership benefit this year is that you don’t have to pay to submit work to our annual, non-juried book arts exhibition. You’ll also receive a personal thank you from Ann Joppe-Mercure (priceless).
If you have a skill, a passion, a favorite technique or a body of work that others would love to learn about, and then take the leap and volunteer to share it with us as a presenter. If you present at a B.A.G. meeting, you receive free membership for the year. Think about it – we know you have something to share!
If you would like to become a supporting B.A.G. member, click here to download our membership form.
Book Arts News
*** The University of Massachusetts Amherst is hosting a symposium on March 4th – Canons & Contingence: Art Histories of the Book in England & America. You can view the symposium schedule on the event website.
Recent scholarship in bibliography and the history of the book has attended to the ways in which bibliographic media resist, defy, and elude uniformity, even under the greatest technological pressures to conform. Whether through variables in the production process or through the vagaries of transmission and consumption, each manuscript or printed book carries with it the traces of a unique history. Yet bibliographers and historians of the book have long neglected the role of the visual in these histories, perceiving the pictorial as supplemental to the book, an import from some other medium.
At the same time, the book itself has never featured in art history’s triumvirate of media: painting, sculpture, and architecture. In the belief that the book itself is an important medium in the history of art, this symposium brings together scholars who explore how the visual and pictorial features of bibliographic media behave (and can be made to behave) in defiant ways.
The event will take place in the Integrative Learning Center, room S240. The event is free and open to the public. Advance registration is requested.
*** On Thursday, March 9th, the North Bennet Street School is presenting a free lecture with Radha Pandey – Islamic World Papermaking.
The talk explores traditional Islamic-world papermaking history and technique, with a focus on contemporary practices in India. The Kagzi family is used as a case study to illuminate the introduction of papermaking in India and how it changed under British rule. The talk will also briefly cover how papermaking affected printing, publishing and literacy, and why it is relevant today.
Please register in advance as space is limited.
*** Now through April 30, 2017, the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is hosting the exhibit Bookbinding and the Pursuit of the Human Touch: The Work of Gray Parrot, curated by Britta Konau.
Gray Parrot began learning the ancient craft of bookbinding in 1971, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, under Master Bookbinder Arno Werner, who trained several generations of U.S. binders. While there, Mr. Parrot absorbed Mr. Werner’s work ethic and his appreciation and knowledge of time-honored materials and techniques, which to this day have directed the course of his career. After studying fine finishing techniques at the Legatoria Artistica in Ascona, Switzerland, he opened his own bindery in 1973. Except for an 8-year interlude in Massachusetts, Mr. Parrot has worked from his home in Hancock, Maine.
During the past 43 years, Mr. Parrot has been commissioned to create edition bindings for numerous private presses, including Leonard Baskin’s Gehenna Press, Dard Hunter’s Mountain House Press, Henry Morris’ Bird & Bull press, and the Khelcom/New York press of Peter Bogardus. In addition, he has produced many fine bindings and housings for rare books, as well as modern rebindings. His work may be found worldwide in major libraries and museums, as well as in many private collections.
The Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is located in Portland, Maine. The exhibit is in the UNUM Great Reading Room on the 7th floor of the Albert Brenner Glickman Library.
Book Arts Classes
*** B.A.G. member Elissa Campbell is teaching Do the Dos-à-dos at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT on March 16 & 23 from 4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
The dos-à-dos (translated from the French, “back-to-back”), is a book structure in which two separate texts are bound together so that they share a central back cover. The two books open in opposite directions. This binding offers many creative possibilities in that it can be used to physically represent the relationship between two books.
In this workshop, participants will create a 2-sided journal with a double-needle coptic binding, an intricate stitch that will be visible on each of the book spines. Not only is the coptic binding beautiful, but it also allows books to remain flat when opened.
To register, contact SPA via phone (802) 479-7069 or email.
*** Masscribes is hosting a workshop with Jacqueline Sullivan, the Sumptuous Surface Collage Book on April 8 and 9, 2017. The workshop will take place at the Sportsman’s Club in Norwood, MA.
This class will be an unhurried exploration of how to develop a rich surface as pages for your books. Through a series of exercises, you’ll use simple materials – mainly paint and gesso. You’ll build layers, starting with mark making and Asemic writing. You’ll add gesso and color then cover and uncover portions of those layers. As you practice simplifying, omitting and adding text as we go, balancing visual activity and quiet, you will discover from within what leads to the best integration of our ideas and feelings. Covering, uncovering, discovering!
Your final project will be a sewn book made from one sheet of watercolor paper. The flaps and folds of this artist book make way for many creative opportunities for cut outs and collage. As you assemble your pages, you will talk about and use the elements of good design as they apply to your books.
For more information, please contact Elissa Barr or Nita Padamsee.
*** On March 4 & 5, the North Bennet Street School is offering Limp Vellum Binding with Erin Fletcher.
This simple yet elegant binding arose in the 15th century in response to the advent of the printed book. This structure allowed the binder to quickly construct a solid and durable binding. Each student constructs their own binding learning how to sew over alum-tawed thongs on a sewing frame, create traditional hand-sewn endbands and work with vellum and leather. If a student has a sensitivity to using animal products, they may use handmade paper for the cover.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
*** The North Bennet Street School is also hosting a workshop with Radha Pandey on March 11 & 12 – Islamic World Papermaking.
In this class, students learn about Islamic-world papermaking and its role in the broader history of papermaking. On the first day, students are introduced to the papermaking technique used throughout the class. On the second day, surface finishing techniques such as brush dyeing, mordanting, sizing and burnishing are demonstrated and are applied to the finished sheets. Everyone creates a sampling of the various techniques on their own Islamic-world papers.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
*** Snow Farm in Williamsburg, MA is offering two book/paper arts workshops this summer:
- June 9 – 11: A Cut Above: An Exploration in Papercutting with Béatrice Coron
Both beginners and advanced students alike will delight in learning about the long multi-cultural history of papercutting as well as the world of paper-cutters today. Explore the unique possibilities of papercutting techniques while making black and white, and color artwork. Demonstrations will include stenciling and working in 3D. Tips, tricks, and resources will be provided.
- June 11 – 17: Variations on the Accordion with Melanie Mowinski
There are so many ways to fold paper, Tyvek, and other materials into an accordion book! In this workshop, make models of star, storage, flag, pocket, circle, pivoting panel and other accordion structures. Paint papers to prep, create cover boards, fold papers, all with attention to structure, form, and ways of bringing accordions into your everyday life from journaling to travelogues and special artist books.
For more information or to register, please visit Snow Farm’s website.
by Elissa | Jul 7, 2016 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, July 13, 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: Practical Calligraphy 101 with Penne Tompkins
Have you ever wanted to use handwriting in your books but felt like your writing needed more style, or needed to look neater? This month, B.A.G. member Penne Tompkins will help us meet this goal with a hands-on introduction to basic calligraphy, focusing on an alphabet style known as “foundational” or “bookhand”.
We will begin by reviewing a few basic principles and exploring a variety of tools, and then get writing. According to Penne, calligraphy is a skill best begun with some instruction, and then followed up with much practice!
Penne will supply will one broad edged marker and some graph paper for making practice sheets.
Please bring the following supplies, if you have them:
- Straight edge ruler
- Pencil or tool for drawing lines
- Any calligraphy pens or markers you already have
- A padded surface for writing on (makes it easier)
June Meeting Reflections
Our June meeting focused on Studio Support and Workshop Time. Attendees shared personal projects, and sought ideas, critiques, and accolades. There was a lot of awesomeness.
We also had a lot of discussion about upcoming events, and venues for future shows. Some of the venues up for consideration are Frog Hollow (Church Street), New City Galerie (Church Street), Burlington City Arts (Church Street), Emile A. Gruppe Gallery (Jericho), and Walkover Gallery (Bristol).
Thanks to all who attended, thanks for your participation and spirit, and thanks for making the studio time a success.
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 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 several 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.
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. member Elissa Campbell is teaching Join the Fold – Part 2 (origami books) at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT on July 20, 2016 from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. The first Join the Fold workshop is not a prerequisite for taking this one – everyone is welcome!
The simple fold has lots of potential – it doesn’t take much to transform a piece of paper into a book. We’ll be playing in the intersection between origami and bookmaking, creating folded books that require little or no adhesive. Among the structures you’ll learn are three invented by master book artist Hedi Kyle – the Fishbone Binding, the All-in-One Book, and the Pocket Folder Booklet.
Experience in origami is helpful, but not required.
To register, contact SPA via phone (802) 479-7069 or Email.
Book Arts News
*** The Walker Contemporary Gallery in Waitsfield, VT is currently showing Time Honored, an exhibit of stunning cut paper art by Maude White. The exhibit is open now through July 30, 2016.
White’s hand carved paper scenes honor the gravity and importance of marking time and bearing witness to a past world. The work embraces a secret and hushed worship of the seasons and seasonal change. One is invited to live wholly and gracefully in the present while glimpsing scenes and visions of the past. One can imagine that this past is with us now, comforting us with the continuity and solidity of time.
For more information or to view pieces in the exhibit, please visit the Walker Contemporary 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 with Andrea Peterson and Velma Bolyard, 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 North Bennet Street School is hosting the final stop of the Guild of Book Workers‘ juried traveling exhibition, Vessel, from July 15 – August 31, 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.
NBSS and the New England Chapter of The Guild of Book Workers will co-host the opening reception on July 21st at 6:00 p.m. Three local exhibitors, Erik Demaine, Graham Patten and Colin Urbina, will be present to speak about their work. Talks will take place around 7:00 p.m.
The North Bennet Street School is located in Boston, MA. 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
*** From August 1-7, 2016, the Wishcamper Center at the University of Southern Maine in Portland, ME is hosting seven days of book arts workshops, including printmaking, paste paper, intaglio printing, coptic bookbinding, letterforms, and more.
During this program, each participant will have the opportunity to work with 8 different instructors in half-day and full-day workshops. Every participant will be exposed to a variety of approaches and opinions from a stimulating group of professional artists.
For more information or to register, please visit the USM website.
*** The Women’s Studio Workshop is offering Bookbinding: Case Binding with Rounded Spine with Abigail Bainbridge from July 25 – 29, 2016. The workshop will take place in Kingston, NY.
In this class you’ll learn how to make a traditional case binding from start to finish (although without cutting all the corners that modern machine binding does!). This is the style of your average hardcover book, with cloth covering and a rounded spine. You’ll learn the basics of paper selection, sewing, rounding & backing, edge trimming, and casing-in.
Those who are a little faster will have time to learn more advanced techniques – such as hand-sewing endbands – or start a second book and really consolidate their skills. Use your book for a sketchbook or journal or just to learn the process so you can go home and make them on your own. We’ll talk about ways to get around any lack of equipment.
For more information or to register, please visit the Women’s Studio Workshop website.
*** The Women’s Studio Workshop is also offering The Missing Link: Papermaking in the Islamic World with Radha Pandey from July 18 – 22, 2016.
Students will learn about the history and technique of a papermaking style that has remained largely unchanged since the 8th century CE. Islamic World Papermaking is essentially the link between the Eastern and Western papermaking traditions. We will learn how traditional fibers – hemp and flax – were prepared for papermaking, and how equipment was made using readily available materials.
Students will focus on sheet formation using a variety of fibers. Finished papers will be sized and dyed using natural materials and then burnished by hand to a high shine. On the last day we will bind our papers into a sample book displaying this ancient technique’s wide range of possibilities. No prior papermaking experience is necessary.
For more information or to register, please visit the Women’s Studio Workshop website.
