by Elissa | Feb 2, 2023 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 8, 2023, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
This month’s meeting will once again be held via Zoom, an online conference program. If you’ve never attended a Zoom meeting before, check out this video – it will go over the basics of how to join a meeting.
Stay safe!
The B.A.G. Board
In continuing with our tradition of choosing a theme for our meetings every year, the B.A.G. Board has selected the theme of Movable Books for 2023.
Movable books are structures with 3-dimensional pages that make a book or card come alive in your hands. These include pop-ups, volvelles, tunnel books, pull-outs, crankies, and animated structures.
Put on your hard hat, because we are going to become Paper Engineers!
We will have a series of guest presenters to familiarize you with the varied structures, and to guide you through techniques that will turn your flat two-dimensional work into exciting pop-up fun!
In the movable book world, there is of course the Movable Book Society, which promotes all things movable. A look at their website and references should be all it takes to get you warmed up for the new year. Here are some other resources to get your brain churning:
Websites to drool over:
Books to pore over:
If that’s not enough for you, just google ‘tunnel books’ or ‘pop up books’, and prepare to spend some time in the rabbit hole. Take a look – the possibilities are kind of endless!
Program: Pop-ups and Movable Books with Ed Hutchins
Continuing with our movable book theme, we are excited to have Ed Hutchins as our guest presenter. Ed is a creative and innovative book artist and designer, as well as a collector of artist’s books. His work is colorful, playful, and imaginative, and always tells a good story.
During his presentation, we will look at books he has made, and examples from his Architecture of the Book Collection. He will also give us some ideas on how to use photos in movable greetings, and lastly, ideas for Valentines for you to make.
We are trying to figure out how to Zoom the meeting for those unable to attend in person. If you’d like to attend the meeting over Zoom, please contact Elissa and she’ll keep you in the loop.
January Meeting Reflections
I feel a lot of excitement building for our new theme of movable books! Elissa Campbell and Becky Boardman gave us some great ideas for pop-up structures, and different ways to incorporate them into books and cards.
Well, get ready for a zine swap, because we now have the skills to make shaped and sized structures. Keep your eyes open for the announcement for the next challenge.
B.A.G. Library Corner
If you’re anything like me, I start to dream of far-away places as winter really sets in. But why dream when you can create your own places using books, paper, and a little structural ingenuity?
Using the tutorials from Clare Youngs’ Creative Book Art, we can create a whimsical village or a fantastical ocean getaway to make those long winter days a little shorter.
If you have ideas for books to feature or if you have a B.A.G. library book in your possession from which you’d like to share something, email Sally at salblanch@gmail.com.
You can check out and download the selection here.
B.A.G. News
*** Support the Book Arts Guild of Vermont by becoming a member!
The Book Arts Guild of Vermont is supported by its members and you have kept us going for more than seventeen (!) 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 $35.00 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
- Vimeo subscription: $84.00 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 $35.00 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.
*** Announcing the annual member show for 2023, The Art of the Book!
Our annual show will be held at S.P.A.C.E. Gallery in Burlington in July 2023. The details still need to be worked out, so stay tuned for more information about the submission deadline, exhibition dates, and the opening reception date.
Members are invited to submit 2 pieces, so get started!
*** Susan Smereka will be teaching Upcycle Journal on February 12. You will rebuild an old book and give it new life as a unique journal to inspire you to write and capture your precious ideas, collages and drawings.
You will take apart an old book, and rebind it with blank pages interleaved with text from the original. Build your knowledge and skills around bookbinding as you learn the parts of a book and how to do a long stitch binding with waxed linen thread. Whether you are new to bookbinding or not, this workshop is appropriate for all skill levels and interests.
The workshop will take place at Susan Smereka’s studio space in Burlington, VT (Howard Street off of Pine).
For more information, please contact Susan at susansmereka@gmail.com.
*** Elissa Campbell will be leading a Book Arts Open Studio at Studio Place Arts on February 17 & 18. This experimental workshop is a mini retreat, where students who have taken some book arts classes in the past can explore taking their artist books to a new level. Enjoy the creative environment of working with other artists – it’s like a book arts play date!
The use of both standard and unconventional materials will be demonstrated, along with creative ways to apply them to the book arts. A wide range of tools and materials will be available for you to try, including collage, carved block stamps, image transfer, Dremel, and paper cutting. Different binding techniques will also be explored.
For more information or to register, please visit the SPA website.
Book Arts News
*** The Boston Athenæum is hosting the exhibition Materialia Lumina | Luminous Books: Concept & Craft in Contemporary Artists’ Books from now until March 11, 2023.
The exhibit showcases a selection of outstanding contemporary artists’ books created by some of the world’s most accomplished makers over the past twenty-five years. The books embody a distinctive marriage of “high craft” with “high concept.” They demonstrate a mastery of the traditional arts of the book – printing, printmaking, typography, calligraphy, bookbinding, papermaking, and graphic design – intersecting vigorously with the conceptual daring and exploratory nature of the best contemporary art.
The exhibition explores the extraordinary level of skill and persistence involved in creating these beautiful works, as well as their unique power to speak to a range of contemporary issues and concerns.
For more information, please visit the Athenæum website. The Athenæum is located at 10½ Beacon Street in Boston, MA.
*** On Thursday February 23, the Boston Athenæum is presenting The What, the How, and the Why: Craft as an Extension of Thought, an online exhibition lecture with Russell Maret.
Throughout the brief history of the artists’ book, craft and concept have often seemed at odds with one another. It has only been in the last forty years or so that a “third stream” of bookmaking has developed, one in which High Craft and High Concept play equal roles in the making of a book. In this talk Russell Maret will explore these various ideas through an examination of his own work, as well as the books of other artists whose work is exhibited in Materialia Lumina | Luminous Books.
For more information or to register, please visit the Athenæum website.
*** Now through April 29, the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is hosting Building Books: New England Book Artists Members Exhibition. The exhibition is located in the Great Reading Room, 7th floor, Glickman Family Library at the University of Southern Maine in Portland.
NEBA is a professional organization of book artists and bibliophiles. It celebrates, promotes, and supports the book arts and its makers, fosters public education, and nurtures an understanding and enjoyment of the discipline through exhibitions, workshops, lectures, and related activities.
For more information, please visit the KCCCBA website.
*** Arts and Exhibits Committee, University Libraries, at the University of South Dakota, is now taking entries for Bound and Unbound VII: Altered Book Exhibition through March 6, 2023. The biennial exhibition is scheduled for display Aug. 21, 2023 – Jan. 3, 2024.
Brian Dettmer, an American contemporary artist currently residing in Chicago, IL will serve as juror for this year’s exhibition. There are no restrictions on when works are created. Traditionally, they have featured only new works from the past three years, but this year they hope to garner a nice historical survey of the altered book as well as new works.
Full information, including a prospectus, can be found here.
For more information, please contact Hanson-Pareek at Sarah.HansonPareek@usd.edu, Danielle De Jager-Loftus at Danielle.Loftus@usd.edu, or Michael Boring at Michael.Boring@usd.edu.
*** The Rochester Public Library is currently accepting submissions for its 12th juried international exhibit, Art of the Book: Artist Books, Altered Books, & Paper Sculpture. The deadline for entries is May 15.
In 2011, the first Art of the Book exhibit was held in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Rochester Public Library. At the time, they wanted to celebrate what has been at the core of libraries for centuries – the book. They marveled over the intricate interpretations of this humble format and were thrilled with the response to the exhibit from the community.
In subsequent years, the exhibit has grown to include entries from all over the world, featuring well-known artists for their exquisite work. Books continue to ensnare the imagination, both for their form and content. Artists manipulate those two components to create breathtaking, mind-bending works of art that tease and cajole people to consider the intricacies of paper, ink, words, and meaning.
For more information or to view the prospectus, please visit the Rochester Public Library’s website.
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The Jaffe Center for Book Arts is offering The Flutter Book with Stephanie Wolff on February 7.
The flutter book is a simple structure from the Eastern binding tradition. It’s a codex that can act a bit like an accordion, since the text block can be gently pulled out from the spine to show multiple pages at one time. Single folios are joined to create the text block, with a variety of possible cover options.
A simple soft cover will be made in class, with discussion of other options. This binding is great for single-sided photographs or prints. It can accommodate papers of different weights – from heavier to very light. We’ll create two models (one with heavier paper, the other with lighter paper) to serve as reference for future work and discuss possibilities for the structure’s creative use.
For more information or to register, please email John Cutrone at jcutrone@fau.edu.
*** Maine Media Workshops + College is offering Unfolding Narratives: Expanded Edition of Writing for Artist’s Books with Ellen Sheffield on Tuesdays, Feb 7 – March 14.
In this 6-session course, participants will learn techniques for generating text for artists’ books through conceptual approaches to language such as words as image, narrative, or lyrical expression. Participants will experiment with text itineraries and Dada and Surrealistic techniques.
Weeks 1 – 3: Writing exercises will be assigned to be completed before, during, and in between the first three workshop sessions. Various methods for getting text onto book pages will be demonstrated through mark-making, transfers, stencils, stamps, and rub-on type.
Weeks 3 – 6: In the last three sessions of the expanded edition of this workshop participants will choose from writings generated and use these to create text for a finished artist’s book project using a simple accordion-style structure folded from a single sheet of paper. Exercises and instructor demonstrations will support participants in developing their concepts and learning the skills step by step to make an artist’s book. The final workshop session will be an opportunity to share the artists’ books completed in the workshop.
For more information or to register, please visit the Maine Media website.
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering Headbands: History, Use & Techniques with María Carolina Ceballos on February 15 & 22.
In this virtual workshop, learn how to make headbands for a variety of styles of bindings such as case binding, Coptic, slotted tapes, etc. Learn the basic logic and principles of headbands so you can, in the future, sew more complex types or use them in different applications without having to re-learn for each structure.
This workshop is designed for those with previous bookbinding experience so they can apply the techniques learned in their own practice. Knowledge of how to make a case binding and a Coptic binding is preferred since those are the structures on which most headband styles can be applied.
For more information or to register, please visit the MCBA website.
by Elissa | Jul 5, 2019 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, July 10, 2019, 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: Postcard Swap and Artists’ Talk
It’s July! We have invited you to create 7 postcards, 1 to keep for yourself and 6 to swap. We will begin July’s meeting by swapping your 6 postcards for 6 others. The postcards will be collected and grouped in 6’s, and each participant will be given a batch. Of course, swapping can occur after the batches are distributed.
With these original artworks, participants will create a book structure to hold the cards, and share their creation at the September meeting. There’s plenty of time to complete the challenge!
After the postcard swap, artists are invited to give a short talk about their work from the Bound to Happen show at the S.P.A.C.E. Gallery. It was a wonderful show with terrific work! This is a chance to get a more in-depth look at the pieces and the thoughts and techniques that went into them.
If you weren’t able to get to the exhibit, you can visit images of the included work on the B.A.G. blog.
June Meeting Reflections
For our June meeting, Elissa Campbell led us through Keith Smith‘s Triple Parquet binding, and with her amazing teaching skills and props, we all finished the lovely leather book within the allotted time.
I always notice during a hands-on presentation, how friendly and willing participants are to share their knowledge with those of us who may struggle or fall behind. Thank you all for that.
Giant thanks to Elissa and her Giant Sewing Board for preparing the kits for us and making the evening fun and productive!
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** Congratulations to seven (!) Book Arts Guild of Vermont members on their acceptance into UNBOUND IX, an upcoming juried show at Artistree Gallery in South Pomfret, VT.
Ann Joppe-Mercure, Dorsey Hogg, Becky Boardman, Marcia Vogler, Nina Gaby, Debra Kraemer, and Elissa Campbell will have work on exhibit from July 26 – August 24. The opening reception will be held on Friday July 26th, from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
The show features art using books as a material or a format. Visitors will have an opportunity to examine curious folios, recent grimoires, tomes turned to sculpture and some works having a relation to “books” in concept only.
*** Elissa Campbell is teaching The Block Printed Journal at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT on July 15 – 16. This class is open to ages 13 years and up.
Block printing is an ancient method of printmaking that can be used to create beautiful, decorated papers. Not only is it fun, but it’s something you can easily do at home. In this two-day class, you’ll experiment with printing and use one of your own papers to cover a handmade journal.
On the first day, you’ll learn how to design and carve rubber stamps that will be used to create your own decorated papers. You’ll focus on basic shapes that can be used for layering and repeating to create rich and complex patterns.
On the second day, you’ll select one of your papers for the cover – you can save your unused papers for other projects. You’ll make a book using a binding that allows the book to remain flat when opened, making it perfect for use as a sketchbook or journal.
Register online or contact Studio Place Arts at (802) 479-7069.
Book Arts News
*** Now through July 27th, the North Bennet Street School in Boston is hosting Formation, a traveling exhibit of work by members of the Guild of Book Workers.
Work in this juried show explores the theme of formation: of personal narratives and histories, craftsmanship, forming ideas, natural sciences, and many more interpretations. Featured among the 50 books are several created by NBSS Bookbinding alumni, faculty members, and colleagues.
The closing reception will be held on Thursday, July 18th from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Jackie Scott, the exhibit organizer, will give a brief overview of the exhibit in addition to a few local artists who will speak about their work.
If you can’t make it to the exhibit, you can view images of included work on the Guild of Book Workers website.
*** John Churchman is opening ArtHound Gallery in the new Essex Experience Center (formerly Essex Outlets) and is looking for Vermont artists wishing to show their work. All mediums are welcome.
Artists will have access to classroom space, continuing education and events. The gallery will host three levels of creative expression separated into distinct gallery spaces including Fine Art & Master Artisan Craft, Emerging Artists, and Community & Student Art.
To indicate your interest, please complete the form at this link.
Book Arts Classes
*** Maine Media Workshops + College is offering two workshops in August that may be of interest:
Composing on the Press with Emily Martin will run from August 4 – 10.
Letterpress printing can be a slow process, but it can also be very spontaneous. Using a Vandercook proof press with magnet and Boxcar bases it is possible to print in a spontaneous manner composing the image as you print.
Stainless steel wire combined with various sticky backed foams can be cut and manipulated to make shapes and lines quickly and can be altered as needed. P22Blox are shaped modules that can be combined and recombined to forms letters, frames, figures and more.
The emphasis will be on experimentation and variation rather than on specific end products. Each participant will contribute a set sized sample print for a portfolio exchange.
Click here to register.
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Contemporary Paper Structures with Karen Hanmer will run from August 18 – 24.
Paper structures are quick, elegant, and economical options for a variety of book projects. The structures covered in this workshop will be a great resource to artists, beginner or experienced, looking to expand their repertoire.
Students will construct numerous book structures ranging from unsewn folded sheets to multi-signature books with structural and decorative sewing. Some of the books will have soft paper cases or wrappers, others will have stiff covers. Some will be sewn on supports, others will have exposed sewing. Endsheets may be decorative only or essential to the book’s engineering. Most of the bindings will be close to or completely non-adhesive.
During this information-packed course you will build the knowledge and skills to continue making books in your own studio with a few hand tools and no specialized equipment. This attractive set of models, together with detailed handouts, will be a valuable reference and inspiration for future projects.
Click here to register.
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Maine Media Workshops + College is located in Rockport, ME.
*** Long Ridge Farm is hosting Tactile Notebooks & the Written Word with Sandra Brownlee on August 7 – 11.
Each day students will walk, observe, gather and write, taking the time they need to immerse themselves in each experience. In the studio, they will work in their notebooks creating tactile pages that express what they have experienced in a way that honors their own nature.
The objectives of this workshop are to encourage reflection and awareness grounded in the present moment; to strengthen and vitalize the connection between daily life and notebook keeping; and to foster community through meaningful dialogue between peers.
Click here to register. Long Ridge Farm is located in Westmoreland, NH.
*** Pattison Paperworks is hosting a workshop with Erin Fletcher on August 17 & 18 – Embroidered Leather Bindings.
Embroidery has been used as a decorative technique on bindings for centuries. In Europe, particularly England, around the 15th – 17th centuries a great number of bindings were heavily adorned with embroidery. The substrate was typically canvas, silk or velvet but occasionally leather was used. The designs fell into three distinct categories: heraldic, floral and figurative. Today, embroidery as a decorative technique is seeing a revival in contemporary design bindings and artist books. Many artists and binders are experimenting with embroidery on a range of materials including leather.
In this workshop, students will learn a few basic embroidery techniques that are best for decorating leather along with ways to transfer a design and prep the leather for covering. In addition to these simple embroidery stitches, demonstrations will also cover ways of creating texture and depth to a design by incorporating onlays and other decorative techniques. Students will use these techniques to design and embroider a simple cover for a miniature full leather blank book.
To register, please contact info@pattisonpaperworks.com. Pattison Paperworks is located in Otisfield, ME.
by Elissa | Jun 5, 2019 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, June 12, 2019, 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
Start your summer by adding a Keith Smith 3-signature binding to your collection!
In this hands-on presentation, Elissa Campbell will teach you Keith Smith’s Triple Parquet binding, using 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.
All materials will be provided, but please bring the following tools:
- Bone folder
- Awl
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Bookbinding or tapestry needle
Optional (for punching small holes in leather):
- Japanese screw punch with a 1.5mm bit
- Eyelet hole punch with a 1/16″ bit
May Meeting Reflections
Multi talented artist Elizabeth Bunsen blew us away at the May meeting, showing us hundreds (well maybe not 100, but 50 at least) of her assemblage books. In explaining her unique practice, Elizabeth gave us a sense of how experimentation and playfulness play a great part in the making and the outcome.
She shared information on her techniques for manipulating materials by dying, staining, and rusting, and generally thrilled us all with her presentation.
Thanks to all who attended, and a special thanks to Elizabeth!
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** Bound to Happen – B.A.G.’s annual exhibition
The Book Arts Guild of Vermont’s annual member show, Bound to Happen, opens this Friday, June 7th at the S.P.A.C.E. Gallery in Burlington, VT. The exhibit will be open from June 7 – 29.
Using the book as a format or as material, artists use the interaction of concept, structure, materials, and content to create a kind of happening or experience for the reader.
The exhibit, the first at the gallery since April 2012, includes a wide range of techniques and subject matter ranging from repurposed books turned into sculptural shapes to miniature woven paper structures.
The opening reception is on June 7th, during First Friday Art Walk, from 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. The gallery is located at 266 Pine Street and is open Thursday – Saturday from 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
The gallery has a Facebook event with more details, as well as an announcement on their website.
*** Post-Meeting Postcard Exchange: Use What We’ve Learned
With the end of our multi-month presentations about imagery, let’s close with a collaborative project to celebrate. We invite you to create 6 postcards to swap, and 1 to keep for yourself. They can all be the same or all different, as long as they are 4″ x 6″. Some ideas might be to pick a theme like shoes, birds, or a quote, and play around with ways of adding the imagery. Any medium can be used – take inspiration from the huge amount of techniques we have learned!
At the July meeting, we will exchange postcards with 6 others. With these original artworks, participants will create a book structure to hold the cards, and share their creation at the September meeting. Plenty of time to complete the challenge!
Here’s a recap:
- July meeting: Participants bring 6 original postcards, 4″x6″, in any medium to swap. Participants leave with 6 different postcards to collect in a book structure.
- September meeting: Participants present their book structures, and we are amazed.
Let’s start making!
B.A.G. Member News
*** Nancy Stone‘s grandfather’s 1936 Webster’s Twentieth Century Dictionary is looking for a new home. She’s hoping that an altered book artist might like it. The dimensions are 11” h x 8.5” w with a 5” deep spine.
Nancy will bring the book to the next B.A.G. meeting for the first person who expresses interest. You can contact her at nstonevt@gmail.com.
*** Elissa Campbell is teaching The Moving Book – Pop-Up Basics at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT on June 15th.
If you want to add more magic to your cards and artist books, then give pop-ups a try! Also known as paper engineering, pop-ups use cuts and folds to create motion and energy in paper structures.
Through the creation of a series of pop-up cards, you’ll learn the basics of three-dimensional construction, including box supports, props, and straddles. You’ll then bind these cards into a book, which will become a handy reference for future work.
Register online or contact Studio Place Arts at (802) 479-7069.
Book Arts News
*** ArtisTree Gallery is accepting submissions for their 9th annual juried exhibit, UNBOUND: VOL IX. The theme of the show is simple – art using books as a material or a format. Visitors will have an opportunity to examine curious folios, recent grimoires, tomes turned to sculpture and some works having a relation to “books” in concept only.
This call for submissions is open to all 2D, 3D, installation, assemblage, film and video artists who are working in New England or New York 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 June 28, 2019. All submissions must be made through their online entry form.
For more information, please read the online exhibit prospectus. You can also contact Gallery Director Adrian Tans at gallery@artistreevt.org.
Book Arts Classes
*** Maine Media Workshops + College is offering Single Signature Variations with Erin Fletcher from June 23 – 29, 2019.
Books come in all shapes and sizes. Some may span only a single signature, while others become a thick tome. In this workshop, you’ll explore the former as you create a multitude of models with both soft and hardcovers.
Students will begin this workshop by making a series of simple softcover pamphlets using a variety of sewing patterns before moving on to hardcover structures. Finally, you will create a modified version of the Bradel binding using a stub at the spine. This will give your books an elegant rounded spine, which will be covered in leather and sided up with decorative paper. All of these structures allow the book to lay flat and are perfect for chapbooks, presentation pamphlets or short stories.
For more information or to register, please visit the Maine Media website.
*** In July, the Wells College Book Arts Center is offering its Summer Institute, two week-long intensive courses in letterpress printing, hand bookbinding, artist’s books, lettering arts and font design. Week 1 runs from July 14 – 20 and Week 2 runs from July 21 – 27.
This year’s instructors include Radha Pandey, Stephanie Carpenter, and Nancy Callahan. Wells College is located in Aurora, NY.
Registration is open now. Please send any inquiries to bookartscenter@wells.edu.
*** The third annual Artist Book Intensive will be held at 26 Split Rock Cove in South Thomaston, ME from August 2 – 4, 2019. The event is sponsored by Midcoast Book Arts and will offer five workshops.
As book artists, we work with structure and content, as well as choice of materials. In the 2019 Artist Book Intensive we will focus on three structures that can yield sculptural possibilities that influence both materials and content. We are excited about introducing some new ideas and techniques to all of you. All skill levels welcome!
For more information, please visit the Artist Book Intensive website.
by Elissa | May 2, 2019 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 8, 2019, 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: Artist Talk with Elizabeth Bunsen
Please join us for the opportunity to meet celebrated artist Elizabeth Bunsen, winner of the 2018 Barbara Smail Award. Elizabeth will share notes on her artistic practice and life, and show us examples of her work in book form.
Elizabeth begins each morning with a creative practice, somewhat like journaling, but more like ‘messing around’ with whatever elements catch her eye. She says “Morning practice is optimally a daily practice (like yoga) of creating a meditative environment – an oasis of peace, clarity and intention…sinking (relaxing) into the sensual moment and the timelessness of play resulting in a mandala-like assemblage that can be documented…”
She works with found materials, natural dyes, stitching, and any number of techniques to create unique assemblages and books. Her training as a painter shows in her use and combination of color, and her interest in manipulating materials through dying, staining, and rusting results in magic.
Come share some magic. In the meantime, visit her website and Instagram posts, and her show, Pivonkarose, at Burlington City Arts on Church Street until May 4th.
April Meeting Reflections
At our April meeting, Sally Blanchard-O’Brien introduced us to many techniques for including stitchery in our work. Some of the explorations she showed us included stitchery as an addition to an image, or to create the image itself, as well as to finish the edges of the book in a new way.
She also touched on stitching as not only a structural element in book making, but as a way to enhance the design of the book itself. Whether you are new to hand stitching or an accomplished seamstress, we all benefited from Sally’s lively presentation.
Thanks to everyone who attended (many new faces!), and thanks to Sally for providing us with new ideas, and for sharing her book making story.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** The board of the Book Arts Guild of Vermont sadly bids a fond farewell to one of our fearless leaders, Jill Abilock, who has been acting as co-chair for the past six years. She also worked tirelessly planning programs for our monthly meetings.
Jill will continue attending meetings as a member, so we’ll still get to see her smiling face. If you haven’t yet had the chance to thank her for her hard work, please pat her on the back at the next meeting you attend.
Thanks for everything Jill!
*** Bound to Happen – B.A.G.’s annual exhibition
Our annual book arts show will be hosted by the S.P.A.C.E. Gallery in Burlington, VT. We are excited to be in a wonderful space in Burlington from June 7 – 29! The title for the show is Bound to Happen, and it’s open to any interpretation from the artists.
Here are some important dates:
- Entry due date: May 31, 2019. No Entries will be accepted after this date. Artists are encouraged to bring work and appropriate paperwork to the May 8th BAG meeting. If you can’t attend, or if you’re not quite ready, please email Marcia.
- Exhibit dates: June 7 – 29, 2019
- Opening reception: June 7, 2019, 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. The reception coincides with First Friday, a popular event in the South End.
- Artist’s Talk: Work will be returned to the artist at the July 10th B.A.G. meeting, at which time we will share our work.
Information for entry:
- Entry paperwork can be downloaded here.
- Entry fee will be $10.00 for up to 3 pieces.
- Work must be ready to hang or display. If you have display instructions, please include them with your entry.
- Work must have identification somewhere on the piece.
- The gallery commission is 40%, so please price accordingly.
- Also, if you have photographs of your work, please email them to Marcia if you want them to possibly be included in marketing materials.
Have questions? Please ask Marcia.
*** Post-Meeting Postcard Exchange: Use What We’ve Learned
With the end of our multi-month presentations about imagery, let’s close with a collaborative project to celebrate. We invite you to create 6 postcards to swap, and 1 to keep for yourself. They can all be the same or all different, as long as they are 4″ x 6″. Some ideas might be to pick a theme like shoes, birds, or a quote, and play around with ways of adding the imagery. Any medium can be used – take inspiration from the huge amount of techniques we have learned!
At the July meeting, we will exchange postcards with 6 others. With these original artworks, participants will create a book structure to hold the cards, and share their creation at the September meeting. Plenty of time to complete the challenge!
Here’s a recap:
- July meeting: Participants bring 6 original postcards, 4″x6″, in any medium to swap. Participants leave with 6 different postcards to collect in a book structure.
- September meeting: Participants present their book structures, and we are amazed.
Let’s start making!
*** Show us what you’re working on!
As we continue with meetings that teach us more about image making the idea of sharing what we’ve learned has emerged. At each meeting we learn some skill and then go away and often explore that skill on our own. No one gets to see this private work.
Now we would like to invite participants to share their explorations into collage and mark making and stitching and whatever else strikes your fancy. We encourage everyone to bring in something you’ve been working on/experimenting with to share with others.
This is to be a very informal activity and outside the agenda of the meeting since it is so hard to accomplish everything in the two hours as it is. Works can just be put out in a designated place to provide an opportunity for informal conversation. The room is available to us beginning at 6:00 p.m. so between 6:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., we can use the space for free time or for sharing.
B.A.G. Member News
*** Penne Tompkins has work featured in The Art of Calligraphy, exhibit open through May 29th at the Gallery at the VAULT in Springfield, VT.
The exhibit includes an amazing display of artwork created by five of Vermont’s finest calligraphers. This is an opportunity to be inspired by their wonderfully diverse styles, each reflecting the artist’s love of words enhanced by their own unique art forms.
The gallery is open on Mondays from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and Wednesday – Saturday from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. For more information please email galleryvault@vermontel.net or call (802) 885-7111.
*** On May 25 & 26 (Memorial Day Weekend), the statewide Open Studio Weekend is offering a wonderful selection of book and paper arts studios for you to visit.
If you’re up for a tour, you can find members of your tribe in the following locations:
Elissa created a Google Map with all of the locations to help you with your tour.
Copies of the the 2019 Spring Event & Resource Guide will be available at the May B.A.G. meeting. Maps and directions to studios are also available on the VT Crafts Council website.
Book Arts News
*** The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers is looking for volunteers to teach simple bookbinding techniques and creative content at an upcoming Girl Scout event. Through this event, NEGBW volunteers will be helping Cadettes earn their Book Artist badge and potentially inspire future bookbinders.
The event will be held on Sunday May 19, 2019 at Camp Cedar Hill in Waltham, MA. There will be two sessions – 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. & 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
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.
*** ArtisTree Gallery is accepting submissions for their 9th annual juried exhibit, UNBOUND: VOL IX. The theme of the show is simple – art using books as a material or a format. Visitors will have an opportunity to examine curious folios, recent grimoires, tomes turned to sculpture and some works having a relation to “books” in concept only.
This call for submissions is open to all 2D, 3D, installation, assemblage, film and video artists who are working in New England or New York 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 June 28, 2019. All submissions must be made through their online entry form.
For more information, please read the online exhibit prospectus. You can also contact Gallery Director Adrian Tans at gallery@artistreevt.org.
Book Arts Classes
*** Maine Media Workshops + College is offering Single Signature Variations with Erin Fletcher from June 23 – 29, 2019.
Books come in all shapes and sizes. Some may span only a single signature, while others become a thick tome. In this workshop, you’ll explore the former as you create a multitude of models with both soft and hardcovers.
Students will begin this workshop by making a series of simple softcover pamphlets using a variety of sewing patterns before moving on to hardcover structures. Finally, you will create a modified version of the Bradel binding using a stub at the spine. This will give your books an elegant rounded spine, which will be covered in leather and sided up with decorative paper. All of these structures allow the book to lay flat and are perfect for chapbooks, presentation pamphlets or short stories.
For more information or to register, please visit the Maine Media website.
*** The third annual Artist Book Intensive will be held at 26 Split Rock Cove in South Thomaston, ME from August 2 – 4, 2019. The event is sponsored by Midcoast Book Arts and will offer five workshops.
As book artists, we work with structure and content, as well as choice of materials. In the 2019 Artist Book Intensive we will focus on three structures that can yield sculptural possibilities that influence both materials and content. We are excited about introducing some new ideas and techniques to all of you. All skill levels welcome!
For more information, please visit the Artist Book Intensive website.
by Elissa | Apr 5, 2019 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, April 10, 2019, 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: Imagery for Books Part 3 – Decorative Stitchery with Sally Blanchard-O’Brien
In our April meeting, we will delve into a novel method for adding imagery and visual appeal to books – stitchery!
Sally Blanchard-O’Brien will lead us in an exciting exploration of the many different ways that stitching can be used as a structural element in bookmaking, as well as a decorative design element. The meeting will introduce us to a wide variety of ideas, with time to try a few different techniques.
Please bring the following:
- Sewing needles (a couple of different sizes to accommodate different types of thread)
- Thread (embroidery floss, if you have it)
- Paper piercing device (needle tool or awl if you have one, or you can just use a needle)
- Cutting mat or pad for piercing
- Ephemera, collage materials or decorative/interesting paper (optional)
We’ll also have some time to share, so please bring any books you’ve made that feature stitchery as a decorative element. The stitching can be ornamental (e.g., on the pages or covers as decoration) or structural (e.g., Keith Smith’s centipede binding or fancy Japanese stab bindings).
March Meeting Reflections
We thought we had dodged the snow, until we opened the door after the meeting – surprise! Hope everyone got home safely.
Our March meeting, Mark-Making, was another episode in Imagery for Books, our multi-month focus. Marilyn Gillis shared her story of how mark-making became a central part of her work. While explaining many different techniques and materials for making your own marks, she shared many beautiful pieces she has created using them.
For the hands-on portion of the meeting, Marilyn set up different stations with her favorite techniques and let us all try them out. Clearly, fun was had by all! There was lots of collaboration and experimenting going on with straws, pipe cleaners, and wax, just to name a few.
A big thanks to Marilyn for an exciting evening, and thanks to everyone for coming and participating!
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** Bound to Happen – B.A.G.’s annual exhibition
Our annual book arts show will be hosted by the S.P.A.C.E. Gallery in Burlington, VT. We are excited to be in a wonderful space in Burlington from June 7 – 29! The title for the show is Bound to Happen, and it’s open to any interpretation from the artists.
Here are some important dates:
- Entry due date: May 31, 2019 No Entries will be accepted after this date. Artists are encouraged to bring work and appropriate paperwork to the May 8th BAG meeting.
- Exhibit dates: June 7 – 29, 2019
- Opening reception: June 7, 2019, 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. The reception coincides with First Friday, a popular event in the South End.
- Artist’s Talk: Work will be returned to the artist at the July 10th B.A.G. meeting, at which time we will share our work.
Information for entry:
- Entry paperwork can be downloaded here.
- Entry fee will be $10.00 for up to 3 pieces.
- Work must be ready to hang or display. If you have display instructions, please include them with your entry.
- Work must have identification somewhere on the piece.
- The gallery commission is 40%, so please price accordingly.
Have questions? Please ask Marcia.
*** Post-Meeting Postcard Exchange: Use What We’ve Learned
With the end of our multi-month presentations about imagery, let’s close with a collaborative project to celebrate. We invite you to create 6 postcards to swap, and 1 to keep for yourself. They can all be the same or all different, as long as they are 4″ x 6″. Some ideas might be to pick a theme like shoes, birds, or a quote, and play around with ways of adding the imagery. Any medium can be used – take inspiration from the huge amount of techniques we have learned!
At the July meeting, we will exchange postcards with 6 others. With these original artworks, participants will create a book structure to hold the cards, and share their creation at the September meeting. Plenty of time to complete the challenge!
Here’s a recap:
- April meeting: Introduction to the Postcard Exchange project. Presentation of examples of structures to house postcards, so you can get thinking.
- July meeting: Participants bring 6 original postcards, 4″x6″, in any medium to swap. Participants leave with 6 different postcards to collect in a book structure.
- September meeting: Participants present their book structures, and we are amazed.
Let’s start making!
*** Show us what you’re working on!
As we continue with meetings that teach us more about image making the idea of sharing what we’ve learned has emerged. At each meeting we learn some skill and then go away and often explore that skill on our own. No one gets to see this private work.
Now we would like to invite participants to share their explorations into collage and mark making and stitching and whatever else strikes your fancy. We encourage everyone to bring in something you’ve been working on/experimenting with to share with others.
This is to be a very informal activity and outside the agenda of the meeting since it is so hard to accomplish everything in the two hours as it is. Works can just be put out in a designated place to provide an opportunity for informal conversation. The room is available to us beginning at 6:00 p.m. so between 6:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., we can use the space for free time or for sharing.
B.A.G. Member News
*** Penne Tompkins has work featured in The Art of Calligraphy, exhibit open through May 29th at the Gallery at the VAULT in Springfield, VT.
The exhibit includes an amazing display of artwork created by five of Vermont’s finest calligraphers. This is an opportunity to be inspired by their wonderfully diverse styles, each reflecting the artist’s love of words enhanced by their own unique art forms.
The gallery is open on Mondays from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and Wednesday – Saturday from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. For more information please email galleryvault@vermontel.net or call (802) 885-7111.
*** The international art magazine, Ceramics Art + Perception, issue #111 has published an interview on B.A.G. member Nina Gaby’s 3-dimensional memoir work in mixed-media: Ways to Tell a Story.
Congrats to Nina for the wonderful feature! Be sure to check out the article online.
*** Calling all poets and writers of all ages and experience and those who love combining words and art!
B.A.G. member and The Poartry Project founder, JC Wayne, is launching a new bi-monthly art-inspired inclusive community poetry reading series. Each reading centers on each new art exhibit at Flynndog Gallery at Burlington’s South End Station. Poets and writers are invited to visit the exhibit and write and submit a 1-page original poem or prose piece inspired by the art on display.
The first reading of work inspired by the paintings of Roger Coleman and the photography of Peter Curtis is Saturday, April 27th, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. with food and drink available for purchase from Nomad Coffee before and during the reading.
Please visit the Poartry website for important writing process details/submission guidelines. The submission deadline is April 11, 2019. If you have questions, please contact JC. For those interested in participating but may need more time, deadline extensions are available. Please encourage kids in your life of all ages to participate!
*** Elissa Campbell is teaching the Phabulous Photo Album at the Bayside Activity Center in Colchester, VT on April 18th from 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
In this workshop, you will learn how to create an elegant hard-cover photo album using bookcloth and handmade paper – this is a wonderful keepsake that can hold 4” x 6” photos from your recent vacation or family holiday gathering.
Each participant will leave class with a completed photo album and a basic knowledge of bookbinding technique. You will receive a detailed handout and resource list for all materials we use.
No previous experience required – this is a great class for a beginner. You can even bring in your own cover materials to customize your book. All tools and materials will be provided.
Registration is available online. You can also download a pdf of the registration form and mail it in with your payment.
Book Arts News
*** The University of Southern Maine‘s 7th annual Book Arts Bazaar will be held on Sunday, April 7th from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the Wishcamper Center on the school’s Portland campus.
This festival with book artists, papermakers, bookbinders, printmakers, educators, and writers is dedicated to all things related to the book. The free event is sponsored by USM’s Kate Cheney Chappell ’83 Center for Book Arts.
Carolyn Shattuck will have an exhibitor table with her artists books, so be sure to stop by and say hi!
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Rebecca Goodale.
*** On April 12th, the Book Arts Workshop at Dartmouth College is hosting the Stephen Harvard Memorial Lecture and Symposium, Touch Your Words: Teaching Indigenous Languages Through Making.
The recent purchase of metal type in the Cherokee Syllabary has prompted new interest in the Book Arts Workshop at Dartmouth College Library. With the Cherokee type and other printing and binding activity, faculty in Native American Studies, Anthropology, Linguistics, and Environmental Studies have integrated book-making projects into their courses, giving students hands-on exposure and practice in the study of indigenous languages. Over the past year, a number of students and faculty have engaged in applied learning in language revitalization with the Book Arts Workshop.
The lecture and symposium seek to bring together makers of all kinds (students, scholars, librarians, writers, artists, and printers) to exchange their experiences and knowledge in tactile learning and explore new possibilities.
Schedule of events:
- 9:30 a.m. 11:30 a.m.: Open house style workshop in the Book Arts Workshop
- 1:00 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.: Speakers in Haldeman 41
- 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.: Reception in Haldeman
Dartmouth is located in Hanover, NH. For more information, please visit the Dartmouth Library website.
*** The Museum of Printing is having a letterpress sale on April 13th from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The Museum is dedicated to preserving the rich history of the graphic arts, printing and typesetting technology, and printing craftsmanship.
Tabletop and floor presses, type, type cabinets, borders and ornaments, furniture and reglet cabinets, and all sorts of good letterpress stuff will be available.
The Museum of Printing is located at 15 Thornton Avenue in Haverill, MA.
*** Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr. will be in residence on the Wells College campus conducting a week-long series of events co-sponsored by The Wells Book Arts Center, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the String Room Gallery and the Wells College Scholar-In-Residence program.
Visual Noise features poster prints by acclaimed letterpress printer and book artist Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr. Renowned for his bold use of typography and renegade letterpress technique, Kennedy has built a forceful, witty, and subversive creative practice centered on calling attention to past and present experiences of race, labor, art, and printing. While his work is widely exhibited and held in collections, he ensures access to his posters by selling them at affordable prices. Visual Noise will culminate with a Cash & Carry event, with all posters available for purchase.
All are welcome to join Kennedy at the following public events during his residency:
- Open Printing Drop-In Session: April 15, 3:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at Morgan Hall
- Open Printing Drop-In Session: April 16, 3:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at Morgan Hall
- Tea Time with Amos: April 17, 3:00 p.m. at Zabriskie Hall, Room 306
- Documentary Film Screening, Proceed and Be Bold: April 17, 7:00 p.m. at Stratton Hall, Room 209
- Artist Talk, Talkin’ Loud and Sayin’ Nothin‘: April 18, 6:00 p.m. at Stratton Hall, Room 209
- Closing Reception and Cash & Carry, Visual Noise: April 19, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the String Room Gallery
Wells College is in Aurora, NY.
*** The New England Guild of Book Workers is presenting a lecture with Bay Area based bookbinder John DeMerritt at the North Bennet Street School on April 18 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – Building a Living Craft.
John will give a talk based on the editions of books, boxes and housings he creates for artists, galleries, fine art publishers and institutions. He will discuss how he has developed his studio practice and his origins as an Edition Binder.
Much of John’s recent commissioned work has been to create housings for digital media Art Projects. This has propelled him into new areas of edition binding that require him to embrace new technologies and expand the traditional role of the binder in terms of ‘book’ work. Using these new projects as a platform, John will discuss how working with new media and formats has simultaneously transformed his studio practice and reinforced its traditional origins.
The lecture is free and open to the public. No RSVP is required. The North Bennet Street School is in Boston, MA.
Book Arts Classes
*** On June 8 & 9, the North Bennet Street School is offering Bookbinding 101 with Amy Lapidow.
In this class, students will get a quick introduction to various bookbinding techniques by exploring three different book structures. The class begins with a simple pamphlet and continues with constructing two multi-signature books known as a flatback case binding and link stitch binding. Finally, students construct a box to house all of their creations.
This class is a great way to familiarize yourself with bookbinding and is perfect for those who are curious about the craft. All tools and supplies are provided for this class.
For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
*** On Sunday, June 9th, The Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, MA is offering Celebration Accordion Books with Susan Porter.
Using an accordion book form, make a festive book full of surprises, packing it full of words, letters, tiny booklets, pockets, windows, beads and a range of other materials to give meaning to your celebratory wishes. Develop a concept, decide on your palette, chose a theme or occasion, then dive into a wealth of ingredients to build your book. Leave with a dramatic one-of-a-kind gift, or meaningful object to keep yourself.
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
