by Elissa | Jan 8, 2021 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, January 13, 2021, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
This month’s meeting will once again be held via Zoom, an online conference program. If you’ve never attended a Zoom meeting before, check out this video – it will go over the basics of how to join a meeting.
Stay safe!
The B.A.G. Board
Program: Winter Mail Art Swap sharing and Mennonite Foldnote activity
With seventeen B.A.G. members participating in our Winter Mail Art Swap, our January 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.
And if that weren’t enough, we’re also going to have a hands-on project! Debra Kraemer will lead us through the process of making a Mennonite Foldnote, from Creative Correspondence (2003) by Michael and Judy Jacobs.
It was supposedly designed by Mennonites to eliminate the cost of an envelope. While having thrifty motives, this simple, clever foldnote requires no measuring or cutting.
Here’s what you’ll need to participate:
- 1 sheet of 8.5″ x 11″ text weight or slightly heavier paper – plain or decorated on one side
- Ruler
- Bone folder
If you plan to attend the meeting, please contact Elissa so she can send you the Zoom meeting details.
December Meeting Reflections
December’s meeting brought the promise of light to our world with Luminaries. Ann, Penne, and Becky shed light on 3 structures and their variations that can be illuminated with a tea candle (not a real candle, folks) to brighten our winter table.
Now that the solstice has arrived, we look forward to increasing daylight and the hope that we will be sharing our table together in the future.
Thanks to everyone for participating, and special thanks to our presenters for lighting the way.
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.
*** Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT is hosting Consider the Book from January 26 – March 6, in the second floor gallery.
This group show highlights the joy and diversity of book arts, featuring work from the Book Lab artists group, whose members use the book form as a means of artistic expression.
Participating artists include B.A.G. members Carolyn Shattuck, Penne Tompkins, Vera Ryersbach, Dorsey Hogg, Marcia Vogler, Ann Joppe-Mercure, Rebecca Boardman, Debra Kraemer, Marilyn Gillis, Elissa Campbell, and Judy Sgantas.
Book Arts News
*** In conjunction with the New England Chapter of The Guild of Book Workers 40th Anniversary Exhibition, the University of Southern Maine is hosting a gallery talk, A Wider Purpose: Maker Talk with Members of the Guild of Book Workers, New England Chapter on February 3rd, from 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
The exhibition features works by 30 artists, some of which were completed as early as 2004, and one of which remains in progress. Exhibitor and GBW Board Member Jennifer Pellecchia will discuss some of the challenges and advantages of moving the exhibition online. Katrina Carye, Colin Urbina, and Stephanie Wolff, will speak about the works they submitted, and the ways that current events have shaped their creative lives.
Click here to register.
*** From February 18 – 20, Book Paper Thread is hosting a free virtual conference, Form & Function From Afar, featuring presentations and demonstrations in bookbinding, book conservation, surface design, letterpress printing, and more. The roster of speakers includes Todd Pattison, Nancy Jacobi, Shawn Sheehy, Georgia Deal, and Gina Pisello.
There will be three presentations scheduled each day at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 7:30 pm Eastern Time. The presentations will be live via Zoom, with recordings available on the conference website to registered participants.
The conference website will also be hosing a virtual tips and tricks sessions, where participants can share their favorite technique, tool, or tip.
Click here to register.
*** From February 12 – May 9, the San Francisco Center for the Book is hosting the online exhibition Rising Together: an Exhibition of Zines, Artists’ Books and Prints with a Social Conscience. The show was juried by Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr., Chandler O’Leary, and Jessica Spring.
The work in Rising Together demonstrates how artist books give activism a visual voice, and can serve as powerful agents in effecting positive social change on issues encompassing social justice, power, politics, the environment and more. Rising Together showcases the potential of the book arts to engage – through messaging, through critique, through action – and to speak truth to power in an era when such truth is direly needed.
For more information, visit the SFCB website.
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering Book Biz with Karen Hanmer on January 20.
Join artist and fine binder Karen Hanmer as she shares an overview of her career and varied practice through the lens of running a business. Topics covered will include: networking; planning editioned work; pricing, exhibiting, and promoting that work; professional development; and the value of community.
For more information or to register visit the MCBA website.
*** The MCBA is also offering Roll-Up/Pop-Up Books with Shawn Sheehy on 4 Wednesdays from January 27 – February 17.
You have explored how-to books on making pop-ups. 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 virtual workshop will help you think through that problem by exploring nine different structures at four levels: foundational, transitional, transformational, and personal.
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. While all skill levels are welcome, pop-ups are technical and some basic experience may be helpful.
For more information or to register, visit the MCBA website.
*** The Center for Book Arts is offering Generative Measures: Research and Writing for Artist Books with Ellen Sheffield on February 1, 3, & 5.
This workshop will focus on non-traditional approaches to developing original content for artist’s books. A wide range of research tools will first be demonstrated to jump start ideas for projects. From these research seeds participants will respond to writing prompts and engage in experimental creative writing techniques to grow these ideas into prototypes for artist’s books.
Processes will be taught for getting text onto the pages of simple folded book structures including alternative mark making, transfers, rub-on type, stencils, rubber stamps and pressure printing.
This workshop is for visual artists who want to expand their writing skills and for writers who want to explore the artist book as a time-based medium and go beyond their usual writing practice.
For more information or to register, please visit the CBA website.
*** The San Francisco Center for the Book is offering Making Multiples: The Artist’s Book in an Edition online workshop with Matt Runkle on February 1, 8,15, & 22.
In the first of four sessions, we’ll look at an overview of artist’s books – books where form and content work together – discussing definitions, concepts, and numerous examples from the form’s history. We’ll also learn a simple book structure, which students will then develop into a “book sketch” as homework.
Students will share their book sketches in the second session. We’ll also begin talking about tools, materials, and techniques as we learn several book models and structures.
In the third session, we’ll continue to explore bookmaking techniques, as well as a couple low-tech printing techniques (stenciling, image transfers) that students can do at home. Students will be asked to make 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.
For more information or to register, visit the SFCB website.
by Elissa | Nov 5, 2020 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Member News, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, November 11, 2020, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
This month’s meeting will once again be held via Zoom, an online conference program. If you’ve never attended a Zoom meeting before, check out this video – it will go over the basics of how to join a meeting.
Stay safe!
The B.A.G. Board
Program: Book Blitz and Card Tricks
Join us for our always-popular annual November tradition: Member-led mini demonstrations in the form of a card or mini-book that we call Book Blitz and Card Tricks. Unfortunately, we’ll have our celebration of ideas without the hands-on making.
Your task – design a card or small/simple book structure that has a trick or two; maybe a pop-up, French doors or a window.
Here’s where we need YOU.
We are seeking volunteers to share a card or paper manipulation during our Zoom meeting. You will simply hold up your creation for us to see and demonstrate how you made your paper item. We can post follow up references on Chat if desired.
Please contact Ann if you are interested in sharing. The more members participate the richer our meeting will be.
If you plan to attend the meeting, please contact Elissa so she can send you the Zoom meeting details.
October Meeting Reflections
We’re getting good at Zooming!
The visit to UVM Silver Special Collections is one of my favorite meetings, and although we visited virtually, it was still a special treat. Special Collections Librarian Prudence Doherty gave us a peek into new acquisitions and books in the time of COVID-19, political upheaval, Black Lives Matter, and women’s experiences.
She pointed out how text and illustrations can be incorporated to make meaningful statements, and how structure can relate to the content and heighten the experience of viewing the book.
I want to hold all those books and cozy up with them, but unfortunately UVM has limited visitors to only staff and students for the time being. Until we can be together again, we will have to enjoy them remotely.
B.A.G. News
*** Winter Mail Art Challenge!
Our Summer Mail Art Challenge was such a success we are having an encore performance.
To participate:
- Join the challenge by emailing Ann by Wednesday November 18th.
- You will receive two participants’ names and address by November 23rd.
- Create two pieces of Mail Art and send them on their way by December 20th.
Note: Mail Art can be any sort of original envelope and/or card for creative connection….
We hope you’ll get in on the fun!
*** Elissa Campbell is teaching Find Closure at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT on November 14 (section 1) & 21 (section 2). This is a “small batch” class that limits enrollment to 3 or 4 students, providing appropriate social distancing for health safety.
Need that finishing touch for your journal? I’ve got you covered! Consider this class the equivalent of a Closure Dressy Bessy.
In each section of this class you’ll complete one soft cover, leather book with a different variation of the long stitch binding. Then comes the fun part – you’ll experiment with a variety of ways to secure those books (up to five closures per book, as time allows).
This class offers flexible learning – take one section or the other, or both! Each section offers a different binding and five different closures. In section one, you’ll explore ways to use sticks, leather, buttons, and cord. In section two, you’ll work with buttons, leather straps, magnets, and other metal hardware.
Bring your own embellishments (buttons, ribbons, etc.) that you’d like to use for closures – there will be time for discussion and problem-solving as a group.
Register online or contact Studio Place Arts at (802) 479-7069.
Book Arts News
*** On November 11th, the John J. Burns Library welcomes you to a special virtual tour of their exhibit Devoted Catholic & Determined Writer: Louise Imogen Guiney in Boston. The tour will be led by Burns Library conservator and exhibit curator Barbara Adams Hebard and Burns Librarian Christian Dupont.
Louise Imogen Guiney (1861-1920), one of only two women represented in stained-glass portraits of American authors in Bapst Library at Boston College, may have faded from the canon, yet she continues to offer a unique window into the multifaceted literary establishment of late 19th-century Boston.
Click here to register for the tour by November 9th.
*** The American Bookbinders Museum is currently hosting the online exhibit Bound for Beauty: Highlights from the Kathleen V. Roberts Collection of Decorated Publishers Bindings.
The Industrial Revolution of the 19th century made the mass-production of books possible. To promote sales, publishers produced beautifully decorated book covers known as decorated publishers’ bindings. Books were bound in colorful cloth and elaborately decorated with silver and gold, reflecting the tastes of the age.
Publishers’ use of color, style, and design was affected by social events including the Civil War, Japan’s opening to the west, and the employment of women as designers. Bindings in this exhibit reflect design influences from Victorian opulence to the Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco movements.
Click here to view the exhibit.
*** The American Bookbinders Museum is also hosting the online exhibit Celebrating the 19th Amendment: Suffragists in Print.
From Abigail Adams to Zitkála-Šá, suffragists put their sentiments into print, stating their point of view and making the arguments that eventually won them the vote. Formally organizing in the 1840s, suffrage was achieved state-by-state, with national ratification in 1920. This centennial exhibit of women writers, editors and publishers celebrates their decades of activism.
Click here to view the exhibit.
*** Tumultuous Absence, the 26th annual New Jersey Book Arts Symposium will be held online on November 5 – 6 and 12 – 13.
The symposium features speakers, panels, exhibits, artist in residence, and a chance to interact with other book artists. There will be live streamed and pre-recorded presentations, virtual studio tours, demonstrations, a virtual exhibit, and do-at-home workshops.
The event is free (including the workshops!), but you have to register to attend.
Click here to view the program, which includes a schedule of all events.
*** The Los Angeles Printers Fair, a celebration of printing, paper, and book arts is currently taking place virtually throughout the month of November.
The fair brings together thousands of visitors and over 60 vendors and practitioners of letterpress and the book arts. It is a unique gathering of graphic artists, hobbyists, print history enthusiasts and appreciators of great art.
The 2020 Virtual Los Angeles Printers Fair, while not in person, hopes to offer that same community feel, learning opportunities, and great shopping selections to stock up on prints, cards, letterpress supplies, and printing presses.
Visitors will be rewarded with daily special treats such as videos, tours, hands-on at home tutorials, printable keepsakes, vendor spotlights, special sales, weekly raffles, shopping guides, and more!
To discover everything they have in store, visit the fair website and sign up for daily or weekly e-mails notifying you of the new releases.
*** A documentary about the book arts is now available for streaming on PBS. The Book Makers profiles an eclectic group of people who have dedicated their lives to answering the question: what should books become in the digital age?
From the esoteric world of book artists to the digital library of the Internet Archive, the film spins a tale of the enduring vitality of the book.
Click here to watch the film.
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The San Francisco Center for the Book is offering From Magic Wallet to Jacob’s Ladder with Bettina Pauly on November 11 & 18.
The Magic Wallet is an oddity related to a möbius strip. The Jacob’s Ladder is a toy that is also known as ‘magic tablets’, ‘Chinese blocks’ or a ‘klick-klack toy’. It normally consists of wooden blocks held together by strings or ribbon; when the ladder is held on one end, blocks appear to cascade down the strings, and when made out of wood making a ‘klick-klack’ sound.
We will be making this structure using book board instead of wood – quieter, but still fun! In the first session, students will make a Magic Wallet; in the second session they will build on that understanding to create a Jacob’s Ladder.
For more information or to register, visit the SFCB website.
*** On November 19th, the Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering Mechanical Cards: Holiday Edition with Shawn Sheehy.
Stir a little whimsy into your holiday by creating a festive and gift-worthy set of movable, mechanical cards. Each card features a traditional movable structure that’s been adapted to accommodate the heaviness of cereal box chipboard.
You’ll build a simple wheel, a simple pull tab, and a wheel/pull tab combination. All you’ll need – aside from the cereal boxes – is scrap paper, glue, some simple tools, and your imagination!
For more information or to register, visit the MCBA website.
*** The Center for Book Arts is offering Artist Books: From Idea to Execution with Elizabeth Castaldo on Tuesdays from November 17 – December 8 (four Tuesdays).
In this workshop series, students will be introduced to the artist’s book creation process. Starting from idea and working toward execution, students will develop strategies for brainstorming and working with sequential and image-based content, bridging the gap between concept, material, process, form, and finished work of art.
Students will learn to make three book structures, accordion, pamphlet, and drum leaf binding, and then create their own one-of-a-kind artist’s book. This class is ideal for artists who want an introduction into the world of artist’s books or for those curious about artistic expression with the book form.
For more information or to register, please visit the CBA website.
by Elissa | Aug 7, 2019 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, August 14, 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: Developing Your Personal Writing Style, Part 1
Meta Strick, along with the assistance of Penne Tompkins, will lead you through some straightforward exercises to reveal your handwriting patterns and how to make them more uniform. The goal is to help you become comfortable with the idea and practice of using your own hand lettering in your books or any art projects.
It’s a low stress, fun approach that we hope will be useful to all!
Please bring the following:
- Pencil and eraser
- Pens and markers
- Lined sheets of paper
- Ruler
July Meeting Reflections
The postcard challenge has really brought out some great and diverse talent. Using the new skills acquired over the last few months of programs, participants went wild with the small format, producing postcards to share and swap. It was a swapping frenzy at the meeting. Now, looking forward to September, I can’t wait to see what you do with them!
The artists’ talk with work from the recent S.P.A.C.E. exhibit gave everyone a chance not only to learn more about each other as artists, but also to talk about purpose, inspiration and method in general. Thanks to everyone for participating, listening, and inspiring.
You are all wonderful. You are my people.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** Nancy Stone’s watercolor postcards are now in a published book that documents the 2.5 year adventure she shared with her husband as they visited each of Vermont’s 251 towns. Originally begun as a book arts project with original paintings and journal entries, the idea of publishing the artwork resulted from many friends requesting a book.
On Wednesday, August 21st, the Williston library is sponsoring a celebration of Vermont’s 251 Club to be held off-site at the Williston Central School auditorium. From 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Nancy’s postcards will be on display as an installation and the book will be available for sale. At 7:00 p.m., Mike Leonard will screen his film One Town At A Time followed by Q & A. The documentary features diverse voices from members of the 251 Club highlighting the spirit that makes each town uniquely Vermont.
Completion of Mike and Nancy’s personal creative projects happened to coincide with the 65th anniversary of the Vermont 251 Club. Begun in 1954, the club has over 6,000 members including residents as well as visitors.
*** Carolyn Shattuck has a retrospective show, Into My Space, open now through September 7th at Compass Music and Arts Center. The exhibit covers the 30+ years of her career as an artist. Work on display ranges from paintings to prints, collages to handmade books, and small to large works.
Compass Music and Arts Center is located at 333 Jones Drive in Brandon, VT.
*** Elissa Campbell is teaching another installment of Find Closure at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT on August 19 & 20.
Consider this workshop the equivalent of a Closure Dressy Bessy. First you’ll complete a soft cover, leather book using a variation of the long stitch binding. Then comes the fun part – you’ll experiment with a variety of ways to secure those books. You’ll explore ways to use buttons, leather straps, and metal hardware to create up to 5 closures per book (as time allows).
Bring your own embellishments (buttons, ribbons, etc.) that you’d like to use for closures – there will be time for discussion and problem-solving as a group.You’ll leave this workshop with one book measuring 9.5″ x 6.5″, along with a detailed handout and resource list for all materials used.
Register online or contact Studio Place Arts at (802) 479-7069.
Book Arts News
*** The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers is holding its annual meeting on Saturday, August 10th at Cottage Street Studios in Easthampton, MA. Non-members are welcome to attend.
Here’s the event schedule:
- 12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.: Traditional Water Gilding demo on a parchment panel with Sarah Pringle of Cinch Custom Finishes
- 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.: NEGBW Annual meeting with light refreshments at Praxis Bindery (Room 4-24)
- 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.: Cottage Street Studios Open House and Tag Sale with:
- Peter Geraty of Praxis Bindery (Room 4-24)
- Sarah Creighton and Sarah Pringle (#42)
- Carol Blinn of Warwick Press (#36)
- Daniel Kelm (#5)
There will be some small demos and lots of bindery equipment and materials for sale.
Cottage Street Studios is located at One Cottage Street. Please email newenglandgbw@gmail.com if you plan to attend.
*** UNBOUND IX, a juried book arts show at Artistree Gallery in South Pomfret, VT is open now through August 24th.
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.
Several B.A.G. members have work in the exhibit, so sure to stop by!
*** Kolaj Magazine and ARCMTL seek collage artists who make books as part of their broader practice to present their book-centered projects as part of a symposium on the subject of collage and the book. The full-day symposium will take place on October 4th in Montreal.
In addition to making a brief presentation, book projects will be profiled in a special publication that will accompany the symposium. The deadline for submissions is August 31st.
For more information, please check out the call to artists.
*** In conjunction with the symposium, ARCMTL is hosting VOLUME 2 MTL: Art and the Book, Montreal’s annual conference and fair devoted to art publishing and artists’ books. The conference takes place from October 1 – 6, while the fair will be held on October 5 – 6.
VOLUME 2 MTL presents works and programming in both English and French, including artists and publishers from all over Canada, the U.S. and elsewhere.
For more information, please visit the VOLUME 2 MTL website.
Book Arts Classes
*** Maine Media Workshops + College is offering Letterpress Projects for Books with Richard Reitz Smith from August 25 – 31.
The idea of letterpressing content for your artist book can be overwhelming – the decisions are endless and the stakes are high. This project oriented course is designed to provide mentorship that will help you tackle all the details with confidence.
Each student will create a production plan and begin by cutting down their paper and making polymer plates or setting type. On the press, you’ll learn how to arrange your content and align your paper, then run test prints and finally move into production. We will have guest book artists throughout the week present work and offer tips and advice on book making.
In addition to the printed output of this course, students will leave with a better understanding of how to convert images and type into letterpress books and how to develop an efficient workflow when tackling a letterpress edition.
Click here to register. Maine Media Workshops + College is located in Rockport, ME.
*** The North Bennet Street School in Boston is offering Secret Belgian Binding – Three Ways with Erin Fletcher on September 14 & 15. The Secret Belgian binding can be constructed quickly with few tools and virtually no equipment. It opens flat and works best with thinner text blocks.
This workshop explores the Secret Belgian structure and ways to modify it. On day one, students put together two variations of this non-adhesive structure: one with exposed stitches and one with hidden stitches. On day two, students explore modified versions of the Secret Belgian binding developed by book artist, Anne Goy by playing with the length of stitching and incorporating Tyvek.
For more information, please visit the NBSS website.
*** On Sunday, September 22nd, The Eliot School of Fine & Applied Arts in Boston is offering Star Books with Cristina Hajosy.
A handmade star book can be presented as an artist’s book or as a hanging ornament. Excite viewers with the visual movement and performative qualities of this unusual book structure. Learn basic bookmaking techniques and experiment with hand-marbled papers, mixed media and collage scraps to customize your books.
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
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.
