by Elissa | Jul 6, 2018 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, July 11, 2018, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 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: Gallery Talk meets Show and Tell – Prepare to be Inspired!
Pats on the back and hugs all around – the Book Arts Guild just concluded two amazing exhibitions of members’ work. Both shows (at Studio Place Arts in Barre and at Frog Hollow Craft Gallery in Burlington) feature pieces that intrigued and delighted viewers.
Please join us in July as we explore together the wonderful pieces that appeared in both shows. Contributing artists are invited to talk about the pieces that were displayed, sharing their inspirations, their aspirations and their processes.
Expect to take home new ideas and an invigorated appreciation of the creative process.
Things to bring:
- Curiosity
- A sense of adventure!
June Meeting Reflections
In June, Jill Abilock took us on a two-hour hands-on adventure into the world of Coptic bindings, a stitch dating back to the 2nd century AD.
She guided us through the steps of a method that is her own personal twist on both the binding and cover attachment: her method requires punching fewer holes in the cover, has no thread lines on the inside of the cover that might mar the first or last pages of the book, and delightfully incorporates embellishments as an intrinsic part of the binding.
Jill brought in samples of her own work, which were both elegant and inventive, incorporating unusual materials like wire, fancy paper clips and beads. She provided upcycled materials cut to size from discarded library books for everyone to use to create their own mini artist journal, and templates to take home should they want to make another one.
Thanks to everyone who came to the meeting and even more to Jill for sharing her talents!
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** We’re so sad that both B.A.G. exhibits are over now, but we can always dream about next year!
All pieces that were shown in both the Frog Hollow and SPA exhibits will be at the July meeting for pickup…unless you sold them, in which case – good for you!
* If you are unable to pick up your work at the meeting, please contact Marcia to make alternative arrangements.
For those of you who missed our exhibits, don’t worry! You can view images of all of the pieces in both the SPA exhibit and the Frog Hollow exhibit on the B.A.G. blog.
Book Arts News
*** ArtisTree Gallery‘s 8th annual juried exhibit, UNBOUND: VOL VIII, will open on July 27th and run through August 25, 2018. This exhibit is opening in conjunction with the kick off of the 10th annual Bookstock Literary Festival in Woodstock, VT.
The broad theme of UNBOUND: VOL VIII encompasses all of the possibilities of what we may think or may not think a “book” is. Is it story? An entry to another world? An exploration? What does it indicate? This juried show looks to explore this idea of “the book” and all the ways artists use that format as a stepping-off point or as material to explore new ideas.
An opening reception will be held on Friday July 27th, from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
For more information, please send an email to gallery@artistreevt.org or visit the ArtisTree Gallery’s website.
*** Now through July 22nd, Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord has fourteen of her Spirit Books on exhibition in the Hunnewell Building Visitors center at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.
The Spirit Books connect my experience of the inherent spirituality and mystery of nature with the long-standing tradition of books as testaments of faith and belief. I gather twigs, branches, vines, and roots and use them to cradle stitched wordless books made of handmade papers from around the world.
The Arnold Arboretum is located at 125 Arborway in Boston, MA (Google map). For more information, please visit The Harvard Gazette’s website.
*** From June 11 – October 1, 2018, the John J. Burns Library at Boston College is hosting the exhibit Dreams of Art & Glory: Book Arts by the Roycrofters.
Roycroft, a reformist community of craftspeople and artists, was created by Elbert Hubbard in 1895, in the village of East Aurora, NY. The artisans who worked there were known as Roycrofters. When Hubbard was unable to find a publisher for his book Little Journeys, he set up a private press to print the book himself, founding Roycroft Press.
His championing of the Arts and Crafts philosophy of work attracted many craftspeople to East Aurora, and he formed a community of printers, furniture makers, metalsmiths, leathersmiths, and bookbinders.
The exhibition focuses on the printing and bookbindings executed by the Roycrofters, and includes an array spanning the modest *Little Journeys* pamphlet series, to beautifully printed and hand-decorated text-blocks, as well as books bound in stunning modelled leather bindings.
The John J. Burns Library is located at 140 Commonwealth Avenue in Chestnut Hill, MA.
*** Now through October 31st, artist Crystal Cawley has work on display in the Hat and Fragrance Textile Gallery at the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, VT.
Cawley merges materials and ideas ranging from collections of old greeting cards and puzzle pieces to discarded library books and worn household textiles, drawing our attention to objects that might otherwise be overlooked. Visitors will encounter more than two dozen works combining the artist’s interests in the form and history of clothing and the possibilities of paper and fabric sculpture with traditional handiwork like embroidery, spinning, and letterpress printing.
For more information, please visit the Shelburne Museum’s website.
Book Arts Classes
*** The second annual Artist Book Intensive will be held at 26 Split Rock Cove in South Thomaston, ME from August 3 – 5, 2018. The event is sponsored by Midcoast Book Arts.
What is an Artist Book? Do artist books require words? Or images? What about structure as a part of the content? Yes, yes, and yes. Because artists’ books are works of art that use the form of the book. They may be published in small editions, though they are often produced as one-of-a-kind objects. And their subject matter is as varied as any other art form.
Three book making structures and two decorative techniques for book covers and/or content in your books will be taught. All materials will be provided, along with a notebook containing the instructional information covered in the workshops and additional resources.
For more information, please visit the Artist Book Intensive website.
*** Maine Media Workshops + College is offering Pop-Ups for Miniature Books with Shawn Sheehy from August 12 to 18, 2018.
By definition, a miniature book cannot be more than three inches in length, width, or depth. Working within this small format, students will learn how to bring drama and excitement to their pop-up book by inserting impossibly large images into a small package. Students will use cardstock and simple hand tools to build and bind, using a pop-up specific technique, a variety of structures that move above, beyond, and behind the page. Students will have time to experiment with their own ideas and recieve engineering advice from the instructor.
No experience is necessary, but previous experience in fiber arts and/or paper craft will speed your progress. This content readily accommodates beginners and advanced makers alike. You will leave the class with a completed popup book and a good understanding of the basics of popup engineering. Once you’ve tackled the skills in small format, you’ll be able to scale up for future projects!
For more information or to register, please visit the Maine Media website.
*** The Women’s Studio Workshop is currently running its Summer Art Institute with workshops focusing on printmaking, papermaking, and book arts. They offer you time to focus on your work, become energized and inspired, learn new skills, and meet a new community of like-minded artists.
Here’s a sampling of what’s coming up:
Unfolding Practice with Arzu Mistry will take place from August 6 – August 10. This workshop is based on the artist book Unfolding Practice: Reflections on Learning and Teaching, created by Arzu Mistry and Todd Elkin.
This workshop is for artists from a variety of disciplines, who are interested in sharing and developing processes of reflective practice, and to take a deep dive together into methods of using accordion books as sites for multi-disciplinary reflection, inquiry and art practice. Using a range of book forms and screen-printing techniques, you will document, reflect, plan, and think expansively about your practice as artists.
We’ve Got the Blues: Indigo Dyeing for Paper & Cloth with Mary Hark will take place from August 20 – August 24.
Participants will be immersed in studio production, making use of this powerful and historic color on handmade paper and a variety of textiles. Experienced dyers are encouraged to bring works-in-progress and ideas for new projects. Beginners will be introduced to the process of papermaking with fibers that are appropriate for this immersion dye process – such as Asian fibers, flax, abaca, and linen cloth – as well as shibori resist dye techniques.
Each participant will be supported and encouraged as they use these processes and materials to expand their creative practice with the breadth of possibility offered by the indigo vat. Studio work will be complemented by discussion of the historic and contemporary use of indigo; informal critiques of works-in-progress; and technical information for papermaking and dyeing in home studios and classrooms.
Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of what this color can mean, a portfolio of beautiful samples of indigo blue on cloth and handmade paper, completed work, and the information necessary to continue on this path.
For more information about the workshops or to register, please visit the Women’s Studio Workshop website.
by Elissa | Jun 10, 2018 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, June 13, 2018, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 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: The Coptic-Bound Upcycled Artist Journal with Jill Abilock
Join us in June as Jill Abilock leads us in creating Coptic-bound artists journals from upcycled library books. Making journals from upcycled books is an excellent way of overcoming “blank page” syndrome, since the pages already have writing on them! (To use the book, you simply gesso, color wash or collage over the pages). Coptic-bound books also make excellent artist journals because they lay flat when open.
Jill has invented a method for attaching covers and sewing pages that is so simple and elegant, you might find yourself looking for more old books to cut up turn into artist journals!
Jill will bring book covers and pages from hard-cover books discarded by libraries that she has cut into the perfect size for making portable, Coptic-bound art journals. She will also provide punching templates, thread and beads for sewing the art journals.
Please bring the following tools:
- Scissors (to trim your thread)
- Awl, pin vise or needle tool
- Old phone book, cutting mat or punching pad
- Bone folder
- 4 curved bookbinders or upholstery needles (if you have them – if not, there will be needles available to borrow)
Request to more experienced members: Not everyone has specialized tools, like an awl, curved needles, or a bone folder. If you happen to have extra, it would be wonderful if you could bring them in to share with a neighbor who doesn’t. Thanks!
May Meeting Reflections
Did we learn a lot about how to price your work? I think so, and much more! Let’s review:
- Keep track of your time ( most important) and materials.
- Decide on a rate per hour to pay yourself
- Consider your learning time and skill level
- Consider size and number ( if editioned)
- Use the commission calculator: (YOUR PRICE) ÷ (100%- commission %) = Z ( Gallery Price)
Voila! And don’t forget to package your work safely and nicely, and take some good photos for posterity.
We all need a pep talk now and then to reinforce our own self-worth, and in extension, the value of our work. Congratulations, everyone, because I felt a definite surge in self esteem and power building throughout the meeting. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experience, knowledge, and energy.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** Both Book Arts Guild of Vermont exhibits are now open…
…and they look fabulous! We are so very proud of and impressed by the work that our members create. Our membership has so much talent!
Beyond Words: Artworks by the Book Arts Guild of Vermont is in the second floor gallery at Studio Place Arts in Barre and will be open until June 30. SPA has given us a digital image that you can use to help promote the show. Click here to download an image of the flyer that you can share on social networks.
You can view images of all of the pieces in the SPA exhibit on the B.A.G. blog.
The Art of the Book is at Frog Hollow Craft Gallery on Church Street in Burlington and is also open until June 30.
You can view images of all of the pieces in the Frog Hollow exhibit on the B.A.G. blog.
Book Arts News
*** Now through July 22nd, Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord has fourteen of her Spirit Books on exhibition in the Hunnewell Building Visitors center at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.
The Spirit Books connect my experience of the inherent spirituality and mystery of nature with the long-standing tradition of books as testaments of faith and belief. I gather twigs, branches, vines, and roots and use them to cradle stitched wordless books made of handmade papers from around the world.
The Arnold Arboretum is located at 125 Arborway in Boston, MA (Google map). For more information, please visit The Harvard Gazette’s website.
*** From June 11 – October 1, 2018, the John J. Burns Library at Boston College is hosting the exhibit Dreams of Art & Glory: Book Arts by the Roycrofters.
Roycroft, a reformist community of craftspeople and artists, was created by Elbert Hubbard in 1895, in the village of East Aurora, NY. The artisans who worked there were known as Roycrofters. When Hubbard was unable to find a publisher for his book Little Journeys, he set up a private press to print the book himself, founding Roycroft Press.
His championing of the Arts and Crafts philosophy of work attracted many craftspeople to East Aurora, and he formed a community of printers, furniture makers, metalsmiths, leathersmiths, and bookbinders.
The exhibition focuses on the printing and bookbindings executed by the Roycrofters, and includes an array spanning the modest *Little Journeys* pamphlet series, to beautifully printed and hand-decorated text-blocks, as well as books bound in stunning modelled leather bindings.
The John J. Burns Library is located at 140 Commonwealth Avenue in Chestnut Hill, MA.
*** ArtisTree Gallery is accepting submissions for their 8th annual juried exhibit, UNBOUND: VOL VIII. The theme of the show is simple – an exploration of what a book can be…art using books as a material or a format. The exhibit will be presented in conjunction with the Bookstock Literary Festival in Woodstock, VT.
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.
This year the exhibit will be juried by book artist Valerie Carrigan. The deadline for submission is June 29, 2018. 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.
*** For those of you interested in building your collection of bookbinding equipment, this one’s for you.
There are two used bookbinding presses available for purchase in the Burlington area. As you can see in the picture, both are finishing presses. Compared to the prices for the presses if they were new (check out Talas), you’ll find that these prices are very reasonable.
For more information, please contact Zoe Papas at zoe@zoeink.net.
Book Arts Classes
*** The second annual Artist Book Intensive will be held at 26 Split Rock Cove in South Thomaston, ME from August 3 – 5, 2018. The event is sponsored by Midcoast Book Arts.
What is an Artist Book? Do artist books require words? Or images? What about structure as a part of the content? Yes, yes, and yes. Because artists’ books are works of art that use the form of the book. They may be published in small editions, though they are often produced as one-of-a-kind objects. And their subject matter is as varied as any other art form.
Three book making structures and two decorative techniques for book covers and/or content in your books will be taught. All materials will be provided, along with a notebook containing the instructional information covered in the workshops and additional resources.
For more information, please visit the Artist Book Intensive website.
*** Maine Media Workshops + College is offering Pop-Ups for Miniature Books with Shawn Sheehy from August 12 to 18, 2018.
By definition, a miniature book cannot be more than three inches in length, width, or depth. Working within this small format, students will learn how to bring drama and excitement to their pop-up book by inserting impossibly large images into a small package. Students will use cardstock and simple hand tools to build and bind, using a pop-up specific technique, a variety of structures that move above, beyond, and behind the page. Students will have time to experiment with their own ideas and recieve engineering advice from the instructor.
No experience is necessary, but previous experience in fiber arts and/or paper craft will speed your progress. This content readily accommodates beginners and advanced makers alike. You will leave the class with a completed popup book and a good understanding of the basics of popup engineering. Once you’ve tackled the skills in small format, you’ll be able to scale up for future projects!
For more information or to register, please visit the Maine Media website.
*** The Women’s Studio Workshop is currently running its Summer Art Institute with workshops focusing on printmaking, papermaking, and book arts. They offer you time to focus on your work, become energized and inspired, learn new skills, and meet a new community of like-minded artists.
Here’s a sampling of what’s coming up:
The Moving Book: Drawing & Basic Pop-Up Design with Claire Joyce will take place from July 30 – August 3.
You will delve into the many possibilities of building up your drawings into the pop-up form, from exploding abstract forms to small animated narratives. The condensing and expanding motion of pop-up mechanisms can enhance the drawn image and create a magical handheld experience for the viewer.
Beginning with sketching, basic folds, and structures, participants will create several small single fold projects with a focus on hand-drawn elements. You will build toward combining these techniques into a bound three-page (or more!) pop-up book. Claire will bring some of the pop-up books from her own collection for inspiration and discussion.
Unfolding Practice with Arzu Mistry will take place from August 6 – August 10. This workshop is based on the artist book Unfolding Practice: Reflections on Learning and Teaching, created by Arzu Mistry and Todd Elkin.
This workshop is for artists from a variety of disciplines, who are interested in sharing and developing processes of reflective practice, and to take a deep dive together into methods of using accordion books as sites for multi-disciplinary reflection, inquiry and art practice. Using a range of book forms and screen-printing techniques, you will document, reflect, plan, and think expansively about your practice as artists.
Parallel Universes: Handmade Paper and Photography with Tatana Kellner will take place from July 9 – July 13.
Person holding cameraArtists will rediscover the excitement of working in the photographic darkroom and the pleasures of making paper by hand. You’ll combine these two tactile processes to create painterly photographic prints on handmade paper.
The first two days will be spent making paper from various fibers, suitable for photographic purposes. You’ll explore making standard and shaped paper, embedding, and pulp painting all in preparation for the darkroom.
Working with traditional photographic negatives (up to 4” x 5”) or making new digital negatives, you’ll spend the rest of the week learning to size and coat the paper before proceeding to print in the darkroom. No previous experience is necessary.
For more information about the workshops or to register, please visit the Women’s Studio Workshop website.
by Elissa | Feb 9, 2018 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 14, 2018, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 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: Mining for Gold – Exploring Tunnel Books
Tunnel books are a visually exciting way of presenting content in book form. Join us over the next few months as we dig deep into the treasure-filled world of tunnel books.
In February, we’ll explore and share ways of constructing tunnel books together. Do you have a favorite tunnel book structure? A particular way of incorporating content in your tunnel books? Come and share it with us! Bring the tunnel books you’ve made (photos are okay, too) and share what worked well or discuss some of the challenges.
In addition to sharing and learning from each other, Elissa Campbell will bring a resource list that includes cool books and websites with tutorials, and Ann Joppe-Mercure will bring a slide show with more exciting examples. Please feel free to come and discover new techniques and ideas for constructing tunnel books, even if you don’t have one to share.
In March, we will have a hands-on tunnel book construction extravaganza based on some of the methods shared in February to create tunnel book models you can adapt to your own designs.
Things to bring (optional):
- Tunnel book(s) you’ve constructed (or photos)
- Models of tunnel book structures you’ve learned
- Paper and pen for taking notes on all the cool new methods you’ll discover!
January Meeting Reflections
It was ‘hygge’ all around at the January meeting, featuring Annette Hansen and her Froebel star tutorial. Annette shared stories of her Danish childhood, where holidays centered around traditional paper crafts. The beautiful paper stars we made together gave everyone a sense of satisfaction, and of cozy togetherness. Thanks, Annette!
The holiday ornament exchange turned out to be great fun. After participants had a chance to appreciate their swapped ornament, the maker identified herself and shared the method and materials. Let’s do it again next year!
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** It’s time to renew your annual membership!
The primary mission of the Book Arts Guild of Vermont is to act as both an educational and creative resource in the field of book arts. Our monthly meetings are $5.00 an evening or free with a $35.00 annual membership. Your membership supports the mission of the Book Arts Guild, pays for our rented space, provides opportunities to exhibit and supports honorariums to presenters.
In addition to the benefits you receive (you can check them out here), your paid membership also enables us to cover expenses such our website and email newsletter – key tools for keeping our book arts community in touch and informed. A special membership benefit this year is that you don’t have to pay to submit work to our annual, non-juried book arts exhibition. You’ll also receive a personal thank you from Ann Joppe-Mercure (priceless).
If you have a skill, a passion, a favorite technique or a body of work that others would love to learn about, and then take the leap and volunteer to share it with us as a presenter. If you present at a B.A.G. meeting, you receive free membership for the year. Think about it – we know you have something to share!
If you would like to become a supporting B.A.G. member, click here to download our membership form.
*** Book Arts Guild of Vermont 2018 Show news!
NEW DETAILS BELOW!
Members and friends are invited to submit work for our show at Studio Place Arts in Barre from May 22 – June 30, where we will be exhibiting in the second floor gallery. Here is our show name and description, which leaves it wide open for interpretation:
Beyond Words: Artworks by the Book Arts Guild of Vermont
Books can take on a language of their own, as shown in the multimedia work of this group of artists that use shape, structure, and materials to get their message across.
Important dates:
- Submissions: Work must be submitted by May 1, 2018. No work can be accepted after that date.
- Opening: May 22, 2018
- Closing: June 30, 2018
- Artist’s talk: Date TBD
The second show will take place in June at Frog Hollow Craft Gallery on Church Street. This will be a great opportunity to get exposure for our group in the heart of Burlington.
The show will be called The Art of the Book, which leaves it wide open to interpretation.
Important dates:
- Submissions: Work must be submitted by May 22, 2018. No work can be accepted after that date.
- Opening: June 1, 2018
- Closing: June 30, 2018
- Artist’s talk: Date TBD
B.A.G. Member News
*** B.A.G. member Jane Ploughman is teaching two classes in March:
Collage and Simple Bookmaking
In this workshop, you will make 3 or more books using simple techniques. You will also have time to fill the pages of your books with words, images, color, and all manner of collage material provided!
This workshop is for ages 18+ and all materials will be provided. Jane will be co-teaching these workshops with Lily Hinrichsen.
The workshop is being taught twice, so you can attend either on March 23rd or March 24th. The workshops are being held at ARTSight in Bristol from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. and cost $70.00 (or $60.00 if you’ve taken our workshops before).
For more information, contact Lily at lilyhinrichsen@gmail.com.
Handmade Books: Simply Sewn
Learn how to sew beautiful single and multiple-signature book bindings. Learn about some of the tools and techniques and how to make informed material choices. The workshop’s focus will be on form and structure. Students will leave with three different sewn softcover bindings. Some bookbinding experience is helpful but not necessary.
The workshop is taking place at the Middlebury Studio School on Saturday, March 31st from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.The cost is $55.00, which includes all materials and handouts.
For more information or to register, contact Barb Nelson at (802) 247-3702 or ewaldewald@aol.com.
*** B.A.G. co-founder Nancy Stone is selling a book press that was formerly a cider press.
The frame is hardwood taking up a 20” x 20” floor space. It has a 33” height to the top of the metal turning/press mechanism.
As a cider press, it has a wooden cylinder to hold the apples but is missing the 2 wooden parts needed for pressing apples down and for the cider to run out. It’s likely that you could make these if you want it for cider.
Nancy loves the press, but is currently downsizing. She’s selling it for $50.00 and an even deliver it if you need that.
For more information or to buy the press (do it!), contact Nancy at (802) 879-0243 or nstonevt@gmail.com.
Book Arts News
*** The exhibit Illuminating Words: Artists’ Books at UVM is being held at the Francis Colburn Gallery in Williams Hall, UVM, now through February 15th. For over 50 years, the Department of Art and Art History and Special Collections have been making, collecting and sharing artists’ books. Drawing on the rich resources in Special Collections, Illuminating Words celebrates book arts at UVM.
In the 1970s, printmakers in the Art Department – faculty and students – were combining images and text to create books that found their way to the shelves in Special Collections. Over the years, Art faculty and Special Collections librarians have worked together to develop an outstanding artists’ book collection that is eclectic, broad, and deep.
Curated by librarian Prudence Doherty, this exhibition features works made by UVM students and faculty as well as impressive selections from the library’s collection.
A gallery tour will be held on Wednesday, February 14th at 12:00 p.m. The exhibit is free and open to the public. For information, please email uvmsc@uvm.edu or call (802) 656-2138.
*** Now through February 25th, Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord will have her Spirit Books on display at the McCoy Gallery at Merrimack College in North Andover, MA.
In the words of the artist:
The Spirit Books connect my experience of the inherent spirituality and mystery of nature with the long-standing tradition of books as testaments of faith and belief.
The McCoy Gallery is located in the Rogers Art Center on Walsh Way. Gallery hours are Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m..
*** From February 17 – July 8, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is hosting the exhibition Keith Smith at Home. This is a rare opportunity to view the creative work of the well-known author of such a beloved series of bookbinding manuals.
Friendship, love, desire: Keith Smith’s life is an open book. For five decades, the Rochester-based artist has used surprising combinations of materials to chronicle his experiences. In this exhibition, explore an array of Smith’s mixed-media photographs and prints, and – his specialty – handmade artist’s books, most from his own collection.
In his work, Keith Smith irreverently disregards the supposed dividing lines between “fine art” (photography, etching, watercolor), “craft” (sewing, quilting, bookmaking), and “utilitarian technologies” (transparencies, photocopies). Although his subject matter is rooted in his personal life, he also grapples with universal themes such as self-representation, domesticity, and intimacy.
For more information, please visit the PMA’s website.
Book Arts Classes
*** The Eliot School is offering Altered Books with a Purpose with Wendy Wolfe Fine on four Wednesdays, March 7, 14, 21, & 28.
Turn an old or used book into a work of art with a purpose, using imagination and a variety of mixed media techniques. Take a thematic excursion, tell a tale or dramatize an issue through color and visual imagery, creative materials, and 3-D structures.
Use your book’s existing contents if you like, add new materials or use your book to display a collection of valued objects, images or photographs. Learn to assess the condition of the various components of an old book, decide which parts to keep and which to remove and create layouts that communicate your message or story.
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
*** On Saturday, April 28th, the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is hosting a workshop with Erin Fletcher of Herringbone Bindery, Secret Belgian Binding – Two Ways. The workshop will be held in the Multi-Purpose Room in the Wishcamper Center at the University of Southern Maine in Portland.
This workshop will explore the Secret Belgian binding (also known as Criss Cross binding) and ways to modify it. The binding is simple and easy to construct; it opens flat and is perfect for smaller text blocks. Students will complete two versions of the structure; one bound in the traditional sense and the second will offer a bit more secrecy and refinement to the structure.
Registration is available online or alternatively, you can call (207) 780-5900.
*** Registration for Wells College Book Arts Center‘s Book Arts Summer Institute is now open. The week-long intensive courses include letterpress printing, bookbinding, calligraphy, typecasting, and font design. Week 1 runs from July 15 – 21 and Week 2 runs from July 22 – 28.
This year’s instructors include Jenna Rodriguez, Aimee Lee, and Scott McCarney. Wells College is located in Aurora, NY.
For more information, please visit the Wells College website. Ann will also have postcards from the Summer Institute available at the February meeting.
by Elissa | Sep 9, 2016 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, September 14, 2016, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
The September meeting will be held at UVM’s Special Collections in the basement of Bailey Howe Library. Click here to download a pdf of the directions to Special Collections.
Please note that in September we will not be meeting as usual on the second Wednesday at the Unitarian Church in Burlington.
Program: Visit to Special Collections at UVM
At this month’s meeting, University of Vermont Librarian Prudence Doherty will guide us through some of the amazing artists’ books held in the Special Collections Department. Not everyone knows that we have one of the finest collections of artists’ books in the nation, right here in Burlington.
Join us in a hands-on exploration that will stimulate your imagination and spark your creativity!
* Please bring a pencil, not a pen, if you plan to take notes.
August Meeting Reflections
We did a lot of sharing at the Studio Support and Workshop Time meeting. In fact, we hardly had enough time to get it all out there! We learned many new tips, tools, and techniques to invigorate our papers and surface designs.
We generated many new ideas for programs, and we agreed on a theme for next year’s exhibit – Correspondence. Don’t be scared, you don’t have to stick to the script on this one, but while you’re thinking of ideas for a new project, keep it in mind (and then send someone a postcard or letter.)
The time went by super fast, as we learned more about each other’s work, interests, and great deeds. Thank you to all those who brought their energy and ideas.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** The Book Arts Guild of Vermont is proud to be participating in this year’s Burlington Book Festival on September 16 – 17, 2016 at UVM’s Davis Center. This annual event celebrates the written word by offering readings, book signings, panels, workshops, demos, family activities, and special events.
We are planning to exhibit works from members to introduce the community to book arts, and increase awareness of book arts and our group. We will have an exhibit during the opening ceremonies on Friday September 16 as well as on Saturday during the day. During the exhibit time, we have also committed to demonstrating various book structures (not hands-on workshops).
Here are the opportunities for participation:
- Exhibit Artists’ Books: You can submit new work or something you have previously exhibited. Limited to 20 works. If you would like to submit work for the exhibit, please download the entry form and bring it, along with your work, to the September 14th Book Arts Guild meeting (at Special Collections). If you cannot attend the meeting but would like to submit work, please email Marcia by Monday, September 12th to make arrangements to get your work to her.
- Volunteers at the Book Arts Guild table for set up and/or break down: If you would like to help set up the exhibit on Friday night event, please email Jill. If you would like to participate by volunteering for a 2 – 3 hour slot at the Book Arts Guild table on Saturday (9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.), please email Marcia with your interest. If you would like to demonstrate a particular structure, please let us know. You won’t have to teach others to make the structure, just bring a book project you are working on and share your process with visitors.
*** B.A.G. member Nina Gaby has lots to share! Her work has been included in the book Memoir Your Way: Telling Your Story Through Writing, Recipes, Quilts, Graphic Novels, and More by the Memoir Roundtable, Sky Horse Publishing, 2016.
An essay made from her three dimensional book art work is a finalist in the DIAGRAM ESSAY CONTEST 2016 and may be published soon. And lastly, she’ll be exhibiting her work in the Vermont Technical College library this fall. She hopes to offer a lecture for the students.
She adds that she doesn’t mind bragging – “We work hard as artists with often little to show for it.”
*** B.A.G. member Elissa Campbell is teaching Leather Pocket Journals at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT on October 13 & 20, 2016 from 4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
You’ll learn how to create 5 bindings that use only leather, paper, and thread – no glue needed! For each binding, you will sew 3 sections of folded papers into covers cut from one piece of leather. These bindings are very flexible and allow the books to open completely flat, making them perfect for use as sketchbooks or journals.
Each sewing technique creates a different decorative sewing pattern on the spine and we will try out different closure methods. No previous experience required – this is a great class for a beginner.
To register, contact SPA via phone (802) 479-7069 or email.
*** The statewide Vermont Fall Open Studio Weekend is coming up next month with two weekends of artist studios – October 1 & 2 and October 8 & 9, 2016.
Two B.A.G. members will be participating in the event, each on different dates. Here’s the scoop:
- Amy Burns will be demonstrating at the Artists’ Mediums Art Shop in Cambridge VT on October 2 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. She’ll be demonstrating the Coptic stitch, among other things. The shop is #2 in the tour guide.
- During the weekend of October 1 & 2, Elissa Campbell will offer demonstrations and studio tours in Montpelier. She also has a selection of bookbinding supplies available for purchase. Her studio is #65 is in the tour guide.
You can find maps and directions to studios on the VT Crafts Council website.
Book Arts News
*** The Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA is hosting the exhibit Metamorphosis: The Art of Altered Books, now until November 6, 2016. The exhibit features mixed media artists who carve, gouge, fold, collage, and manipulate books to transform the printed pages into a sculptural object.
Exhibited works explore the materiality of the object, layers of meaning within, communication and cultural connections, design potential, and possible extinction of books in today’s tech-driven world. Exhibiting artists include Long-Bin Chen, Andy Hayes, Wendy Wahl, and Jacqueline Rush Lee.
For more information, please visit the Fuller Craft Museum’s website.
*** The North Bennet Street School is hosting a public lecture with Martin Frost on Tuesday, September 13 from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. – The Curious Art of the Secret Fore-edge Painting. Using books from his own collection, he will discuss the history of and techniques used in fore-edge painting. Frost has painted the edges of over 3,500 books, including examples of the scarce all-edge, split and two-way doubles. He also binds many of his books.
The event is free and open to the public. Registration is available online.
The North Bennet Street School is located in Boston, MA. For more information, please visit the NBSS website.
*** In celebration of her 65th birthday, Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord is holding an Open Studio event on September 17, 2016 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Susan is the author of Handmade Books For A Healthy Planet and Multicultural Books to Make and Share.
Work from the past 38 years will on view in both her studio and her home at 311 High Street in Newburyport, MA.
For more information, please visit Susan’s website.
*** In collaboration with The Ticknor Society, The Movable Book Society is holding its biennial conference in Boston on September 15 – 17, 2016. The Movable Book Society was organized in 1993 to provide a forum for collectors, artists, curators, book sellers, book producers, and others to share enthusiasm and exchange information about pop-up and movable books.
This year’s speakers include Matthew Reinhart, Shawn Sheehy, Laura Davidson, and Emily Martin. The conference also features hands-on activities, presentations, a silent auction, and a book sale.
For more information, please download the conference program or contact The Movable Book Society at info@movablebooksociety.org.
*** Vermont artist Janet Wormser has a stash of Japanese paper she doesn’t need and she’s offering it for sale.
Here’s what she has:
- Hosho Natural 16.5″ x 22″
- Hosho Professional 24″ x 36″
- Tosa Kasagami 15.5″ x 19″
She also has a 14″ x 18″ portfolio (0.75″ spine thickness) for sale for $5.00.
Please contact Janet if you’d like more information or you’re interested in buying something from her.
Book Arts Classes
*** The Eliot School is offering the series Wild Journals with Susan Porter in October and November. Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Transform plain, store-bought, hardbound sketchbooks into gorgeously rich, densely colored, printed, cut and folded journals. These dramatic works of art can incorporate text, collage, found objects, windows, flaps and surface design.
The skills you learn can also be used in any form of handmade book. Expect to get messy. Bring an apron or work shirt to protect your clothing.
You can sign up for individual sessions or the whole series.
- Getting Started – Color & Paint: October 6, 2016
- Cut-outs, Pop-ups & Extensions: Thursday October 13, 2016
- Stamps, Stencils & Simple Printmaking: October 20, 2016
- Layers, Pockets, Windows & Tags: October 27, 2016
- Collaged Covers & Pages: November 3, 2016
- Story, Text & Narrative: November 10, 2016
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
*** The North Bennet Street School is hosting two workshops in collaboration with this year’s joint conference of the Movable Book Society and The Ticknor Society. Both workshops are open to the public. Registration is required.
Making Pop-ups Using Origami Techniques with Joel Stern
Sunday, September 18, 2016
9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Using origami and pop-up techniques, this short workshop focuses on making paper-folded faces that can be incorporated into hand-made books. Models taught are of increasing complexity, with opportunity for students to create their own.
Paper Craft Meets Circuitry with Jie Qi
Sunday, September 18, 2016
1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Add electronics to your paper crafts to make them dynamic and interactive. Design and craft circuits on paper with Chibitronics Circuit Stickers, tiny peel-and-stick electronic parts that you can use to make interactive glowing paper craft projects. No circuit building or crafting experience necessary.
The North Bennet Street School is located in Boston, MA. For more information or to register, please visit the NBSS website.
by Elissa | Nov 4, 2015 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, November 11, 2015, 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: Card Tricks and Book Blitz: Mini Workshops in Cool Techniques
Join us for our always-popular annual November tradition: Member-led mini hands-on workshops in the form of a card or mini-book exchange that we call Book Blitz and Card Tricks. Get prepared now and join the fun!
Design a card or small/simple book structure that has a trick or two; maybe a pop-up, French doors or a window. Bring your completed card or mini-book, along with materials for six undecorated cards or mini-book structures to share. We will have an exchange and then engage in some decorating fun.
Please feel free to join in the fun even if you don’t have time to prepare cards or mini-books to bring. We do a similar program every November and there is always more than enough to go around. As in years past, expect to go home with some great new ideas, several new tricks up your sleeve, and a few new cards for the season.
Things to bring:
- A decorated card/mini-book with a “trick” (optional)
- 6 card structures of your card/mini-book “trick” to exchange (optional)
- Glue
- Scissors
- X-Acto knife
- Cutting mat
- Ruler
- Bone folder
- Awl or needle tool
- Decorative punches
- Stamps and ink
- Pens, pencils, markers
- Decorative papers
- Fun stuff!
| BONUS: At the November meeting, we will also kick-off our first official BAG Collaborative Book Project: an Exquisite Corpse Book. Collaborative Project Coordinator Rebecca Boardman will explain the concept and distribute templates that you can take home and use to create an exquisite corpse to contribute to the book.
We’re planning to display the book at our upcoming Spring 2016 exhibit, Book Works (Living Learning Center Gallery, UVM campus, February 15 – March 18, 2016), and hope that everyone will be inspired to participate! |
October Meeting Reflections
Jill Dawson literally lit up our evening, both with her innovative bookworks and her circuit- making instructions. We all came away with paper works that actually did light up, and a small bit of knowledge of the tech world.
Jill inspired us to reach a little further into that world, and to explore the endless possibilities that new technology can afford the book and paper artist in all of us.
Thanks, Jill, for a dazzling evening.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
Spring Exhibit at UVM Living/ Learning Gallery
Announcing our Spring 2016 exhibit: Book Works, book-related works by the Book Arts Guild of Vermont! The exhibit will take place at the Living Learning Center gallery on the UVM campus from February 15 – March 18, 2016.
We encourage all members and friends to participate in this broadly themed show. Work can include new or time honored techniques, book-related pieces and sculpture, and generally any work that can be ‘read’. We would love to provide studio support at meetings prior to the show, where participants can seek help and advice on their projects, so bring in your work in progress to share with others.
For inspiration, try searching on Pinterest for book arts boards. Here are a few links to get you started:
After such a fantastic show last year at SEABA, we’re excited to see what comes next for everyone!
More details about the show to come!
Book Arts News
*** Now through December 13th, the Middlebury College Museum of Art is presenting The Art of Storytelling: Five Tales from Asia, Then and Now. The exhibit includes a beautiful combination of ancient and modern illustration.
The five Asian tales at the center of this exhibition have inspired artists for centuries and continue to capture the imaginations of comics writers and graphic designers today. This exhibit explores many of the painted and printed interpretations of these compelling narratives from the sixteenth century to the present.
The works are drawn from the collections of the Middlebury College Museum of Art, the Harvard Art Museums, the Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College, and Harvard-Yenching Library, and are complemented by contemporary comics, illustrations, and other digital media.
*** The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers will have a booth at the upcoming Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair. The fair will be held at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, MA.
Volunteers are needed to sit at the booth during the following hours:
- Friday, November 13: 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
- Saturday, November 14: 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Sunday, November 15: 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
It’s a great opportunity to meet interesting people, promote the GBW, and talk about books to other like-minded individuals.
They want to have two volunteers in the booth at all times. To volunteer please email Todd Pattison at bookandtile@att.net. All volunteers will get free entry into the Fair!
*** Also on November 14th is the Boston Book, Print and Ephemera Show, billed as the “other Boston book show”. The show will be held at the Back Bay Events Center (a.k.a. the Dorothy Quincy Suite at John Hancock Hall).
You can attend for free if you register online before November 13th.
*** The Paper Room (formerly known as Langdell Paper) at AVA Gallery and Art Center is holding its annual open studio on Saturday December 5th, from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. This event is part of AVA’s annual Open House.
Not only are there going to be 1,000’s of sheets of handmade paper available for purchase, but there will also be refreshments and fun paper-related conversation.
The AVA Art Center is located at 11 Bank Street in Lebanon, NH. The Paper Room is on the second floor in studio #209. For more information, please contact Richard at rlangdell@gmail.com.
*** The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers is looking for volunteers for an upcoming Girl Scout event. They will be partnering with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts offering programs for Cadette scouts (age 11-14) to earn a Book Artist badge. In addition, they will run a program for younger scouts.
The event will be held on Saturday November 7th at Camp Cedar Hill in Waltham, MA. They will run a 3-hour program for Cadettes in the morning from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and then have a 2-hour program for younger girls from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. You can volunteer for just one program or make a day out of it and do both!
There will be an introduction and then five stations that the girls will rotate through which may include printing, accordion folds, a pamphlet, origami book, a scroll, decorating paper or a collaborative book, depending on the interests of the volunteers. Each rotation will last for about 30 minutes. The younger girls will have similar programming in a shorter time frame with possibly only four rotations. If you have a book arts technique or project that you’d like to see done with the Girl Scouts please make some suggestions.
You do not need to be a member of the NEGBW to volunteer. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Todd Pattison at bookandtile@att.net.
Book Arts Classes
*** Valerie Carrigan will be teaching Book Ornaments at the Messenger Press Studio at the Beaver Mill in North Adams, MA. The workshop will be on Saturday November 21, 2015 from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Learn to make miniature handmade books that also function as hanging ornaments. Through unique paper folding, hard covers, and the addition of a ribbon and bead, you will make beautiful structures that transform in shape from a book to an ornament. You will leave this workshop with a handful of book ornaments in a variety of sizes, colors and patterns! No experience necessary.
The workshop is sponsored by is 183 Art School of the Berkshires. To register, please call them directly at (413) 298-5252.
*** Masscribes is hosting a workshop with Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord on Saturday November 7th, at the Sportsman’s Club in Norwood, MA.
Book Play is an introduction to simple bookmaking and its possibilities for creative exploration. It is bookmaking at its most friendly and accessible – no rulers or precious papers, no designing or planning ahead. The emphasis is on freedom and possibility – how the simplest forms can be adapted, varied, and combined to unlock our creative juices. Using mostly recycled materials, we’ll make intimate books that fold and fan, hang and stand. Most of the time will be spent making books but there will be opportunities to add calligraphy.
For more information, please contact Nita Padamsee at padamseedesigns@verizon.net or Elissa Barr at penpusherink@gmail.com.
*** The Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, MA is offering Coptic Binding with Ken Gilbert on December 13 from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
With Coptic binding, sections of paper are sewn through their folds and attached with stitches across the spine, without any glue. Make a blank book using this ancient, elegant technique, and cover it with either cloth or decorative paper.
For more information about the class, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
