by Elissa | May 5, 2023 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 10, 2023, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
This month’s meeting will once again be held via Zoom, an online conference program. If you’ve never attended a Zoom meeting before, check out this video – it will go over the basics of how to join a meeting.
Stay safe!
The B.A.G. Board
In continuing with our tradition of choosing a theme for our meetings every year, the B.A.G. Board has selected the theme of Movable Books for 2023.
Movable books are structures with 3-dimensional pages that make a book or card come alive in your hands. These include pop-ups, volvelles, tunnel books, pull-outs, crankies, and animated structures.
Put on your hard hat, because we are going to become Paper Engineers!
We will have a series of guest presenters to familiarize you with the varied structures, and to guide you through techniques that will turn your flat two-dimensional work into exciting pop-up fun!
Program: Pop-ups Shadowbox Book with Kit Davey
We are excited to have Kit Davey as our guest presenter this month. Kit is an Instagram phenomena, posting exciting book work almost every day! Her work is playful, humorous, and she is gracious enough to share her time with us.
Learn how to make this fun five-page pop-up book. When you turn the pages of the book a “box” forms to create a 3-dimensional effect. You can install images to the front or underneath each frame. Once you learn the basic mechanism you can add pages or scale the book up or down.
Tools needed:
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Pencil and eraser
- X-Acto knife and cutting mat
- Bone folder
- Glue, brushes, rag, water container
- Scoring board, if you have one
Ingredients to make the book:
Note: You must cut out the ingredients in advance of the class! There will not be time to cut things out during class.
For the pages:
- 10 pieces single- or double-sided card stock: 2.5” by 6”
- 5 images that can fit inside a 1.5” by 1.5” opening.
- For the covers: 2 pieces of mat board: 2.5” by 3”
- Paper to cover the covers: 2 pieces paper 3.75” by 4.5”
- For the spine: 1 pc. card stock 2.5” by 2.5”
To learn more about Kit’s work, check out her Instagram.
If you’d like to attend the meeting over Zoom, please contact Elissa so she can send you the details.
April Meeting Reflections
They may say that April showers bring May flowers, but our April meeting brought those flowers early!
We were lucky to have skilled presenter Linda Whelihan to guide us as we created three different types of flower pop-up cards. She presented each pop-up in such a way that seemingly complicated arrangements became easy to construct.
I’m not sure which card is my favorite, but I do know that when my daughter asked if she could have them, I quickly hid them away in my studio – sorry Anna, those are mine! Perhaps I’ll surprise her with one on her birthday…
Many thanks to Linda for sharing her talent and creativity with us.
B.A.G. Library Corner
Book artist Carol Barton says “There’s magic in a book that pops up!” She describes how she engineers the magic in her chapter of The Penland Book of Handmade Books. Discussing her inspiration, her methods, and how she got into pop-ups, Barton tells a compelling story that can help inspire our own paper engineering creations.
If you have ideas for books to feature or if you have a B.A.G. library book in your possession from which you’d like to share something, email Sally at salblanch@gmail.com.
You can check out and download the chapter here.
B.A.G. News
*** The Book Arts Guild of Vermont is pleased to announce our annual exhibition, Bookworks: the Art of the Book! The show this year will be held at the S.P.A.C.E. Gallery on Pine Street in Burlington. Members and friends are encouraged to submit up to 3 entries, although not all may be accepted. New this year, entries will be made online, and artists will be notified of acceptance on or before July 26. B.A.G. will cover the entry fee for members.
Here are some important dates:
- Deadline for online submissions: June 18, 2023. No entries will be accepted after this date.
- Exhibit dates: July 7 – August 4, 2023
- Opening reception: First Friday Art Walk, July 7, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Artists’ Talk: July 12, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. This will take the place of our regular monthly meeting.
- Closing reception: First Friday Art Walk, August 4, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Click here to access the exhibit entry form.
*** Congratulations to Marcia Vogler for being accepted into the juried exhibition, Paper Made, which will be featured in the summer issue of Fiber Art Now magazine. Selections from the exhibit will be on display at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, Brattleboro, VT from October 14, 2023 – February 11, 2024.
*** Elissa Campbell will be teaching The Lidded Pencil Box at CraftStudies on May 21.
If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to make your own decorative boxes, then this class is a great place to start! This decorative lidded box is the perfect size to hold your pens and pencils – or perhaps future boxmaking tools?
During this workshop, you’ll make a box that measures 8” (l) x 3” (w) x 2.25” (h). You’ll learn basic boxmaking techniques, including how to measure and cut materials, wrapping a box with paper, and the best way to apply adhesives. We’ll also talk about how to scale the size of the box to fit differently-sized items.
Not only will this class offer you the foundation and confidence needed to continue making boxes, but it will also provide you with a variety of bookbinding skills. You will receive a detailed handout and resource list for all materials we use.
For more information or to register, please visit the CraftStudies website.
*** Susan Smereka will be teaching the Upcycled Journal on May 23 & 30 at her studio in Burlington, VT. Whether you are new to bookbinding or not, this workshop is appropriate for all skill levels and interests.
You will rebuild an old book and give it new life as a unique journal to inspire you to write and capture your precious ideas, collages and drawings. And they make great gifts too!
You will take apart an old book, and rebind it with blank pages interleaved with text from the original. Build your knowledge and skills around bookbinding as you learn the parts of a book and how to do a long stitch binding with waxed linen thread.
For more information or to register, click here.
*** On May 27 & 28 (Memorial Day Weekend), the statewide Open Studio Weekend is offering a wonderful selection of book and paper arts studios for you to visit.
If you’re up for a tour, you can find members of your tribe in the following locations:
Elissa created a Google Map with all of the locations to help you with your tour.
Maps and directions to studios are available on the VT Crafts Council website.
Book Arts News
*** ArtisTree Gallery is currently accepting submissions for their 11th annual book arts exhibit, UNBOUND Vol. XI. Works will be on display from June 22 – July 15, 2023 at the gallery in South Pomfret, Vermont.
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 exhibition is for artists working in all traditional and non-traditional 2D (wall mounted) and 3D media. All artwork must be original in concept, design and execution, and must strictly adhere to the theme of the show. Note: reproductions can be used in mixed media work. Submissions are open to Vermont and New Hampshire residents who are 18 years of age or older.
The deadline for submission is June 7, 2023. All submissions must be made through their online entry form.
For more information, please read the online exhibit prospectus. You can also contact the gallery at exhibits@artistreevt.org.
*** 23 Sandy Gallery is currently accepting submissions for its upcoming exhibition, Dreams. This exhibition is open to handmade book and paper arts and related works created as either an edition or one-of-a-kind. Artist books, sculptural books, book objects, altered books, zines, and broadsides are all encouraged.
Dreams allow us to experience worlds beyond borders, barriers, and binaries. They are narratives that grow out of our waking experiences into the fantastical, unexpected, and strange. Sometimes vivid, other times elusive, dreams can immerse us in hope and beauty. Their meaning and mechanics are a mystery. In dreams, we can encounter the impossible. This call for entries invites artists to submit book and paper art about the cognitive, sensory, and emotional nature of dreams, your personal dreams, or dreams you hold for others.
The deadline for entries is June 9, 2023. For more information or to view the prospectus, please visit the 23 Sandy Gallery website.
*** 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 9 – 15 and Week 2 runs from July 16 – 22.
This year’s instructors include Tom Balbo, Scott McCarney, Leah Mackin, and Sonja Rossow. Wells College is located in Aurora, NY.
For more information, please visit the Wells College website.
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering Zines: Exploring Narrative through Lists! with Hope Amico on May 10, 17, & 24.
Using a list to frame a personal narrative is a playful and accessible writing format. Handwritten and illustrated 8-page zines are a fun and approachable book format. In this virtual workshop, get introduced to these two art forms and begin by brainstorming story ideas – with pen and paper – using prompts as inspiration. Then, draft your story – with pen and paper or on an electronic device. Return the following week to share your work and engage in friendly group feedback.
In the last session, learn the process of laying out your story as a 4.25 x 5.5 inch zine (quarter-size, meaning a quarter of a piece of copy paper) and tips for analog layout, with opportunities to add visual elements.
For more information or to register, please visit the MCBA website.
*** The Center for Book Arts is offering Travel Journals with Susan Joy Share on May 17 & 24.
Create a series of soft-cover travel journals with paper covers for writing, drawing, collage, etc., and several compartments for tucking away collected items. You’ll learn basic folding and sewing techniques as you make pocket-sized books, perfect for walks or hikes, and a larger one for when you are settled in with time to reflect.
Students will learn several variations on pamphlet binding and 3 or 4 ways to score and fold soft-cover books. These journals travel especially well as they are light weight and easy to pack. You’ll have fun making pockets, folders and a collapsible origami box. Paper selections, closures, and decorative cover elements give students an opportunity add their personal touch. Making a travel journal is a great way to prepare for and get excited about a trip.
For more information or to register, please visit the CBA website.
*** The Jaffe Center for Book Arts is offering Microfiction Mini Books with Stephanie Wolff on May 24.
A very short story will be the content of a mini artists’ book. Participants will write a story in six words and create illustrations. Then bind it into a very simple but versatile book structure. The writing is meant to be a fun exercise, but participants are welcome to use existing stories should they choose.
This structure could be used for any kind of content: text or image or both, and can be scaled up in size. To learn more about this writing form, search the internet for “six-word stories” or “six-word memoirs”. A famous example, allegedly by Ernest Hemingway: “For sale: baby shoes. Never worn.”
For more information or to register, please visit the JCBA website.
by Elissa | Sep 12, 2022 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, September 14, 2022, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
This month’s meeting will once again be held via Zoom, an online conference program. If you’ve never attended a Zoom meeting before, check out this video – it will go over the basics of how to join a meeting.
Stay safe!
The B.A.G. Board
In continuing with our tradition of choosing a theme for our meetings every year, the B.A.G. Board has selected the theme of Woven for 2022.
Weaving is one of the oldest surviving crafts in history, and is an integral part of all of our lives. We wear woven clothing, we sit on woven seats, we use and admire woven baskets.
In the paper and book world, there are many examples of paper weaving, woven book covers, and woven structures. Here are a few resources to get your brain churning:
The possibilities are kind of endless!
During the meetings this year, guest presenters will guide you through techniques to get you started on your woven explorations. The simplest methods can produce exciting results and we can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Program: The Woven Codex with Dorsey Hogg
In September’s meeting, Dorsey Hogg will be teaching us how to make the Woven Codex from Alisa Golden‘s Making Handmade Books: 100+ Bindings, Structures & Forms.
You’ll be weaving together 4 signatures using 2 long strips of material that will bind the pages together without adhesive or sewing. The covers can be made from any heavyweight paper you have around, for example an old watercolor painting.
Supplies:
- 1 12″ x 7″ piece of heavy paper for the cover
- 8 8″ x 4″ pieces of medium weight paper
- 4 4″ x 4″ pieces of medium to heavy weight paper
- 2 10″ x 0.75″ strips of tyvek (I used a USPS priority mailer, you need a material that can fold, is thin, but strong enough to hold the book together.
- Glue (only a little is needed)
Tools:
- Measuring tool
- X-Acto knife
- Cutting mat
If you plan to attend the meeting, please contact Elissa so she can send you the Zoom meeting details.
August Meeting Reflections
For our August meeting Elissa Campbell presented the second half of the Crossed Structure Binding Linked lesson. This structure is very doable and at the same time is so impressive when completed. I never tried it before Elissa demonstrated because it seemed intimidating but it really isn’t difficult!
Elissa’s instructions were very clear and at the end of the meeting participants showed variations that they created using some different materials and stitching designs. The structure lends itself to designing different weaving patterns and stitch patterns. Cover materials that were successfully used were leather, Tyvek, and stiff paper. I would also recommend Kraft-Tex paper. It is a material that can be made to look like and feel like leather and can be painted/dyed or printed on.
I hope participants will share what they do with this wonderful structure in subsequent meetings! Thanks, Elissa.
B.A.G. Library Corner
It’s back to school time, so let’s get back to basics! Keith Smith’s primer on book covers in Non-Adhesive Binding, Vol. 1 gives us tips on papers and measuring techniques to use, as well as describing methods for creating more complex covers with slots, layers, overhangs, and reinforced spines. Let these basic tools of the trade inspire your next book’s cover!
If you have ideas for books to feature or if you have a B.A.G. library book in your possession from which you’d like to share something, email Sally at salblanch@gmail.com.
You can check out and download the selection here.
B.A.G. News
*** Susan Smereka and Jane Ploughman are co-teaching two classes at Susan’s Burlington studio in September:
- Creative Bookmaking will take place on Tuesdays, September 20 – October 18. Learn the process of paste paper, Gelli plate printing, and Japanese marbling; Suminagashi. These decorative papers will be incorporated into book structures such as single sheet, a single flag, and an accordion with a hardcover. In your final book project, you will also work on the content (words, drawings, collage, etc) for your book.
- The Generative Book will take place on Thursdays, September 22 – October 6. Create a unique artist book while learning new bookmaking and printmaking techniques. This workshop will guide you through a three-part creative process to generate text and images using Gelli plate printmaking and collage. Your completed project will combine your edited and refined creations in a hardcover book with 8 spreads bound with a long stitch variation.
For more information or to register, please visit Susan’s website.
*** B.A.G. member Laura Lacroix is looking for recommendations for a printing service local to East Charleston, Vermont. If you have any ideas, please contact Laura at lacroix.laura@yahoo.com.
*** Vermont Fall Open Studio Weekend is coming up on October 1 & 2 and it’s a great way to combine fall foliage viewing and harvest activities with visits to artists across Vermont.
There are a few opportunities for you to visit B.A.G. member studios:
You can download a pdf of the complete Fall Event & Resource Guide from the Vermont Crafts Council website (this is a really big file). Studios have been organized into loops to help you plan your travels and you can see them here.
Book Arts News
*** The traveling exhibition Pulped Under Pressure will be hosted by the University of Southern Maine from September 7 – December 22, 2022. With traditional hand papermaking at its core, the exhibition underscores important contemporary issues steeped in history and craft. Enticed through touch, these works encourage a contemplative slowing down even as they urge acknowledgment of some of the most pressing issues (environmental crisis to global marginalization) facing civilization today.
The artists’ multifaceted works incorporate a rich range of printmaking, letterpress, papercutting, and installation with a diversity of recycled disposable materials (junk mail, egg cartons, old cotton t-shirts, ripped denim jeans) as well as old bedsheets, beetroot, heirloom plants, and illuminated el wires. In very unique ways, these artists consider paper beyond its most common function as a passive surface of record or craft. Instead, the material is transformed and embedded with content that turns communication into a public practice.
For more information, please visit the USM website.
*** On September 29, the University of Southern Maine’s Special Collections and the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts are co-sponsoring What is Book Arts: A Panel Discussion. The discussion will be moderated by Susie R. Bock, Coordinator of Special Collections and Director of the Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine. The event is free and open to the public.
Panelists include Liz Brown, Rachel Church, Anna Low, and Angel Simoneau. The event will be held on the 7th floor in the University Events Room at the Glickman Family Library, USM Portland Campus.
For more information, please visit the KCCCBA website.
*** Thanks to Helen Hiebert‘s amazing newsletter, I discovered the work of artist Jonpaul Smith. He creates complex paper weavings using (in his words) “discarded consumer packaging, original traditional and non-traditional prints, gouache paintings, smoke transfers and other paper ephemera.” Check him out!
Stay-at-Home Fun
*** The Minnesota Center for Book Arts is offering Alternative Printmaking at Home with Rosae Reeder on Wednesdays, September 14 – 28.
This virtual printmaking workshop focuses on using accessible materials to make prints and embellish existing art projects. Explore several techniques including packing tape transfer, Matte Medium transfer, watercolor monoprint, and Gelli plate printing. All of these processes can be done safely at home without caustic materials, chemicals, or printing presses.
After learning printing techniques, participants will construct a single-page book structure to experiment with creating simple artist’s books from prints. No prior bookbinding or printmaking experience is needed.
For more information or to register, please visit the MCBA website.
*** The Center for Book Arts is offering Long Stitch Binding At Home with Scott McCarney on Thursdays, September 22 – 29. In this workshop, participants will learn how to create a book using the long stitch binding technique two different ways. This binding technique is versatile and can be applied to multiple materials, making it an excellent option for any book project.
Long stitch bindings are non-adhesive and require no paste or glue. They are relatively easy and quick to sew, adaptable to small edition binding. The finished books can lay flat, making them suitable for sketchbooks and journals. The sewing technique is centuries-old, originating in medieval Germany, and historically can be found on limp parchment bindings (though we will be sewing sections onto reinforced paper covers).
On the first session, you will learn how to tailor a reinforced paper cover to a stack of folded sections, prepare sewing stations in the cover and sections, and sew a basic long stitch that creates an alternating pattern of thread along the spine. In the second session, you will learn a variation on the basic long stitch where the threads are parallel across the spine. Some exterior sewn thread reinforcements will be introduced that reinforce the spine and can be quite decorative.
For more information or to register please visit the CBA website.
*** Maine Media Workshops + College is offering the Sewn Board Binding with Suzanne Glémot on September 24 & 25, 2022.
The sewn board binding is a light and versatile book structure that opens flat – an appealing structure for artists working in a variety of 2-D media, including drawing, painting, printmaking, digital printing, and collage (it also makes for a great journal). Its materials are quite adaptable, too, making it a great binding to explore at home or with a small studio set-up.
Workshop participants will complete this structure, from text block preparation to covering the layered boards with decorative papers, over the course of two sessions. Working with an instructor-provided book kit, students will sew the covers into the text block using a French link stitch; learn how to line a spine; and build a fitted, cloth-covered spine piece.
For more information or to register, please visit the Maine Media website.
*** The Jaffe Center for Book Arts is offering The Road Book with Stephanie Wolff on October 1. Participants should have solid basic bookbinding skills to get the most out of the workshop.
This workshop covers an historical book structure useful for maps, prints, or other material, inspired by an example the instructor observed while working as a book conservator. The Road Book (the title of this 1904 New England road atlas) is a pamphlet bound single-signature structure, but the configuration and attachment of the pages allows for clear double-page spreads.
A simple (and perhaps obvious) idea once learned, it’s a useful structure. We will talk about a few adaptations, materials, and share our ideas for its use. Our model will be softcover, but easily adapted to a hardcover version.
For more information or to register, please email John Cutrone at jcutrone@fau.edu.
by Elissa | Oct 2, 2019 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, October 9, 2019, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
The October meeting will be held at UVM’s Silver Special Collections in Billings Library at 48 University Place. Click here for directions.
Please note that in October we will not be meeting as usual at the Unitarian Church in Burlington.
Program: Field Trip to UVM’s Silver Special Collections
The October meeting will be our annual visit to UVM’s Silver Special Collections hosted by our own Prudence Doherty. This year we will highlight the work of Ellen Dorn Levitt; artist, printmaker and extraordinary teacher.
The collection of her work was gifted to UVM by her husband and curated by Linda Lembke. This is not to be missed as it is a wonderful opportunity to admire and learn from the best.
Prudence will also share books with collage and sewing to reflect our postcard focus.
* Please bring a pencil, not a pen, if you plan to take notes.
Directions: UVM Special Collections is in the Billings Center. The Special Collections Library is on the second floor but we will meet in the conference room on the first floor just as you enter the front main doors. Parking available at the top of College Street across from Waterman.
September Meeting Reflections
Our September meeting was full to the brim. We first shared our postcard challenge books as each book artist explained their inspiration and techniques. The time we set aside to examine the books was rich with conversation and admiration. Well done B.A.G. members!
You can view images of the challenge books on the B.A.G. blog.
The second part of our meeting was the tag team of Meta Strick and Penne Tompkins sharing how to design creative uppercase letters. The challenge and fun began as we all took off designing our own letters with coaching and support from Meta and Penne.
Their two part workshops with lettering have made us all more aware or our style and consistency. Perfect for book artists.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** Looking for something to do this weekend? The statewide Fall Open Studio Weekend is taking place on October 5 – 6, from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. The event is a great way to combine fall foliage viewing and harvest activities with visits to artists across Vermont.
You can download a pdf of the complete Fall Event & Resource Guide from the VT Crafts Council website (this is a really big file). If you’re looking for something closer to you, county-specific maps and directions to studios are also available online.
Book artists Kelly McMahon (#74) and Elissa Campbell (#75) are both participating this time around and are conveniently located within a 5-minute drive of each other. Be sure to stop by!
Book Arts News
*** The current exhibit at UVM’s Silver Special Collections features a selection of miniature books from their Rare Book collection. Librarians and collectors often define miniatures as books that measure 4 inches or less in either direction, although the miniatures on their shelves can measure up to 5.5 inches.
Like their collection, which has grown organically rather than intentionally, books in the exhibit are diverse, ranging from a 16th-century Bible to 21st-century artists’ books. Many of the selections reflect the demand for portable and affordable reading material. The exhibit also includes miniature artists’ books that display creative and innovative ways to work within small dimensions.
Visit Special Collections on the second level of Billings Library to see the exhibit.
*** On Tuesday November 5th at 7:00 p.m., the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts will host Touching, Seeing, Knowing: Movable Books in Nineteenth-Century America, a free lecture presented by Juliet Sperling.
Juliet Sperling researches and writes about American art and visual culture from the 18th to the 20th century, with particular emphasis on the history of moving images. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 2018, and is a Faculty Fellow in American Art at Colby College.
Her current book project explores how engineered paper – books and prints with kinetic features including layered anatomical illustrations, mechanical political ephemera, and hidden-paneled religious books – revolutionized American encounters with a swiftly changing media landscape. Her research has been supported by institutions including the Luce/ACLS Foundation, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the McNeil Center for Early American Studies.
The Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is located in Portland, Maine. The lecture will be held in the University Events Room on the 7th floor of the Glickman Family Library.
For more information, please contact Rebecca Goodale at (207) 228-8014 or goodale@maine.edu.
Book Arts Classes
*** The North Bennet Street School in Boston is offering Travel Journals with Amy Lapidow on October 20th. All tools and supplies are provided for this class.
Books that fit in your pocket! Add a pen loop, picture or pocket for memorabilia. Make it waterproof with Tyvek. Tie it up with beads and buttons, or close it with a magnet. This one day workshop explores the possibilities of a versatile book that goes wherever you go.
For more information, please visit the NBSS website.
*** Also at the North Bennet Street School is Fundamentals of Bookbinding, taught by Erin Fletcher from November 4 – 8. Students will learn the foundations of bookbinding by combining hands-on exercises and discussion.
The class starts by exploring non-adhesive structures: soft cover pamphlet, Coptic, historical longstitch and link stitch. The class ends with a look at case bindings, with the creation of two hardcover flatback bindings. Students also learn different structural elements, sewing variations, covering and cutting techniques using various materials, tools and equipment.
Throughout the course discussions will cover terminology, paper grain and folding, selecting proper materials and tools, and adhesives and their properties.
For more information, please visit the NBSS website.
by Elissa | May 2, 2019 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Call to artists, Exhibitions, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 8, 2019, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
We meet at the Unitarian Universalist Society Church located at 152 Pearl Street in Burlington, VT. We will be in the Sophia Fahs Community Room, a large room located in the basement. Click here for more information on directions/parking.
Program: Artist Talk with Elizabeth Bunsen
Please join us for the opportunity to meet celebrated artist Elizabeth Bunsen, winner of the 2018 Barbara Smail Award. Elizabeth will share notes on her artistic practice and life, and show us examples of her work in book form.
Elizabeth begins each morning with a creative practice, somewhat like journaling, but more like ‘messing around’ with whatever elements catch her eye. She says “Morning practice is optimally a daily practice (like yoga) of creating a meditative environment – an oasis of peace, clarity and intention…sinking (relaxing) into the sensual moment and the timelessness of play resulting in a mandala-like assemblage that can be documented…”
She works with found materials, natural dyes, stitching, and any number of techniques to create unique assemblages and books. Her training as a painter shows in her use and combination of color, and her interest in manipulating materials through dying, staining, and rusting results in magic.
Come share some magic. In the meantime, visit her website and Instagram posts, and her show, Pivonkarose, at Burlington City Arts on Church Street until May 4th.
April Meeting Reflections
At our April meeting, Sally Blanchard-O’Brien introduced us to many techniques for including stitchery in our work. Some of the explorations she showed us included stitchery as an addition to an image, or to create the image itself, as well as to finish the edges of the book in a new way.
She also touched on stitching as not only a structural element in book making, but as a way to enhance the design of the book itself. Whether you are new to hand stitching or an accomplished seamstress, we all benefited from Sally’s lively presentation.
Thanks to everyone who attended (many new faces!), and thanks to Sally for providing us with new ideas, and for sharing her book making story.
You can view images from the meeting on the B.A.G. blog.
B.A.G. News
*** The board of the Book Arts Guild of Vermont sadly bids a fond farewell to one of our fearless leaders, Jill Abilock, who has been acting as co-chair for the past six years. She also worked tirelessly planning programs for our monthly meetings.
Jill will continue attending meetings as a member, so we’ll still get to see her smiling face. If you haven’t yet had the chance to thank her for her hard work, please pat her on the back at the next meeting you attend.
Thanks for everything Jill!
*** Bound to Happen – B.A.G.’s annual exhibition
Our annual book arts show will be hosted by the S.P.A.C.E. Gallery in Burlington, VT. We are excited to be in a wonderful space in Burlington from June 7 – 29! The title for the show is Bound to Happen, and it’s open to any interpretation from the artists.
Here are some important dates:
- Entry due date: May 31, 2019. No Entries will be accepted after this date. Artists are encouraged to bring work and appropriate paperwork to the May 8th BAG meeting. If you can’t attend, or if you’re not quite ready, please email Marcia.
- Exhibit dates: June 7 – 29, 2019
- Opening reception: June 7, 2019, 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. The reception coincides with First Friday, a popular event in the South End.
- Artist’s Talk: Work will be returned to the artist at the July 10th B.A.G. meeting, at which time we will share our work.
Information for entry:
- Entry paperwork can be downloaded here.
- Entry fee will be $10.00 for up to 3 pieces.
- Work must be ready to hang or display. If you have display instructions, please include them with your entry.
- Work must have identification somewhere on the piece.
- The gallery commission is 40%, so please price accordingly.
- Also, if you have photographs of your work, please email them to Marcia if you want them to possibly be included in marketing materials.
Have questions? Please ask Marcia.
*** Post-Meeting Postcard Exchange: Use What We’ve Learned
With the end of our multi-month presentations about imagery, let’s close with a collaborative project to celebrate. We invite you to create 6 postcards to swap, and 1 to keep for yourself. They can all be the same or all different, as long as they are 4″ x 6″. Some ideas might be to pick a theme like shoes, birds, or a quote, and play around with ways of adding the imagery. Any medium can be used – take inspiration from the huge amount of techniques we have learned!
At the July meeting, we will exchange postcards with 6 others. With these original artworks, participants will create a book structure to hold the cards, and share their creation at the September meeting. Plenty of time to complete the challenge!
Here’s a recap:
- July meeting: Participants bring 6 original postcards, 4″x6″, in any medium to swap. Participants leave with 6 different postcards to collect in a book structure.
- September meeting: Participants present their book structures, and we are amazed.
Let’s start making!
*** Show us what you’re working on!
As we continue with meetings that teach us more about image making the idea of sharing what we’ve learned has emerged. At each meeting we learn some skill and then go away and often explore that skill on our own. No one gets to see this private work.
Now we would like to invite participants to share their explorations into collage and mark making and stitching and whatever else strikes your fancy. We encourage everyone to bring in something you’ve been working on/experimenting with to share with others.
This is to be a very informal activity and outside the agenda of the meeting since it is so hard to accomplish everything in the two hours as it is. Works can just be put out in a designated place to provide an opportunity for informal conversation. The room is available to us beginning at 6:00 p.m. so between 6:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., we can use the space for free time or for sharing.
B.A.G. Member News
*** Penne Tompkins has work featured in The Art of Calligraphy, exhibit open through May 29th at the Gallery at the VAULT in Springfield, VT.
The exhibit includes an amazing display of artwork created by five of Vermont’s finest calligraphers. This is an opportunity to be inspired by their wonderfully diverse styles, each reflecting the artist’s love of words enhanced by their own unique art forms.
The gallery is open on Mondays from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and Wednesday – Saturday from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. For more information please email galleryvault@vermontel.net or call (802) 885-7111.
*** On May 25 & 26 (Memorial Day Weekend), the statewide Open Studio Weekend is offering a wonderful selection of book and paper arts studios for you to visit.
If you’re up for a tour, you can find members of your tribe in the following locations:
Elissa created a Google Map with all of the locations to help you with your tour.
Copies of the the 2019 Spring Event & Resource Guide will be available at the May B.A.G. meeting. Maps and directions to studios are also available on the VT Crafts Council website.
Book Arts News
*** The New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers is looking for volunteers to teach simple bookbinding techniques and creative content at an upcoming Girl Scout event. Through this event, NEGBW volunteers will be helping Cadettes earn their Book Artist badge and potentially inspire future bookbinders.
The event will be held on Sunday May 19, 2019 at Camp Cedar Hill in Waltham, MA. There will be two sessions – 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. & 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
You do not need to be a member of the NEGBW to volunteer. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Todd Pattison at bookandtile@att.net.
*** ArtisTree Gallery is accepting submissions for their 9th annual juried exhibit, UNBOUND: VOL IX. The theme of the show is simple – art using books as a material or a format. Visitors will have an opportunity to examine curious folios, recent grimoires, tomes turned to sculpture and some works having a relation to “books” in concept only.
This call for submissions is open to all 2D, 3D, installation, assemblage, film and video artists who are working in New England or New York who are 18 years of age or older. All artwork must be original in concept, design and execution. Note: Reproductions, if used as mixed media, will be considered.
The deadline for submission is June 28, 2019. All submissions must be made through their online entry form.
For more information, please read the online exhibit prospectus. You can also contact Gallery Director Adrian Tans at gallery@artistreevt.org.
Book Arts Classes
*** Maine Media Workshops + College is offering Single Signature Variations with Erin Fletcher from June 23 – 29, 2019.
Books come in all shapes and sizes. Some may span only a single signature, while others become a thick tome. In this workshop, you’ll explore the former as you create a multitude of models with both soft and hardcovers.
Students will begin this workshop by making a series of simple softcover pamphlets using a variety of sewing patterns before moving on to hardcover structures. Finally, you will create a modified version of the Bradel binding using a stub at the spine. This will give your books an elegant rounded spine, which will be covered in leather and sided up with decorative paper. All of these structures allow the book to lay flat and are perfect for chapbooks, presentation pamphlets or short stories.
For more information or to register, please visit the Maine Media website.
*** The third annual Artist Book Intensive will be held at 26 Split Rock Cove in South Thomaston, ME from August 2 – 4, 2019. The event is sponsored by Midcoast Book Arts and will offer five workshops.
As book artists, we work with structure and content, as well as choice of materials. In the 2019 Artist Book Intensive we will focus on three structures that can yield sculptural possibilities that influence both materials and content. We are excited about introducing some new ideas and techniques to all of you. All skill levels welcome!
For more information, please visit the Artist Book Intensive website.
by Elissa | Oct 4, 2018 | B.A.G. Meetings, bookbinding, Exhibitions, Lecture, MailB.A.G., Member News, Vermont, Workshops
Next Meeting: Wednesday, October 10, 2018, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
The October meeting will be held at UVM’s Special Collections‘ new home in Billings Library at 48 University Place.
Click here for directions to Special Collections’ new location.
Please note that in October we will not be meeting as usual at the Unitarian Church in Burlington. In addition, the meeting will start 1/2 hour earlier than our normal meeting time, at 6:00 p.m.
Program: Field Trip to UVM Special Collections
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.
September Meeting Reflections
We had a great time at the September 12th Book Arts Guild meeting. Ann Joppe-Mercure provided us with the materials to construct three hard cover books in the space of less than two hours!
The first book contained a simple accordion signature, the second a single sewn signature book, and the third contained a post-it pad. We covered them with decorative paper or cloth, and made the spines with pre-cut book cloth from Ann. It was so satisfying to leave the meeting with three lovely, 3” x 3” little books.
They felt really good in the hand and everyone could leave feeling confident that they could make more of these books with the skills Ann taught us.
A giant thanks to Ann, and to everyone who participated!
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 October 12 – 14, 2018 at the UVM Alumni House Silver Pavilion. This annual event celebrates the written word by offering readings, book signings, panels, workshops, demos, family activities, and special events.
We have been invited to exhibit original works at the festival to introduce the community to the book arts and increase awareness of our organization. We will have an exhibit during the evening opening ceremonies on Friday, October 12 as well as on Saturday, October 13 throughout the day. During the exhibit time, we have also committed to demonstrating various book structures (not hands-on workshops).
Although the deadline for submitting work for sale has passed, the festival is very generously providing us with exhibit space free of charge. We would love to share your beautiful work with literary book lovers who may not have had much exposure to the book arts. Please consider submitting work for display! You can submit new work or something you have previously exhibited.
If you would like to submit work for the exhibit, please download the entry form and bring it, along with your work, to the October meeting at Special Collections. If you cannot attend the meeting but would like to submit work, please email Jill Abilock by Monday, October 8 to make arrangements to get your work to her.
We also need volunteers to “staff” the exhibit table on Saturday, October 13 during the festival. Volunteers at the 2016 festival found the experience fun and rewarding – please join us this year! To sign up to volunteer, simply email Jill!
*** Book Arts Guild of Vermont artists Nina Gaby and Jill Abilock will be presenting Exploring Dimensionality in Narrative at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday October 13th at the Burlington Book Festival with moderator Rachel Moore, director of the Helen Day Art Center.
Artists Josh Turk and Cynthia Close round out the panel. “Words can be presented on the flat page but can the thoughts behind those words find shape in other materials?” This and other questions will be considered in what is sure to be a lively dialogue. B.A.G. will be exhibiting and offering demonstrations in conjunction with this panel.
*** The Book Arts Guild of Vermont has once again reserved table space at the Northampton Book and Book Arts Fair in Northampton, MA. The Fair will take place Friday, November 30th from 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., and Saturday, December 1st from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Smith College.
This is an opportunity for the Book Arts Guild to spread the word about book arts, show and sell work, and meet other like minded book people. Last year, a group of members stayed at an Airbnb during the show and had a great time together.
If you are interested in participating by manning the table, helping to set up and break down, and/ or having work shown, please contact Marcia.
*** On October 13 & 14, Elissa Campbell will be participating in the statewide Fall Open Studio Weekend. The event is a great way to combine fall foliage viewing and harvest activities with visits to artists across Vermont.
Come for a tour of the studio, demonstrations, and tantalizing talk about the world of handmade books. Feel free to paw through my paper drawers and peruse my extensive library of bookbinding manuals! There will also be selection of bookbinding supplies available for purchase.
Copies of the the 2018 Fall Event & Resource Guide will be available at the October B.A.G. meeting. You can also download a pdf of the guide from the VT Crafts Council website. Please note that this is a really big file.
County-specific maps and directions to studios are also available on the VT Crafts Council website.
Book Arts News
*** Dartmouth College is presenting two days of programming featuring book artist Daniel E. Kelm – Daniel Kelm and Poetic Science: A Life in Science and Art.
On Thursday, October 4th from 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., there will be reception for Kelm in the East Reading Room of Baker-Berry Library. This will be followed by a lecture from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
On Friday, October 5th from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m., there will be a follow up to Thursday’s lecture. Kelm will have books and objects to show in a more intimate setting allowing for more conversation. This event will be held in the Kresge Library Conference Room.
Daniel E. Kelm is a book artist who enjoys expanding the concept of the book. He is known for his innovative structures as well as his traditional work. His expression as an artist emerges from the integration of work in science and the arts. Alchemy is a common theme in his book work. Before Daniel began his career in the book arts he received formal training in chemistry and taught at the University of Minnesota.
For more information, please contact Sarah Smith at book.arts@dartmouth.edu.
*** On Thursday, October 18 at 5:30 p.m., the Silver Special Collections Library at the University of Vermont is presenting The Stewardship of History: Reconfiguring the Markings of Time, a lecture with Michele Burgess.
Burgess will talk about The Stratigraphic Archives, a series of eleven linked artists’ books, all concerned with the archives of both quiet and cataclysmic events – natural and human made. Working in collaboration with poets, Burgess has interwoven remnants of human and natural history, questioning the honesty and inclusivity of our institutionalized “record keeping.”
Michele Burgess works in book arts, printmaking, painting, and sculpture. She is the director of Brighton Press and collaborates with other artists and poets on projects that involve the book as an art medium. Burgess’s books are housed in over seventy-five public collections across the country, including the University of Vermont.
The lecture is free and open to the public and will be held in the Marsh Room at Billings Library.
For more information, contact Silver Special Collections at uvmsc@uvm.edu or (802) 656-2138.
*** On Friday October 12th at 4:00 p.m., the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts will host Building A Sustainable Visual Art Practice, a lecture with Andrea Dezsö.
Andrea Dezsö is a visual artist who works across a broad range of media including drawing, painting, artist’s books, embroidery, cut paper, animation, sculpture, site-specific installation and public art. Dezsö’s permanent public art has been installed in two New York City subway stations, at the United States Embassy in Bucharest, Romania and at CUNY BMCC Fiterman Hall in Lower Manhattan. Community Garden, Dezsö’s mosaic in the New York City subway was recognized as Best American Public Art in 2007 by Americans for the Arts.
Dezsö exhibits in museums and galleries around the world. She is Associate Professor of Art at Hampshire College in Amherst, MA and maintains studios in NYC and in Western Massachusetts.
The Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is located in Portland, Maine. The lecture will be held in the University Events Room on the 7th floor of the Glickman Family Library.
For more information, please contact Rebecca Goodale at (207) 228-8014 or goodale@maine.edu.
Book Arts Classes
*** On Saturday, October 13, 2018, the Kate Cheney Chappell 83 Center for Book Arts is hosting a Tunnel Book workshop with Andrea Dezsö. The workshop will be held in room 424 in Luther Bonney Hall at the University of Southern Maine in Portland.
When popped open tunnel books reveal miniature, multi-layered worlds viewers can peek into as into dioramas. Structurally, tunnel books belong in the same family as carousel books and toy theaters and were extremely popular during the Victorian era. In this class students will create a fully developed one-of-a-kind artists book of their own design, based on a four-layer, hand-cut and assembled single scene tunnel book developed by Dezsö using either a subtractive (paper cutting), an additive (collage) method or a mix of the two;
Students will learn to rapid prototype by first creating a tunnel book model to understand the form, followed by creating their fully developed books. Students will be encouraged to consider composition, layering, materials and to treat form and content as an interdependent whole as they create their one-of-a-kind tunnel books. All levels welcome.
Register online or call (207) 780-5900.
*** The Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, MA has two book arts classes coming up this fall. Here’s the scoop:
Altered Books Workshop with Cristina Hajosy will take place on Sunday, November 11th from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Transform books, old or new, into art objects. The book becomes a canvas, a sculpture or a reliquary of personally meaningful content. Draw inspiration from the book’s author or contents, or purely use the book as a structure. Incorporate paper cutting, collage, bookmaking and other processes. The instructor will have books on hand, or bring your own, along with small objects and images to include.
Paste Paper with Cristina Hajosy will take place on Sunday November 25th from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Paste paper is traditionally used for endpapers and book covers, offering a textural and colorful alternative to marbling. See some historical and contemporary approaches, then create your own. Start with a traditional method, then learn ways to make more creative and painterly versions.
For more information about the classes, please visit the Eliot School’s website or click here to download the complete catalog.
