Upcoming Exhibition & Other News

Transforming the Ordinary:
Bookworks by Hedi Kyle
Jan 16 though March 28th 2010.
James A. Michener Art Museum
138 South Pine Street
Doylestown, PA 18901

Over her long career as a book artist, Hedi Kyle has pushed the envelope of what is considered a book. Transforming the Ordinary: Bookworks by Hedi Kyle, will showcase examples of her innovative book structures including the Flag Book, the Spider Book and the Blizzard Book.
Read the entire press release here.

Special programs:
Hedi and her daughter Ulla Warchol will teach: Intergenerational Bookmaking Workshop
Hedi will teach: Tranforming the Ordinary: A Teacher Workshop

Show and Bestow Exhibition extended!
This exhibit at the main branch of the Free Library will remain open until Jan 13, 2010. Don't miss it!

2010: Two Workshops Coming Up

Fast, Friendly, Free Workshop: Paste Papers
Saturday, Jan 16, 2010. 9 am to noon.
Library Company of Philadelphia
1314 Locust Street
The staff at the Library Company has been making paste papers for many years. Come learn how it is done and see some of their inventive ideas for making and using these decorated papers. (Members only.)
Click

HERE

to sign up

The Book as Architecture- A Workshop with Paul Johnson
Saturday May 8, 2010 (save the date)
9 am to 5 pm
The Athenaeum of Philadelphia
219 S. 6th Street

Paul Johnson creates amazing books from single sheets of paper that are architectural in structure with nothing added, nothing taken away, and no glue. In this workshop we will make a movable 3D book. All sections are constructed by using dovetail and mortise and tenon paper joints. Visit the Athenaeum's website starting in January to sign up.

Three Local Exhibitions!

We are so fortunate to have so many exhibits going on here in the Delaware Valley. During the holidays you may want to make some time to see some of these exhibitions:

ON TOP OF THE WORLD: BOOK ARTISTS FROM AUSTRALIA
Don't miss this rare opportunity to see exciting work from Australian book artists. Hosted by Gallery 633 at The University of the Arts, the exhibition showcases a variety of artists. From printmakers and paper makers, to fine book binders and photographers, all working with the structure of the book as a means of expression. The show will be open from December 8, 2009 through January 30, 2010.

On Top of the World: Book Artists from Australia, was curated by Tara O’Brien after a recent trip to Australia. The show represents book artists from the east coast between Sydney and Brisbane. These artists come to the medium of book art with strong backgrounds in printmaking, paper making, and ceramics. Even though many of them work in relative isolation within their own country, there are common themes including the land, ecology and aboriginal people.

This gallery is sometimes locked. Please email Dan Corrigen to arrange a time to see the exhibit. df.corrigen@gmail.com


Werner Pfeiffer (censor, villain, provocateur, experimenter): Book-objects & Artist Books
On Exhibit: September 8, 2009 - February 12, 2010
Kamin Gallery, 1st floor, Van-Pelt Dietrich Library Center
University of Pennsylvania, 3420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia (picture ID needed)
Werner Pfeiffer, a sculptor, printmaker, and painter renowned for his insightful and moving book-objects and artist books, masterfully constructed and beautifully printed, is collected by private and institutional collectors around the world. This exhibition highlights two distinct groups of works commenting and reflecting on the place and role of the book in the twenty-first century.
Gallery hours: Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm
Saturday, by prior arrangement, noon-4pm
Call for details: 1-800-390-1829

Show and Bestow

Art and Print Department Galleries
on the 2nd floor of the Free Library of Philadelphia
1901 Vine St.
The collection of artists' books gathered in honor of Ruth Hughes, will be on display from
November 20 - December 30, 2009. Many Delaware Valley Chapter members are represented and there are eighty books on display in twelve cases. After the exhibition, the collection will be donated to Oberlin College's Clarence Ward Art Library and will be exhibited there in the spring.
See the Free Library website for hours.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Free Library of Philadelphia

1901 Vine Street

Don't miss Philadelphia Center for the Book's most successful annual event! Book, Paper, Scissors is an artists' book fair, free and open to the public. This festive event features prints, artists' books, handmade paper, zines, origami, blank books, and paper sculpture and jewelry. If it's paper-based art, it's here. Come and buy, or just be inspired! You will find many affordable and interesting gifts for everyone on your list. Book and paper workshops will also be offered at the Library the day of the fair. Also, many Delaware Chapter members have rented tables!

Show and Bestow Opening

You are cordially invited to the opening reception of

“Show and Bestow"

Monday November 23rd 6-8pm

Art and Print Department Galleries on the 2nd floor of the Free Library of Philadelphia

1901 Vine St.

The collection of artists' books gathered in honor of Ruth Hughes, will be on display from November 20 - December 30, 2009. Many Delaware Valley Chapter members are represented.

After the exhibition, the collection will be donated to Oberlin College's Clarence Ward Art Library. The exhibition will coincide with Book, Paper, Scissors, an annual artists' book fair sponsored by the Philadelphia Center for the Book.

This year the fair will be held from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm on Sat., December 5th.

For more information about the exhibition please call 215-686-5405. For more information on Book, Paper, Scissors, please visit the Philadelphia Center for the Book's website.

Image above:

Tiptoe Through the Cosmos

Susan Viguers

Shandy Press, 2008

Vessels of Possibility: Revelation and Interchange
Works by Pati Scobey and Julia Miller

Presented at
the University of the Arts Printmaking Gallery
6th floor of Anderson Hall
333 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA.
Friday, November 6 to Friday, November 20, 2009.
Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Curated by Sally Faulkner and Donna Globus, graduate students in the MFA Book Arts/Printmaking Program. The show presents the broad approach to both the book and the print of these longtime friends. Through the investigation of historic binding structures and the influence of time and handling, Julia Miller’s work invites viewers to a wider understanding of the book. Her work reveals what can happen when an artist takes the material history of a form and uses it as a medium. Pati Scobey’s imagery of nature in her work is a response to her home territory in rural Michigan. She layers a distinctive vocabulary of marks in colorful patterns that reveals itself much like a well-loved landscape. Together, this pairing shows not only delight in the traditional form of the book but also the book’s resilience and adaptability to history.

(above, left: A is for Aurochs, an Alphabet of Old Words, 4” x 5” x 1.25”, Julia Miller. Right: Evening Sussurus, 6” x 24”, Pati Scobey)

Pati Scobey Workshop This Fall

The Printed Page: Hand Printing Techniques
November 14 & 15
University of the Arts
333 S. Broad Street
Philadelphia

Investigate the interaction of image and sequence while experimenting with hand printing techniques. Students will learn a form of water- based printing that will allow them to develop a vocabulary of interchangeable printing components comprised of collagraphs and individual stencils. These components will be used as improvisational tools during the printing process. Printing instruction will emphasize the manipulation of inks and color to achieve desired results. The workshop will culminate in each participant’s creation of a print series or printed pages for a future book.

Workshop Fee: $200
Materials Fee: $35 (payable to the instructor)

To hold a spot, make a check out to:
The Guild of Book Workers
and mail it to:
Alice Austin
Library Company of Philadelphia
1314 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Please include your name, email address, and phone number.

A Reminder: FFF workshop coming up!

Please sign up for our Fast, Friendly, Free Workshop.

Michelle Dauberman will teach:

Insect Pamphlet:
This insect inspired structure is a fun, simple and elegantly designed 2-hole pamphlet. Utilizing a creative approach to sustainability you can reuse found/scrap materials like wallpaper, Mohawk paper and wax thread to create this organic book/pamphlet structure. Pamphlet materials will be provided. You will need to bring the following tools to the workshop: Knife, sewing needle, scissors, Japanese hole punch and awl.



Cube and nested triangle structure:
Inspired by Platonic solids and the geometry of 3-D space, this form uses a clear medium (ink jet transparency) to expose the elegant simplicity and beautiful relationship of shape and structure as it relates to the cube and nested triangle. Pre-printed ink jet transparencies/templates will be provided. You will need to bring the following tools to the workshop: Knife, bone folder and metal ruler.

Saturday, September 12, 2009
9am - 12pm
Held at the Library Company
1314 Locust St.

RSVP by clicking HERE!

CALL FOR ENTRIES

BUILDING BY THE BOOK:
Book Artists Respond to Architecture and Design

As part of Philagrafika 2010: the Graphic Unconscious, the Athenaeum of Philadelphia, in collaboration with the Philadelphia Center for the Book, is issuing a call for entries for book artists to respond to selected works from the Athenaeum’s legacy research collection of architecture and design.

Entry & Submission Summary:
Athenaeum curators have chosen ten books from their collections that are available to view both on site and online. Artists residing in the United States are invited to submit proposals for a book that they will create in response to one of the selected books. The proposed books may be editioned or one-of-a-kind, artist books, book objects, altered books or zines. The proposal must be for newly created work, directly responding to a specific book from the Athenaeum collection. Six of the proposals will be chosen, and these six artists will make their proposed books, which will be exhibited in the Athenaeum gallery in March and April during the Philagrafika 2010 festival. A generous grant from the Beneficia Foundation underwrites this competition and exhibition and will provide these six artists with a stipend of $500 to help offset the cost of the book production. The artists’ books will be exhibited along with their Athenaeum counterparts. The Athenaeum books are available to view by appointment during regular Athenaeum hours and online. Athenaeum staff are available in person and at 215-925-2688 to consult with artists about the books to which they are responding.

Visit the Athenaeum's website for project details and to view books.
Deadline for proposals is September 25, 2009.

“Show and Bestow” - The Ruth Hughes Collection of Artists’ Books

“Show and Bestow” - The Ruth Hughes Collection of Artists’ Books
A call to donate artists’ books to a new collection at Oberlin College
Preceded by an exhibition at the Free Library of Philadelphia, 1901 Vine Street
November 20 – December 30, 2009

Cancer affects everyone. Recently my friend Ruth found out that her life will be cut short by cancer. Help celebrate life! Please donate a book in her honor to a collection I am assembling that will become a part of the Special Collections at her alma mater, Oberlin College. Your art work will be exhibited first in Philadelphia and then at Oberlin College.

Books due by November 13th to:
Alice Austin
c/o The Library Company of Philadelphia
1314 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Please include name, email and mailing address for recognition.
Also, include a short description of your book.
Questions? Ask ALICE

Another Fast, Friendly, and FREE Workshop

Michelle Dauberman will teach:

Insect Pamphlet:
This insect inspired structure is a fun, simple and elegantly designed 2-hole pamphlet. Utilizing a creative approach to sustainability you can reuse found/scrap materials like wallpaper, Mohawk paper and wax thread to create this organic book/pamphlet structure. Pamphlet materials will be provided. You will need to bring the following tools to the workshop: Knife, sewing needle, scissors, Japanese hole punch and awl.



Cube and nested triangle structure:
Inspired by Platonic solids and the geometry of 3-D space, this form uses a clear medium (ink jet transparency) to expose the elegant simplicity and beautiful relationship of shape and structure as it relates to the cube and nested triangle. Pre-printed ink jet transparencies/templates will be provided. You will need to bring the following tools to the workshop: Knife, bone folder and metal ruler.

Saturday, September 12, 2009
9am - 12pm
Held at the Library Company
1314 Locust St.

RSVP by clicking HERE!

Workshop Coming up Next Month

Developing a Narrative in Visual Artists Books

This workshop will focus on the development and use of narrative as it is used in contemporary book form. Class discussion will include narrative expression from a variety of sources such as current and historical fiction and painting, folk art, and ancient mythologies. There will also be references to popular contemporary art and culture, with an emphasis on visual artist’s books. The course will include class participatory exercises hands on studio assignments and class reviews. Attendees should bring a sketchbook, glue sticks, scissors and drawing/sketching supplies

Taught by Claire Owen

The workshop will be held July 11th from 10 am – 4pm with lunch break

Held at Claire's studio. (Germantown)

$80 members, $100 non-members

TOPICS OF DISCUSSION

Make Sense! or how far a narrative thread can be pulled.

Discussion will include the importance of linear flow to a narrative. Examples of work in which this is done successfully and when it has failed will be discussed. There will be discussion of pacing of information from a beginning point through “time” to a conclusion.

Terms of Engagement:

By what means does an artist engage the viewer in their story using the primary elements of IMAGE and/or TEXT. Do they use a reference to a specific public or private event; (911, Kennedy assassination, graduation, wedding?) Or do they give you a character to care about (or not) Are you (the viewer) being asked to consider a new context and meaning for a commonly understood truth?

Details Matter

Here the workshop will examine how to consider the effectiveness of the physical elements of a work in “delivering” the narrative to the viewer. If text is important, how is readability enhanced or compromised? If a specific time or place is important to the narrative, are the artist references accurate? With specific consideration to the book form, the individual elements of paper, cloth, page size, text style, and image, will be considered as part of the whole “voice” of the story.

If you want to attend this workshop, please email Jennifer Rosner: bindery@librarycompany.org

Fun Workshop

We had a really fun workshop this past weekend taught by Andrew Huot. We learned to make the Sliding Card Folder and the Magic Window. Click here if you would like to see a slide show. This was one of our Fast, Friendly, FREE workshops. They are usually held on a Saturday morning for about three hours. We would like to do more of them and are looking for willing teachers. Do you have anything you would like to share?

Fast, Friendy, FREE Workshop coming up!

Andrew Huot will teach us two paper toy structures. The Sliding Card Folder and the Magic Window will give you creative options for announcements, games, or artist books. Based on sliding mechanisms, these reveal or change the image when the viewer activates the mechanism.

Saturday, June 13, 2009
9 am - noon
The Library Company of Philadelphia
1314 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Bring the usual set of tools: scissors, ruler, cutting mat & knife. Bring colored pencils, markers or rubber stamps to decorate your creations. All other materials will be provided.

This workshop is FREE! But I need for you to RSVP if you are coming. The building is not open to the public and I want to know how many people I will be letting in. Please email me if you are coming: bindery@librarycompany.org

Hedi Kyle is Honored

Our own Hedi Kyle (DVC Program Chair) was honored yesterday with the presentation of a Festschrift. The hefty book, which was sponsored by the Delaware Valley Chapter, The Philadelphia Center for the Book, and The University of the Arts Book Arts/Printmaking Program, is filled with contributions from 35 book artists and contains both scholarly articles and personal tributes. Hedi's long career as an artist seems unabated and her new work is on display now at the UArts in the Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery as part of the Hybrid Book Conference.

Above: Two examples of Hedi's books in display at the Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery.

Hybrid Book Conference Events

Come one, come all to the Hybrid Book Fair
Friday and Saturday, June 5 and 6
1-6 in the Greshman Y. (401 S. Broad St.)
The Fair is free. Please come visit us at our chapter table!

There is also an exhibition:
The Hybrid Book: Irma Boom, Gunnar Kaldewey, and Hedi Kyle
The show will be up from June 2 to June 30
Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery (333 S. Broad Street).
Hours: Monday-Friday 10-5, Wednesday 10-8, Saturday and Sunday 12-4.

Hedi Kyle and Gunnar Kaldewey will be interviewed in the opening event of the conference:
6 PM, June 4 in Solmssen Court, Hamilton Hall (320 S. Broad)

For more information click here.

Please come to these interesting events!

(book pictured above is by Hedi Kyle)

Progressive Book Party Fun

The Progressive Book Party was such fun! We all brought an accordion book along with a dish for the potluck. After a delicious meal we cleared the table and this is what we did: Each person had two minutes to draw a picture on the first panel or spread of their book. Then they passed it to the person sitting next to them who had 20 seconds to look at the picture before covering it up. Then they had 1 minute to draw what they saw. Or in many cases, what they thought they saw! The drawings began to evolve into something else. For example, a drawing that started as an umbrella turned into a flying bat. Very entertaining!

Progressive Book and Potluck Dinner

A potluck dinner and evening of drawing fun at Alice's house
May 1, 2009
5:30 - 8:30
RSVP! (click here and we will send you Alice's address)

Bring something to eat, something to drink and a book to draw in. Your accordion will need at least eight pages. Below you will find instructions for an easy accordion which is put together with a glue stick. This is just a suggestion. Make what you like. The book you bring will be passed around and each person will make a drawing in it.
Hope to see you there!

Accordion with Glue Stick

Paper is 5 1/2” high x 25” wide - 2 pieces

Fold tab of 3/8” at one end.

Fold paper in half, keep folding. (Each section is 3 1/16” wide)

Cut tab off one accordion

Open out accordion with tab, glue tab (with glue stick), fold up accordion with tab under.

Line up the two accordions, one on top of other, press down hard. Open and use bone folder to press tab again.

Covers

Cover is a 2-ply board 3 1/4” x 5 5/8”

Decorated paper is one inch larger.

Lay board on back of paper - centered. Glue corners and fold over.

Glue edges of paper, fold over and rub down with bone folder.

Attach Cover to Accordion

Interleave last page of accordion with waste paper. Glue four edges of accordion. (Throw out waste paper)

Pick up accordion and center over inside of cover. Press down. Flip over.

Glue other side. Open and using bone folder press paper firmly

An Opportunity

An Opportunity for Members of the Delaware Valley Chapter of the GBW

The Delaware Valley Chapter is taking a table at the book fair being held during the

Hybrid Book Conference at the University of the Arts on June 5th & 6th.

This is a great opportunity:

-it is free for DVC members

-you can sell your work

-your work will be eligible for purchase prizes

-your work will be seen by conference attendees

Time line:

Mail the intent to exhibit form to Claire Owen: by May 8 FOR BOOKS ONLY

Claire Owen

6129 Greene Street

Philadelphia, PA 19144

Delivery of book: Friday May 22

Bring it to:

The Library Company of Philadelphia

1314 Locust Street

Philadelphia, PA 19107

215-546-3181 (Jennifer Rosner)

DVC Members: email me if you did not get the intent to exhibit form as an email attachment last week.

Annual Meeting

We held our Annual Meeting on Wednesday, March 18, at the Library Company with 11 people in attendance. (A record!)

The meeting resulted in several ideas for upcoming events:
- a Fast, Friendly, Free workshop with Andrew Huot sometime this Spring.
- a potluck dinner that will include a round-robin bookmaking activity.
- a Fall workshop.
Details coming soon....

We topped off the evening with a folding project. Alice Austin taught us all how to make Vade Mecums. It was a very enjoyable evening!

Hybrid Book Conference at the University of the Arts

Hello Delaware Valley Chapter Members

The chapter will be having a table at the Hybrid Book Conference at the U of A on the weekend of June 4-6. I’ve volunteered to drive this effort, and at this point I’d like to know how many of you are interested in having work displayed at the table. I also think that we should have a display of business cards and/or brochures of member’s services. You can email me directly, so I can start to get an idea of how many of you are interested in this. As we move closer I’d also like to know if any of you could help me at the conference by sitting at the table, even if for only an hour or two. This is a good opportunity of our chapter to have some visibility during this event.

My best

Claire Owen

claireowen@verizon.net

Codex Book Fair Berkeley, CA

The second biennial book fair, Considering the Book as a Work of Art, took place on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley February 8 - 11. Around 140 artists from around the country and the world rented tables, showed books and attended the symposium. The talks took place in the mornings and the fair in the afternoons. I rented a table and also attended most of the symposium. My favorite talks were Karen Bleitz and Ron King. Karen makes books with machines, pop-ups, and magnets which become dynamic stages. Ron King formed Circle Press in 1967 and gave a great talk about his life and work. He might be best known for a pop-out alphabet poster that you can still buy. While his work is often graphic and mixes bold silk screen with the text, his new work is a series of sculptural Logbooks made of logs. Since there were so many artists at the fair, the opportunity to meet and talk to people was endless. The Codex organizers have done a great job creating a friendly forum for everyone who loves books! 

The Codex web site is: http://www.codexfoundation.org

by Alice Austin

Shanna Leino Workshop

A marvelous time was had by all at the 12th Century Coptic workshop with Shanna Leino last weekend, January 17 and 18. The workshop was held at The University of the Arts, and was filled with fantastic personalities, not the least of which was the sparkling and witty Shanna.
Ten students were whipped into action as they made cover boards from laminated papyrus, sewed text blocks with a 4 needle Coptic stitch, pared leather for covers and trim—all this in the first few hours. Shanna’s humor directed them well through each daunting step, and she provided sugary snacks at the appropriate afternoon hour to keep them going.
The students left on Saturday evening with a sewn book in hand, and homework: work on their leather covers! (I didn’t, and was significantly behind the next day).
One of the beautiful things about this particular structure is the appliquéd leather cover. Simple designs were boned onto the covers using a template, and then parts of the design were cut away. Additional pieces of leather, in contrasting or similar colors, are attached to the back, and then stitched, creating an appliqué. There was much excitement about this step, and minds were racing as to what they could do with this. (Hedi was already thinking paper and Tyvek…)
Sunday came, headbands were sewn, covers continued to be worked on, and as the grand finale: a lesson in hardware-making. Shanna demonstrated how to make brass pegs for the books. The pegs are inserted into the double cover after the leather is put on, and combined with a leather toggle, provided a nice closure. Muscles were worked out as the students huffed and puffed to get their pegs made. It was a beautiful site. Denise Carbone was particularly excited about her peg.
In two short days, ten beautiful leather bound books were completed, many jokes were made, and spirits were generally high. You’d be hard-pressed to find a comparable experience. Thank you to the Guild and thank you to Shanna—hopefully she’ll be back in Philadelphia soon!

by Erin Sweeney

Shanna Leino Workshop

Photos courtesy of Alice Austin