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In 1985, University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama began to offer an MFA Program in the Book Arts in the School of Library and Informational Studies. This program offers printing/publishing, bookbinding, papermaking, and the history of the book and "emphasizes the art and craft of making books by hand." The 2.5 year program admits about 8 students per year. An important recent contribution to the field of artist's books has been the program's podcasts of interviews with "book people". Mary Ann Sampson was one of the first book artists to have an interview here.
Edith Frohock taught Book Arts at University of Alabama at Birmingham. Frohock, who specialized in painting, printmaking and artist's books and was the first instructor to teach books as art in the South. There is a scholarship set up in Frohock's name. The scholarship is for students interested in the art of the book. Past recipients of this scholarship include Joel Seah, Alan Skees, Janice Weeks and Leslie Wheatley among others. Mary Ann Sampson credits Frohock for steering her in the direction of book arts.
Space One Eleven in Birmingham, Alabama is a not-for-profit under the direction of Anne Arrasmith and Peter Prinz. The organization has exhibited books as art on numerous occasions including the work of Larry Gens Anderson, Pinky Bass, Jon Coffelt, Edith Frohock, Anne Howard, Joni Mabe, Mary Ann Sampson, David Sandlin, Joel Seah and Marie Weaver among many others who have worked in book arts.
Agnes 1992-2001 was the first commercial gallery to show book arts in the South and one of only a handful in the country. During its eight years, the gallery, owned by Shawn Boley, Jon Coffelt and Janet Hughes exhibited the work of many noteworthy book artists including Sara Garden Armstrong, Pinky Bass, Mare Blocker, Elisa Bryan, Denise Carbone, Al Edwards, Susan Hensel, Jenny Holzer, Davi Det Hompson, Lee Isaacs, Sally Johnson, Susan E. King, Jim Koss, Ruth Laxson, Miranda Maher, Emily Martin, Vicki Ragan, Tut Altman Riddick, Anita Ronderos, Jessica Rosner, Ed Ruscha, David Sandlin, Claire Jeanine Satin and Joel Seah.
OEO Press founded by Mary Ann Sampson. After studying bookmaking at UAB with Edith Frohock, Sampson says she was steering into a career in artist's books. Her press is located in Ragland, Alabama and continues to produce limited edition fine art books.
Los Angeles is considered one of the founding homes of the artist's book. "Twenty-Six Gasoline Stations", created by Ed Ruscha in California in 1964 is considered by many to be one of the first artist's books. His "Every Building on the Sunset Strip" of 1966 captured a landscape of Los Angeles that conveyed the complex task of defining a landscape without an explicit center." This also helped define the genre of artists' books. [1]
The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library in La Jolla is a prominent collector and exhibitor of artists' books, focusing on conceptual artists' books, and those created by California artists and presses. The library holds the complete collection of Ed Ruscha's conceptual artist's books created during the 1960s and 70s.
The Women's Graphic Center began at the Woman's Building in 1973 and provided presses, studio space, and support for women artists to create artists books. Exhibitions were also held in the Woman's Building galleries. The center closed in 1991.
Under the direction of Joan Hugo, Otis College of Art and Design began collecting and exhibiting artists' books in the 1960s. The Lab Press was founded in the 1970s by Sheila Levrant de Bretteville to teach printing and the making of books.
In Northern California, the San Francisco Center for the Book began 1996. The Center actively exhibits artist's books and offers workshops and exhibitions. The SFCB was based on The Center for Book Arts in New York and the Minnesota Center for Book Arts in Minneapolis.
Nexus Press, in Atlanta, was a major publisher of artists books. Founded in 1978 by Michael Goodman and Gary Lee Super, Nexus Press encouraged artists to make books as original works of art. Nexus Press was one of the few artists book publishing centers that provided artists with access to offset lithography as a creative process. Though the press also had letterpress equipment, it never was a center for fine print production. It was a center for experimental book production and produced more than 150 titles, including I Want to Take Picture, by Bill Burke. The Atlanta Contemporary Art Center suspended all Nexus Press operations in 2003.
The Columbia College Chicago Center for Book and Paper Arts, founded in 1994, offers a wide range of classes in papermaking, bookbinding, and printing, in addition to an active exhibition program, artists' residencies, and a lecture series. The Center is also home to the Interdisciplinary Arts MFA in Book and Paper, a graduate program focused on using the book arts in the production of contemporary art.
The Joan Flasch Artists' Book Collection, which is housed within the John M. Flaxman Library at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, is a large collection of artists' books. Click here to access the collection online. International in scope, the collection is strongest in works by American and European artists with work dating from the early 1960s to the present. In addition to over 4,000 artists' books, periodicals and multiples, the collection also houses reference materials to support the study of artists' books, various archives related to the field, and an extensive array of exhibition catalogs as works of art, pamphlets, and other ephemera. Anyone is welcome to visit the artists' book collection; all items may be viewed in the study room only. Hours of access vary slightly by semester.
The University of Iowa Center for the Book offers an undergraduate degree in Book arts as well as a Master's degree, a Master of Fine Arts degree and a PhD in book-centered studies, including library and information sciences. UICB offers courses in papermaking, book arts, calligraphy, and printing. It has the UICB Research and Production Paper Facility, UICB Fine Press, and Amana Print Shop & Bindery.
Minnesota Center for Book Arts in Minneapolis is the nation's largest and most comprehensive book arts center, offering extensive programs in papermaking, binding, printing, and other book-related art forms. The center has a large gallery space and sponsors a number of artist programs, including residencies, fellowships, and lecture series. In addition, educational opportunities are offered to both youth and adult learners through classes, tours, workshops and onsite visits.
Susan Hensel Gallery is the home a A Reader's Art, a long running survey show of artists books. Minneapolis, Minnesota. The mission for Susan Hensel Gallery is art, story and activism, bringing together artists working in all media in the service of story.
Mississippi Art Colony The colony, established in 1948 is one the oldest continuing artists colonies in the United States.[2] Notable instructors are Edith Frohock who taught book arts as well as, Larry Gens Anderson, Frances de LaRosa, Moe Brooker, Howard Goodson, Fred Mitchell (artist), Shirley Romer, Alvin Sella, Barbara Gallagher, Auseklis Ozols, Johnnie Winona Ross and Hugh Williams.
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey has several significant programs that support artists' books. The Brodsky Center (formerly, Rutgers Center for Innovative Print and Paper), in New Brunswick, New Jersey founded by Judith K. Brodsky teaches classes in book-making with an emphasis on both traditional and non-traditional (artists') books. The Rutgers University Libraries support an annual event in the fall on its Newark, New Jersey campus, it calls The New Jersey Book Arts Symposium. Begun in 1994, the NJBAS consistently showcases artists' books by artists who reside, work, or were born or educated in the state, although its inclusive focus falls on every facet of the book arts. As well as featuring presentations by New Jersey artists, the NJBAS includes extended considerations of topics deemed of moment to students and practitioners of the book arts. The NJBAS goes beyond state borders and invites presenters from all parts of the world to speak when their expertise dovetails with that year's topic. The Symposium has posted numerous web pages including a photographic essay on a recent symposium on the relation of artists and collectors of artists' books.
Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester was founded in the late 1960s as a graduate program that promoted the study and production of media arts, but from its beginning sponsored and published artists' books. They have produced over 450 artists' books, an unequaled record of accomplishment. It continues to this day as a press, an archive, an exhibition venue, a residency program, and a graduate program in media art.
Women's Studio Workshop is a major center for artists' books residencies and distribution in upstate New York.
The Center for Book Arts in New York City was founded in 1974 by Richard Minsky, was the first artist center dedicated to all aspects of Art of the Book. Since that time it has mounted over 140 exhibitions of artists’ books. It runs an active lecture series, provides services to artists (including internships, residencies, and apprenticeship programs), and currently offers over 100 classes and workshops in bookbinding, letterpress printing, paper marbling, typography, and related fields. It is "dedicated to preserving the traditional crafts of book-making, as well as exploring and encouraging contemporary interpretations of the book as an art object." Among the many artists who have exhibited at the Center for Book Arts is the Swiss born and New York based illustrator Warja Honegger-Lavater.
Franklin Furnace and Printed Matter were both founded in 1976, originally as one organization which quickly splintered into two projects: the Franklin Furnace as a major collection of artists' books; Printed Matter as a publisher and distributor. The Franklin Furnace Collection is now held at the Library of the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Printed Matter continues to publish and distribute artists' books, but also mounts exhibitions of artists' books, hosts book launches, and acts as an advisory service to both artists and collecting institutions.
Founded in 1999, Booklyn is an artist-run, nonprofit organization headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. Booklyn's mission is to promote artist books as an art form and educational resource; to provide educational institutions and the public with programming involving contemporary artist books; and to assist artists in exhibiting, distributing, and publishing innovative bookwork. Unarguably, three of the major contemporary book artists living in Brooklyn are Judy Hoffman and Doug Beube.
2007-2008 SDCA (Seaport District Cultural Association) under its founding directors, Richard Sack, Jim Wintner and Florence Wack, opened SPACE gallery on Front street in the downtown seaport area of Manhattan. Jon Coffelt was the curator/director of SPACE upstairs book arts venue. Anne Bean exhibited a tie-in exhibition with Franklin Furnace here in the Summer of 2007. SPACE' inaugural exhibition was "Cuerpos Santos" by Pinky Bass followed with an organic book installation by Judy Hoffman. SPACE venue represented artists books as an out-of-the-vernacular experience pushing the boundaries of what is considered a book.
CENTRAL BOOKING[1] was founded in 2009 by Maddy Rosenberg in DUMBO, Brooklyn gallery district. CENTRAL BOOKING is dedicated to the expanse and scope of “the book” as art, exhibiting both established and emerging international artists. It is designed into two separate but integrated spaces: Gallery I displays book art and prints, while Gallery II specializes in art and science thematic exhibitions that incorporate book art among a broad variety of media. CENTRAL BOOKING also has its own programming, including curator’s talks, art & science panel discussions, performances, screenings and artist’s book presentations. In 2010, it began publishing CENTRAL BOOKING Magazine, a quarterly that focuses on artist’s books as well as catalogs of Gallery II exhibitions. In the fall of 2011, CENTRAL BOOKING collaborated with the Polish Cultural Institute to bring Zenon Fajfer and Katarzyna Bazarnik, and their project, Liberature, a genre of literature that combines poetry with the art of the book, in a series of exhibitions, workshops, performances and talks presented during the Brooklyn Book Fair and DUMBO Arts Festival.
Cincinnati has an active book arts community that formed The Cincinnati Book Arts Society approximately 9 years ago. Small but active, the society offers study groups, opportunities to exhibit, workshops and a friendly community of artists ranging from fine bookbinders, librarians, visual artists and novices. Visit the website for more information. The Cincinnati Book Arts Society in conjunction with the Cincinnati Public Library has for the past eight years sponsored an annual "BookWorks" exhibit at the downtown main library. Typically held in the spring, the exhibit features a wide range of books from small edition to one of a kind books.
Philadelphia has an active book arts community centered around the Book Arts/Printmaking graduate program at The University of the Arts and the Philadelphia Center for the Book, a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to the medium.
College of the Mainland in Texas City, Texas just hosted a critical overview of the field of book arts called "The Book "ever after"". Co-curators Janet Hassinger and Jon Coffelt selected 38 artists for this exhibition, an overview starting from the beginning of the book arts movement with works by Ed Ruscha, John Cage, Yoko Ono and Dieter Roth to contemporary works by Pinky Bass, Coffelt, and Mary Ann Sampson.[1]
Activity in the book arts in Wisconsin is centered around the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For many years, Walter Hamady taught in Madison, and countless notable book artists studied with him. His Perishable Press, Ltd. is located nearby in Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin.[2] Today, a considerable community of book artists live and work in and around Madison. Madison is also home to the Wisconsin Center for Book & Paper Arts and the Silver Buckle Press .
Art Metropole was founded by the three artists of General Idea in 1974 for the collection, distribution, publishing and promotion of artists' books. It continues today as one of the primary institutions for artists' books, with a regular exhibition programme, in addition to its publishing and distribution activities. The Art Metropole Collection, comprising some 13,000 items, is now held by the Library of the National Gallery of Canada as a special collection.
Mainzer Minipressen-Messe (MMPM) International bookfair for small presses Foire Internationale du Livre des petits Editeurs Fiera internazionale delle case editrici piccole e delle stampe private ed artistiche
Every two years, the Gutenberg City of Mainz becomes the meeting-place for private presses, small publishers, hand presses, book artists and authors. Nearly 360 exhibitors from more than 16 countries and 10,000 visitors meet at the Mainzer Minipressen-Messe and form the greatest marketplace for books by small publishers and artistic prints.
This book fair has developed from modest beginnings to become an international book fair for small publishers and artistic private presses. It is also a sales show with an extensive supporting program comprising more than 30 cultural and specialist events. Thus, it has become the forum where the latest ideas and trends for the printing and the publishing of literature and art are traded.
The Mainzer Minipressen-Messe is organized every two years – always in uneven years – and with 40 years of experience, it is the most constant and oldest event of its kind in Europe. It will be opened on Ascension Day and will last through Sunday following this holiday. The City of Mainz is a funding body, the preparations and implementation lie in the hands of an independent project group and the Mainzer Minipressen-Archive of the Gutenberg-Museum; support is provided by the Verein minipresse e.V and by many sponsors.
The next Mainzer Minipressen-Messe will be held in two large tents on the banks of the River Rhine in Mainz, Germany from June 2–5, 2011. http://en.minipresse.de/index.php
Annual artist's book fairs in the UK include: 1. London Artists Book Fair ("LAB"), run by Marcus Campbell Art Books. 2. Small Publishers' Fair (London) 3. Dean Clough (Halifax) 4. Oxford Brookes University (Oxford) 5. Manchester Artist's Book Fair (Manchester - new; first fair to take place Autumn 2006) 6. COVERED! The Artist's Book Fair (London - 31 January - 3 February 2008)
Three of the earliest and most extensive collections of artists books worldwide are those of the National Art Library at the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Library of Chelsea College of Art and Design, and the Hyman Kreitman Research Centre at Tate Britain. The Tate's collection numbers about 4,000 items, includes books dating from the 1960s onwards and is international in scope with an emphasis on British artists.
Since the mid 1990s, Camberwell College of Art (part of the University of the Arts, London) has run a 1-year master's degree programme in Book Art, graduating 10-15 students annually.
The London College of Communication (part of the University of the Arts, London) runs a 3-year BA degree programmer in book arts.
The bookartbookshop is a non-profit organisation founded in 2002 by Tanya Peixoto (co-founder of the Artist's Book Yearbook) and sells publications of artist presses and publishers of artists’ books.
The University of the West of England in Bristol publishes the bi-annual Artist's Book Yearbook, as well as a free downloadable monthly newsletter on artists' books. It began a new MA degree programme in artists' books in 2006.
Circle "Bokartas", Vilnius, Lithuania [3] is one of the most active centres of organising International Artists’ Books Triennials in Europe.
The 1st International Artist's Book Triennial took part in 1997, in Gallery "Kaire Desine", in Vilnius, Lithuania. The theme of it was "Diary: Eight Days". 65 artists from 13 countries took part in the Triennial.
The 2nd International Artist's Book Triennial took part in 2000, in Gallery "Arka" in Vilnius and in "Galerie 5020" in Salzburg, Austria. The theme of it was "Apocalypse". 138 artists from 29 countries took part in the Triennial.
The 3rd International Artist's Book Triennial took part in 2003, in the Contemporary Art Centre in Vilnius. The theme of it was "23 Sins". 118 artists from 37 countries took part in the Triennial. The Triennial was showed in 2004 in Frankfurt Art Fair in Germany; in 2004 in Thomas Mannas’ House in Nida, Lithuania; in 2004 in Gallery "Le Carre" in Lille, France;
The 4th International Artist's Book Triennial took part in 2006, in the Gallery "Arka" in Vilnius. The theme of it was "Rabbit and House". 130 artists from 29 countries took part in the Triennial. After the exhibition in Vilnius the Triennial was showed in 2007 in Leipzig Book Fair in Leipzig, Germany; in 2007 in Seoul International Book Arts Fair in Seoul, South Korea.
5th International Artist's Book Triennial Vilnius 2009. The theme - "Text". The Triennial was showed in 2009 in Leipzig Book Fair, Germany; In the Gallery "Arka" Vilnius, Lithuania; In the Art Centre Silkeborg Bad, Silkeborg, Denmark; In 2010 in the Gallery "Hübner Bokform, Halmstad, Sweden; In the "Scuola Internazionale di Grafica Venezia", Venice, Italy.
330 artists from 56 different countries sent their books for the 5th International Artist's Book Triennial Vilnius 2009. The jury selected only 131 artists for the exhibition. It is sad and disappointing that so many artists were not included into the exhibition. I would like to thank all the authors who created and sent their books.
The theme of the 5th International Artist's Book Triennial is Text. If compared with the themes of previous triennials, this theme is as if a step backwards, something more traditional. Probably. But if so, then first of all, that small step is a step towards oneself, towards one's culture, towards one's country, its uniqueness, language and writing. It is turning back towards each other, an attempt to establish a contact with the other human being, irrespective of the country he or she lives in, language he or she speaks, religion he or she believes in. Letters, dairies or poetry expressed in words, images, from the heart. They are the words (In the beginning was the Word, Jn 1. 1) that acquired "body" from paper, metal, wood or any other material. They are the words that turned into an avalanche of typographic text, calligraphic letters or entirely vanished from the book pages with only punctuation marks, imprints on the paper leaf left.
The 5th Triennial displays the most interesting artist's books from all over the world. It is the most wonderful experience to see culture, traditions of different countries, art schools reflected in the artist's books created by the artists. Paper typographic books and books printed by the use of classic graphic techniques – wood engraving, silk-screen printing or lithography; books printed by mixed techniques by combining possibilities of digital printing with drawing, collage and object; concept and "handmade" embroidered books; books – objects, le parello and Flux books. The key role here is played by the idea which materialises in multidimensional forms, and it is absolutely unimportant what means of expression were used in the book. Thus, whether they are "bibliophilic" books or experimental or books – objects – all of them by supplementing each other and contrasting with each other help to reveal miraculous and mysterious world of the artist's book.
This exhibition is an invitation for dialogue. An invitation to share your "text" with the others, an invitation to read the other author's words carefully, and to feel his or her soul trembling, heart beating. Thus, please accept this invitation.
Like always we have made the special conceptual catalogue full in colour. The catalogue has modern design, printed on good paper, whose sheets were ripped apart and binded by hand. The catalogue has 500 edition, all catalogues are numbered. [4]
6th International Artist's Book Triennial Vilnius 2012. Theme "Love". [5]
The E+ABS at the Australian National University (ANU) School of Art was one of the most active centres of production for artists’ books in Australia between 1996 and 2004. It encouraged collaboration between artists, writers and printers, allowing them the freedom to explore ideas and experiment with materials and techniques. The results are considered to be among the finest examples of the book arts in Australia. The space is now called the Printmedia & Drawing Book Studio, and whilst still collaborating with artists of all media, it is a much more student-centred facility. Project-based residencies are available upon application.
The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) holds 1049 Australian artists' books (July 2007), the largest institutional collection of Australian artists’ books. The NGA is also one of the most active centres for discussion on artists’ books via their triannual Australian Print Symposium
The National Library of Australia (NLA) holds one of the most notable and accessible collections of Australian artists’ books in the ACT, with the collection numbering over 300. The NLA has also held regular exhibitions promoting the collection and further study on the collections, e.g. Beyond the Picket Fence: Australian women's art in the National Library's collections.
Southern Cross University in Northern NSW[3] has established a growing Artists Book collection housed in the University Library, the annual Southern Cross University Artists' Book Acquisitive Award and " the Codex Events" aimed at promoting papermaking & artists' books.
The Sydney Art on Paper Fair (SAPF), inaugurated in 1989, is boutique-sized art fair with over 35 exhibitors held every two years. SAPF is the only international art fair in Sydney, and the only one of its kind in the Asia Pacific region.
In Australia, Artspace Mackay, houses one of Australia's most significant regional collections of artists’ books, with over 400 held, and also hosts Focus on Artists Books, a program that includes special exhibitions by leading Australian book artists, and an annual conference on artists’ books.
The State Library of Queensland holds one of the most notable collections of Australian and overseas artists’ books in Australia, with approximately 800 (July 2007), housed within their Australian Library of Art, incorporating both the James Hardie Library of Australian Fine Arts and the History and Art of the Book Collection. The State Library of Queensland has also initiated the Artists’ Books Online project with Education Queensland's e-learning environment, the Learning Place, to:
Noreen Grahame opened Grahame Galleries + Editions in 1987. The gallery specialises in prints, artists’ books and other works on paper. Since it opened the gallery has mounted 120 exhibitions; organised five artists’ books fairs in Australia; mounted a travelling exhibition of Australian artists’ books to Nouméa in 1999 as part of Reaching the World, the Australian Olympic Arts Festivals 1999; participated in the Sydney Works on Paper fairs and the London Artists’ Books Fair. The publishing arm, Numéro Uno Publications, was established in 1994 to publish artists’ books and catalogues. The gallery also houses The Centre for the Artist Book, housing over 500 Australian and international artists’ books and may be accessed on request.
The State Library of Victoria holds a notable collection of artists’ books, which although approximately 300 in size, is being very actively developed and exhibited. Exhibition held include Lost & Found - Peter Lyssiotis and John Wolseley: the adventures of two artists in the State Library of Victoria.
The Korean Book Arts Association[4] sponsors the Seoul International Artists’ Books Fair.
BAS is an artist-run space in Istanbul, Turkey, started in 2006 by Banu Cennetoğlu which collects, exhibits, and produces artists’ books. They also sponsor public lectures on topics relevant to artists' books.