Dear NBG Community,
The NBG studio is abuzz with renewed activity. Members have been gathering on Wednesdays, 12-4pm, to work in our supportive, creative space and to purchase materials from Paper Birches. Along with the letterpress projects that are in motion, there is a wonderful feeling of community energy. This is especially poignant after the past sixteen months of pandemic restrictions. (Just a reminder, please wear a mask if you are not vaccinated.)
In this newsletter, you’ll see that our next Program Meeting on July 17 (via Zoom) will feature another ‘fabulous foldable’ tutorial. There are three new, in-person, workshops scheduled for July, August, and September: Eco Printing and Dyeing on Paper, Kumihimo Braid & Bind, and Caterpillar Stitch Binding. Our Books As Art 3 show is less than four months away and with all the activities that fill Alaska summers, I am beginning to feel how the time between now and our show is being compressed. All NBG members can submit up to four general entries along with additional pieces in the special focus areas. Take a look at the details below. If you would like support for an idea or a ‘work in progress’, please stop by the studio during our Wednesday sessions or send me a message by replying to this newsletter and I can direct you to someone who can help. Books As Art 3 is an opportunity for us to share the fascinating world of artist books with Fairbanks. My hope is that every member will participate in this exciting Guild event.
The beautiful photo for Sheryl and Ashley’s Kumihimo Braid & Bind workshop prompted me to think about braids. For thousands of years, in many cultures around the world, braids have been made with an array of materials for decorative and practical uses. Sailors, fishers, and artists make braids. Depend on them. We live on a braided river that winds its way through the Tanana Valley, we choose activities and friends that weave meaning into our lives. We feel the beauty and strength of these intertwined cords. Our Guild is one of the vital strands of my life. Bruce Campbell articulated its rejuvenation in this lovely way:
Wednesdays At NBG
The incoming crowd of outgoing friends,
The buzz and hum of hands in motion,
Questions asked, ideas shared.
Together again in our NBG studio!
It will be a pleasure to see you at our July Zoom Program Meeting, at a Wednesday session, or in one of the upcoming classes.
Warmest regards,
Susan Campbell
NBG President
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PROGRAM MEETING on Zoom
SATURDAY, JULY 17 1-3:00pm
FABULOUS FOLDABLES #4
Triangle Fold Book
with Connie Stricks
The ZOOM invitation will be emailed July 15
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Join us for our fourth mini-workshop in our series focused on creative foldable structures. Each structure presented is both versatile and intriguing, and we hope might provide inspiration for the “Foldables” section of our upcoming Books As Art 3 exhibition in November.
The Triangle Fold Book, created by Hedi Kyle, will be featured at this month’s meeting. Our recent program activities have focused on learning how to alter a sheet of paper primarily through folding. Kyle’s structure--a rectangular book with cover and folded triangular pages--is created by carefully folding and making 3 straight cuts in a single sheet of paper. Following the procedure of artist Karen Hardy from her Book Paper Tread online presentation, Connie Stricks will guide you through its construction.
Although paper size can vary, it must be square. I will be demonstrating with 12 x 12” and 15 x 15” sheets (although sheets up to 19 x 19” work well). When deciding on size, it is good to remember that the size of this structure reduces quickly as folding progresses. Paper should be lightweight, 70-80#--a text-weight paper is good. (Card stock is too heavy and will crack.) You are welcome to come to the NBG studio on Wednesday, July 14, 12-4pm, to pick up pre-cut paper. You will need other tools, listed below.
Please have the following tools and materials ready:
Paper(s) - any square size 12 x12" or larger is recommended (70-80# text weight)
Cutting mat
Bonefolder
2 Rulers 2 x 18"
Pencil
Cutting knife
Weight (brick or heavy book)
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#areyoubookenough themes:
July: Velvet
August: Winding
September: Open
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Eco Printing and Dyeing on Paper
with Corlis Taylor and Laurel Herbeck
Saturday, July 10 10am-4pm
Location: Corlis Taylor's Studio
748 Gaffney Road, Suite 104
NBG Members $105, Guests $115
Materials fee of $15 is included in the above fee
This class is limited to six vaccinated participants
Join us in this fun and exciting opportunity to learn Eco-printing with plant materials and natural dyeing with dye extracts to make gorgeous, unique papers. Instructors will provide paper, dyeing equipment, plant material and dye extract; but feel free to collect from your own garden or woods. Leaves, berries, bark, flowers and other plant materials, such as onion skins, can be kept fresh for several days in gallon sized plastic bags. Rusty items such as nails and old metal objects make interesting design elements as they leave imprints on the paper.
Please bring the following: Notebook or journal, pencil or pen, scissors, apron, towel, heavy rubber gloves, personal face covering, plastic grocery bags (to take home wet paper), and plant materials (if available).
Backyard plants: roses, marigold, delphinium leaf, birch, chokecherry leaves, geraniums, nasturtiums, fireweed (flowers and leaves) any other colorful flower, plant, or berry.
Please prepay for the class by
mailing check to
Northwoods Book Arts Guild,
Suite 205, 3550 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK 99709
WAIT LIST ONLY
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WORKSHOP
Kumihimo Braid & Bind
with Sherrill Peterson and Ashley Thayer
a 2-part worksop in the NBG Studio
Part 1: Saturday, August 14 - 10am-1pm
Part 2: Saturday, August 28 - 10am-2pm
Members $105 Guests $120
Materials fee: $15
Class limited to 10 students
Participants must be vaccinated
Kumihimo is the traditional Japanese craft of making beautiful and functional braids and cords using a specialized loom. Part 1 of the workshop will be learning how to make flat and round Kumihimo cord with Sherrill. Each student will receive a disk loom designed for braiding these elegant cords. Part 2 of the workshop will be led by Ashley and focus on using your cord to make a simple longstitch binding that will showcase the cord you make between classes. Vintage celluloid buttons will be offered as a wraparound element on the spine.
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#AREYOUBOOKENOUGH
Black and White
by Ashley Thayer
For June's #areyoubookenough challenge, I was inspired by the nostalgia of black and white to make this accordion agamograph. The photo is of my grandmother and her step grandmother, aka Auntie Gert, in Brooklyn sometime in the 1930’s, and the antique letter (unknown writer) is penned on a really beautiful laid paper. I always wanted to make something similar after seeing Anamorphosis, called Mary, Queen of Scots at the National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh. Of course everything there was lovely, but it was the one piece that really stayed with me and it was exciting to apply the idea to this book.
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BOOKS AS ART 3
November 5-27, 2021
Fairbanks Arts Association
Bear Gallery
NBG members are invited to submit up to 4 general entries representing a wide range of hand crafted book forms: unique or editioned, sculptural or traditionally bound, interactive or passive.
Artists may submit additional entries in the following special focus areas:
Set Books
Letterpress/Chap Books
Foldables
#areyoubookenough
NBG has been designated the
Bear Gallery Gift Shop featured artist-group for November
Members may offer handcrafted books for sale in the Gift Shop during our exhibition
More information to come!
Download the Guidelines for much more information!
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The Northwoods Set Book Project
A collaboration of Art and Poetry
by Northwoods Book Arts Guild and University of Alaska Press
The Set Book Project features 26 artist books, each responding to one of four books
of poetry by Alaskan authors; they are the project's "set books:"
Armor & Ornament, by Christopher Lee Miles, 2019
Li Bai Rides the Celestial Dolphin Home, by Tom Sexton, 2018
Of Darkness & Light, by Kim Cornwall, edited by Wendy Erd, 2019
Roughly for the North, by Carrie Ayagaduk Ojanen, 2018
In this and the next three newsletters we will highlight one of the featured poets and some of the books created in response to their poetry.
Carrie Ayagaduk Ojanen's poetry in Roughly for the North was responded to by several book artists. The poet's emphasis on family life and living in rural Alaska were points of departure for their responses. Look for references to berry picking, women sewing, tundra landscapes, and Ojanen's memories of community life on King Island. Linda Adamson includes several hand-embroidered scenes of rural family life in her book design, while Gayle Hazen references the richness of blues, purples, and greens of a blueberry patch in the silk paper insets on the covers of her book and clamshell casement. Mary Liston's response to Ojanen includes using an iconic photograph of King Island as endpapers and, inset on the cover, a set of Iñupiaq sewing artifacts from a vintage souvenir card from her mother's collection. Each artist brought to the design, materials, and imagery of her book some aspect of the poet's writing that was personally meaningful.
The full collection of 26 artist books by 16 NBG members will be exhibited
in the Books As Art 3 exhibition in the Bear Gallery, November 2021.
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Paper Birches
Dubletta Book Cloth
A new shipment of Dubletta book cloth has arrived! All colors are currently available during regular studio hours on Wednesdays, noon-4pm.
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FOCUS ON BOOK ARTS 2021
VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
Where We Live
July 15-16-17, 2021
This three-day series of online events centered around the theme “Where We Live”
will include featured speakers, juried exhibition, artist reception, challenge book,
and vendor marketplace.
Congratulations to 3 NBG members who are in the juried exhibition,
Charlotte Bird, Mary Maisch, and Margo Klass
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Newport Paper Book Arts Festival 2021
VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
September 17-18-19, 2021
Full day and half day studio and lecture workshops
Free mini-lectures (must be registered to attend)
REGISTRATION OPENS JULY 10
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NORTHWOODS BOOK ARTS GUILD
CALENDAR
NBG Open Studio Hours
Wednesdays, noon-4pm
ongoing
Letterpress Chapbook Project
ongoing
NBG Program Meeting
Saturday, July 17, 1-3pm
#areyoubookenough July theme: Velvet
Workshop
Eco Printing and Dyeing on Paper
Saturday, July 10, 10am - 4pm
Workshop
Kumihimo Braid & Bind
Part 1: Saturday, August 14 - 10am-1pm
Part 2: Saturday, August 28 - 10am-2pm
Workshop
Caterpillar Stitch Binding
Saturday, September 11 - 10am-2pm
Sunday, September 12 - noon-4pm (optional)
More information to come in August!
Save the date!
NBG Program Meeting
Saturday, September 18, 1-3pm
#areyoubookenough September theme: Open
NBG Exhibition
BOOKS AS ART 3
Bear Gallery
November 5-27, 2021
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Learn about and support Northwoods Book Arts Guild!
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