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Hello Book Artists,
I am so proud of our Book Arts Guild and the long list of projects, classes, and programs we have accomplished. I enjoyed bragging about our Guild while I was at the Newport Paper and Book Arts Festival last month. My fellow book artists in attendance were surprised that we had such a thriving group in Fairbanks, Alaska of all places. I had the opportunity to answer many questions about what we do and how we do it. We are engaged and productive in so many ways with our Guild. I want to thank all of you for your individual efforts to make this Guild what it is today. Whether we are taking a class to learn a new skill or making a book for an exhibition, attending a meeting, or joining a committee we all are a part of making this Guild successful.
There are many ways to continue to engage with the Northwoods Book Arts Guild.
Upcoming is our annual Tiny Book Party on Sunday, May 19 and on Thursday, June 6, “Contemporary Meets Vintage” our book arts exhibit opening at the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum. The UAF Museum of the North exhibit "Thinking Made Visible" features NBG artists and will be open through January 5, 2025.
As always remember Open Studio every Wednesday from noon to 2pm. You must be a Guild member to purchase items in Paper Birches, our book arts supply shop.
Corlis Taylor
NBG President
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Northwoods Book Arts Guild
ABC Challenge
Inspired by Robert Bolick’s ABC book collection, NBG members are invited to make their own alphabet-themed books. Any structure/format/medium related to book arts is welcome! This will be a slow paced, stress-free project that will culminate as a display in the BOOKS AS ART 4 exhibition at the Bear Gallery taking place in June 2025.
To check out Robert’s blog, visit http://books-on-books.com
All members of NBG are invited to sign up for this challenge! There is no fee to
participate, and we will hold optional meet ups (virtual or in-person) to discuss
ideas and share our progress. To join this fun and exciting new challenge email Ashley
ABC Challenge Meet Up
Thursday, May 9th 5:30pm
on Zoom
Join us in our first official meet up where we'll discuss some of the alphabet themed books on loan to the NBG studio, introduce the collaborative ABC Letter Quilt activity, and share with the group any ideas that participants have for their ABC book.
Email Ashley to sign up and receive the zoom link.
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NBG Art-o-Mat Project Update
Alaskan Letterpress Haiku
Great news! The first round of 55 Haiku books was completed by a team of 12 NBG members in 8 sessions led by Sherrill Peterson. We will keep 10 books to stock "Artie" our local Art-o-Mat machine. The remaining will be shipped to Art-O-Mat Headquarters for distribution to Art-o-Mat machines across the country. This first Haiku was written by Caroline Wolf. Two more NBG members' poems will be typeset, printed and folded into books. Stay tuned for upcoming sessions to participate in making the next books.
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NBG Workshop
Printmaking
Instructor: Yumi Kawaguchi
Friday & Saturday, May 3rd & 4th
1 - 4pm
NBG Studio
Workshop Fees: Members $90, Guests $120
Materials Fee: $20
Workshop Full, Waitlist Only
In this workshop, participants will learn the basic relief printmaking techniques; transferring a design to a woodblock, how to use various carving tools safely, how to ink the block and print the image with hand-pressing tools such as a wooden spoon or a “Baren”. Participants will also learn how to use the TOM press, NBG owned small etching press.
Each participant will carve a small 4”x6” woodblock and make a small edition of prints. You will be provided with 10 different kinds of printmaking papers to try. There are sets of wood carving tools participants can use at the studio, which can be checked out during the workshop, so you do not have to bring your own carving tools. All the materials such as a woodblock, ink and papers will be provided, and all the essential tools will be available to use. We are using oil-based printmaking ink, Caligo Safe Wash relief ink.
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3rd Annual
Northwoods Book Arts Guild
TINY BOOK PARTY
a tiny book that measures no more then 3 inches in any direction
A drop-in social gathering of friends, old and new!
Sunday, May 19
1-4pm
Davis Hall, Lion's building at the
Tanana Valley State Fairgrounds
(Building 6 in the map shown below)
$5 suggested donation
Silent Auction Fundraiser
No RSVP required
This year the Tiny Book Party will have an emphasis on LETTERING! Special guest instructors Bev Byington and Sandra Westcott will be teaching two different styles of lettering techniques.
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Embedded Letters
with Sandra Westcott
1:30 - 2:30pm
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Lettering Fun
with Bev Byington
2:30 - 3:30pm
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Create a Meander Book (see example above), the perfect structure to showcase an alphabet of your newly learned lettering skills. Basic tools and materials provided, no experience necessary.
Optional tools/materials:
Quality pens/pencils, Micron pens, colored gel pens, bit of decorative paper, glue stick, calligraphy tools, bonefolder, X-acto knife, scissors, cutting mat, ruler
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NBG Workshop
Introduction to Coptic Stitch
Instructor: Oralee Nudson
Saturday May 25th
10am-4pm
NBG Studio
Workshop Fees: Members $120, Guests $150
Materials Fee: $25
Workshop Full, Waitlist Only
This workshop will introduce beginning Book Artists to the versatile 2-needle Coptic Stitch sewing technique found in Keith Smith's Exposed Spine Sewings, Non-Adhesive Binding Vol III. Students will learn how to prepare and attach cover boards to a text block using the Lark Spur board attachment technique, wrangle a half dozen or more dangling needles into a Coptic Stitch binding, and gain the confidence necessary to tackle any and all Coptic Stitch bindings in the future!
Prerequisites: Willingness to accept imperfection, work through frustration, and persevere!
As Bob Ross once said, "We don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents."
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UAF Summer Sessions
Bookmaking: Soft Cover Coptic Journal
Instructor: Margo Klass
Friday, May 31, 6 - 8:30 pm
Saturday and Sunday, June 1 & 2, 10am - 4pm
Workshop Full, Waitlist Only
This structure highlights all the elegance and appeal of Coptic binding without cutting,
covering, and attaching hard board covers. The soft covers are constructed of heavy
paper wrapped around an inner support making them sturdy and much more easily
sewn to the text block. A collaged composition of stones and twigs embellish the cover,
each object sewn on using a Japanese-inspired technique. This journal is casual enough
for daily writing and sketching, and unique enough to serve as guest book for a special
event.
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NBG Workshop
Zines! Zines! Zines!
Instructor: Vanessa DeWolf
Saturday, June 15, 1-4pm
Workshop Fees: Members $45, Guests $60
Materials Fee: $5
Workshop Limit: 6 participants
Fleckland Studio (at Well Street Art Co)
Working with scissors, tape, gluesticks, paper, pencils, pens, collage materials and our imaginations we'll make many zines in the course of the afternoon. We'll be working in black & white (grayscale). Vanessa will have both her scanner and laser printer for our use. She will guide exercises for writing, drawing, mark-making and collaging. This class is spontaneous, easy-breasy, no expertise is needed. There will be a combination of group, collaborative activity and independent, self-directed activity with lots of discussion, brainstorming, and generating. Vanessa intends to give you lots of processes for initiating content and making zines. For the last half hour we'll look at places you can submit your zines, zinefests to go to, and places you can trade/buy and find zines.
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NBG Exhibition
2 Street Gallery Featured Artist
for the Month of October
Call for Participation!
2 Street Gallery in downtown Fairbanks has invited the Northwoods Book Arts Guild to be their Featured Artist for the month of October 2024! All current NBG members are invited to display and sell new and original artist books or artist book related items at the gallery for the duration of the show. Work includes but is not limited to handmade books, journals, cards, letterpress creations, or handmade tools associated with artist book making. All artwork must be for sale (with 40% of the sale going to 2 Street Gallery as a consignment fee).
Submissions will be collected in September, however we will need several pieces completed by July 6th to photograph for advertising the event. Please email Oralee Nudson if you have questions about the exhibit or have finished work ready for photographing.
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Tanana Valley State Fair
Invitation to Participate!
2024 marks the 100th anniversary of the Tanana Valley State Fair. The theme this year is “Thank you For Bee-ing A Friend” . The fair is an opportunity for community members to showcase their creations. Corlis Taylor, NBG President, along with NBG member Coleen Turner would like to invite NBG members to enter a poem or handmade book in the fair exhibits. NBG has many creative writers in our group and there are opportunities in the creative writing division. In the Division of Creative Arts, Class K - Nature Inspired Art - a Flitch book or specimen book would qualify. The Class L Paper Craft – Lot 9 Hand made paper or lot 10 "Other" - would be an opportunity to enter your book with a paper cover.
Learn more on the TVSF website or pick up a TVSF Exhibit Guides available at the NBG Studio.
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UA Museum of the North
Thinking Made Visible Exhibit
Open through Sunday, January 5, 2025
Thinking Made Visible is a UAMN special exhibition exploring the human instinct to express thought through line, form, and color. It is an immersion in possibility and process – honoring and encouraging the practice of slowing down and spending time with an idea, an object, a place.
Perception, communication, and invention are explored through nature journals and cartoons, maps and scientific fieldnotes, architectural, art, and exhibit design – memory and sensory experience given form by the humble sketchbook.
Members of NBG have participated in the planning of this exciting exhibition. Look for NBG book artists in the show!
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Focus on Book Arts
June 26 - 30, 2024
Monmouth, Oregon
Focus on Book Arts is a conference of book and paper arts in Monmouth, Oregon. FOBA offers five days of workshops, along with a Trade Show, Artists’ Fair, Faculty-Staff Exhibition, and several evening events. Workshops are taught by professional instructors in bookbinding, printing, decorative papers, paper making, book art, and more.
REGISTRATION IS OPEN!
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NORTHWOODS BOOK ARTS GUILD
CALENDAR
NBG Open Studio &
Boreal Book Arts Showcase Hours
Wednesdays, 12-2pm
NBG Activity
Coptic Binders Meet Up
Thursday, May 2, 4-6pm
NBG Workshop
Printmaking
Fri & Sat, May 3 & 4, 1-4pm
NBG Special Event
Tiny Book Party
Sunday, May 19, 1-4pm
NBG Workshop
Introduction to Coptic Stitch
Saturday, May 25, 10am-4pm
NBG Exhibit
Contemporary Meets Vintage
Thursday June 6, 5:30-7:30pm
Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum
NBG Workshop
Zines! Zines! Zines!
Saturday June 15, 1-4pm
NBG Activity
Coptic Binders Meet Up
Thursday, June 13, 4-6pm
NBG Program Meeting
Thursday, June 20, 5:30-7pm
Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum
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Learn about and support Northwoods Book Arts Guild!
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