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Congratulations to
Veronika Schäpers of Tokyo, Japan
Recipient of the 2009 MCBA Prize! |
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Veronika Schäpers
Durs Grünbein: 26°57,3’N, 142º16,8’E
Three poems by Durs Grünbein, translation into Japanese by Yuji Nawata. Letterpress-print in German and Japanese by polymer clichés and vinyl mats in blue, grey and black. Printed on 50 year-old Toshaban-Genshi paper. Illustrated with nautical charts and scientific data on the Architeuthis, provided by Tsunemi Kubodera from the National Museum of Science, Tokyo. Flexible cover made of clear vellum, embossed in black. Box made of acrylic. 46 pages. Dimensions: closed 24 x 45.3 cm; open 47 x 45.3 cm. Edition of 36 Arabic numbered copies and 8 Roman numbered copies.
Artist's Statement:
26°57,3’N, 142°16,8’E -- at this location in the northwestern pacific, the Japanese marine biologist Tsunemi Kubodera took for the first time pictures of a living giant squid in its natural environment. I chose this coordinates as the title for this book containing three poems by the Berlin-based author Durs Grünbein. Despite being located 900 km south of Tokyo, the Ogasawara islands belong to the administrative district of the capital. Until these first images were taken, all scientific surveys were based on dead squids washed ashore, or parts of them found in the stomach of sperm whales. Their giant size evoked the myth of an aggressive monster. When Kubodera published the pictures he took in September 2004 in the Proceedings of the Royal Society one year later, this not only created a scientific sensation, he got worldwide media attention as well.
Inspired by a note in the newspaper, Durs Grünbein wrote a poem titled “Architeuthis” about this discovery. Fascinated by his seven-verse text, this project about deep-sea fish emerged. We chose two additional poems to be printed: one which had already been published about the bizarre shapes and behaviors of creatures living in such depth entitled “Sous les Mers,” reminding of Jules Verne’s Capitain Nemo; and a second about the legendary fish “Remora,” which Grünbein wrote specially for this book.
In Autumn 2006, just shortly before he caught the first giant squid alive, I visited Tsunemi Kubodera in his laboratory in the National Museum of Science in Tokyo. Surrounded by countless preparations and images of different types of squids, he told me about his discovery and the reactions on his publication, not forgetting to point out his disappointment about the Japanese media that concentrated on the questions if this giant squid is edible and how many sushi could be made out of it. I decided to use the data and formulas received from Kubodera together with some nautical charts as illustrations for the book. When we met, Kubodera also showed me pictures and short films of squids he recorded in depths between 600 and 1.000 meters. On these images, the unpracticed spectator only sees dimly silhouettes of the squids but at the same time starts to sense the diversity of life in such darkness. This gave me the idea to use the interaction of transparent and opaque pages for this book.
In search of an appropriate paper, some difficulties arose: a beautiful sample that I had brought back from a trip to Shikoku some years ago was not available any more, since the papermaker had died and no one succeeded his skills. Finally, I got a bigger amount of old Toshaban-Genshi, a very thin Gampi paper, which was used to make stencils for Mimeographs. This paper was exactly what I was looking for, on the one hand very thin and transparent, on the other hand so firm that once it was printed with a dark color, it turned to be opaque. It also attracts through a fine and rustling tone.
Each page of the book consists of a double spread paper, fold in the front. These fold pages are printed completely with a transparent medium, a color ranging between grey, blue, or black as well as transitions of these colors. The pages are cut horizontally, pulled apart a little bit and thus make visible the inserted single sheets. On these sheets, I printed the data Kubodera surveyed, as well as the nautical charts that are often only partially visible. The pages with their stripes remind the reader of horizons and depth contours and at the same time give a glimpse to the normally invisible variety of the deep-sea world as if lighted up with a torch.
The first and the last page show the outlines of Tokyo Bay with the fish market Tsukiji. In 1895, a species named “Architeuthis sp.” was discovered there and described for the first time by the Japanese scientists Mitsukuri and Ikeda. The German scientist Franz Hilgendorf, who described in 1880 a “Megateuthis”, found a lot of his specimens in Tsukiji.
The tranquil and colored pages are interrupted by six double-spread pale pages, printed with the three poems in German on the left and their Japanese translation on the right side. According to the coordinates of the place where Kubodera made his images, all periods are replaced by a degree mark and commas are replaced with a minute mark. Yuji Nawata translated the poems into Japanese for this edition. All inserted single pages and the poems are printed by polymer clichés, the colored pages are printed by vinyl mats.
The book is stitched with thin straps of vellum to a flexible cover of clear vellum. The first page containing the title and the last page with the imprint are visible through the clear material. By its natural warping and organic character, the vellum sets a harmonic antipole to the technical image of the inner pages. On the front cover, the name of the author is embossed in small letters. To control the natural warping of the vellum, the covers are hold together with magnetic strips at the leading edge. The book is kept in a compact box made of 8 mm acrylic glass in the style of a preparation. By this it seems to be cast in and the heavy box forms a beautiful contrast to the lightweight and fragile book.
About the artist:
Schäpers was born in Germany and has lived and worked in Tokyo, Japan since 1997. She studied at the Hochschule für Kunst und Design Burg Giebichenstein in Halle, Germany, specializing in painting and artist's books. Her work has been exhibited internationally across Europe, Asia and the United States.
For more information on the artist and her work:
veronikaschaepers.net
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The MCBA Prize is the first honor in the United States to recognize book art from across the field and around the world. The MCBA Prize celebrates the diversity of book art and encourages discussion rather than limiting recognition to one aspect of this vital field. A jury of three distinguished leaders in the field of book arts reviewed over 110 submissions from 10 nations around the world. The jury narrowed the field to five finalists; from these five works the jury selected the recipient of the MCBA Prize.
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THE MCBA PRIZE CELEBRATION EVENING |
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A sold-out crowd celebrated the awarding of the inaugural MCBA Prize for international excellence in the book arts. Photos and highlights of the celebration evening and award ceremony will be posted soon!
The staff and board of MCBA wish to thank the sponsors of the MCBA Prize Celebration for their generous support:
The Elmer L. and Eleanor J. Andersen Foundation
City of Minneapolis Department of
Community Planning and Economic Development
Cathy Ryan and Doris Engibous
Twin Cities Fine Arts Organization
with special thanks to:
Adsoka
aloft Hotel / Sherman Associates
Betty Bright & Jay P. White
Lori Brink
Friends of the St. Paul Public Library
Jennie Carlson
Lehrman, Flom & Co. P.L.L.P.
Lutrec Catering
MCAD Alumni Association
The Tom Pletscher Duo
Ryan Companies
Sorella Wine and Spirits
Richard Stephens and Denise Thurmon
Wet Paint Artists' Materials
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THE MCBA PRIZE 2009 FINALISTS |
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Julie Chen
Panorama
Berkley, California
United States
Letterpress printed from photopolymer plates and woodblock, with laser cut elements throughout. Dimensions: box 10-1/4 x 20-5/8 x 2”; book closed 9-1/2 x 20-1/4 x 1-1/4”; book open 9-1/2 x 60”. Edition of 100.
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Clifton Meador
Avalanche
Chicago, Illinois
United States
Offset lithography by the artist in a variety of colors: the first 28 pages in two-color duotones, and the rest of the book in a range of three and four color tritones and quadtones. The paper cover is printed letterpress from photopolymer plates. 52 pages, post-bound. Dimensions: closed 7-7/8 x 11 x 5/16”. Edition of approximately 200, unnumbered. |
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Jan Owen
Requiem
Belfast, Maine
United States
Handmade Cave Paper folded and sewn, with padding compound by Amanda Degener.
Hand lettered with gouache, sumi and walnut ink, pen; with painted woven Tyvek by Jan Owen. Case: binder’s board with paste paper. Dimensions: closed 11-3/4 x 10-1/4 x 5-3/4"; open 11-3/4 x 18 x 5". 170 pages. Unique edition.
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Simon Redington
Bomb
London, England
United Kingdom
Letterpress type, woodblocks & circular saw blades. Dimensions: closed 35 x 28 cm; open 35 x 56 cm. 24 pages. Edition of 100.
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ALL SUBMITTED WORKS: |
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Sue Anderson and Gwen Harrison
Quaranta Australis
Sydney, New South Wales
Australia
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Alex Appella
Where Are You From?
Salem, Oregon
United States
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Lyn Ashby
I Decline Myself
Cottles Bridge, Victoria
Australia
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Julie Baugnet
Blood Count
St. Paul, Minnesota
United States
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Roberly Bell
A Borrowed View
Batavia, New York
United States
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Doug Beube
Disaster: Twister Series
Brooklyn, New York
United States
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Doug Beube
The Many Lives of Miss Chatelaine
Brooklyn, New York
United States
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Doug Beube
Vest of Knowledge for a New World
Brooklyn, New York
United States
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Kerry Blake
Psyche
Rozelle, New South Wales
Australia
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Sarah Bodine
Garden in Spring
Hopewell, New Jersey
United States
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Sarah Bodine
Semblance
Hopewell, New Jersey
United States
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Kenneth Edward Botnick
Kamini, A Cycle of Poems from Jayadeva’s Gitagovinda
St. Louis. Missouri
United States
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Inge Bruggeman
Unable to Find Each Other, Let Alone Ourselves
Portland, Oregon
United States
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Dave Buchen
Bilingual ABC Bilingüe
San Juan, Puerto Rico
United States
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Lark Burkhart
The Whole Sordid Story: 48 Words of War
San Jose, California
United States
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Angela Cavalieri
Le cittá continue
Melbourne, Victoria
Australia
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Macy Chadwick
The Topography of Home
Oakland, California
United States
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Keith Chidzey
Banksia Man
Yowie Bay, New South Wales
Australia
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Keith Chidzey
Do-it-Yourslef (Or My Neighbour is an Idiot)
Yowie Bay, New South Wales
Australia
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Lorelei Clark
The Woman in the Green Coat
Lismore, New South Wales
Australia
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Aaron Cohick
(De)Collage
Oakland, California
United States
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Rebecca Cowan
Chroma-do Chronicles
Kingston, Ontario
Canada
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Maureen Cummins
Anatomy of Insanity
High Falls, New York
United States
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Steven Daiber
El Muro/The Wall
Williamsburg, Massachusetts
United States
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Jovencio de la Paz
Selection from the Library of Gratuitous Salvation
Gresham, Oregon
United States
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Betsy Dollar
The Wedding Party
St. Paul, Minnesota
United States
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Tommaso Durante
Skin, Surfaces and Shadows
Warrandyte, Victoria
Australia
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David Esslemont
Jack of All Trades
Decorah, Iowa
United States
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Andy Farkas
River
Ashville, North Carolina
United States
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Wendy Fernstrum
Pathology of Promises Broken
Marine St. Croix, Minnesota
United States
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Jonathon Fetter-Vorm and Tom Biby
The Chase, or The Third Day
New York, New York
United States
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Johanna Finnegan-Topitzer
Opossum: La Vie Morte
Rollinsford, New Hampshire
United States
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Jacques Fournier
Ste Sébastienne II. A Tribute to Louise Bourgeois
Montreal, Quebec
Canada
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Can Goknil
A Woman’s Best Before Date
Istanbul, Turkey
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Georgia Greeley
Cuttings
St. Paul, Minnesota
United States
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Anne Greenwood
Winter Count: A Forty Year Calendar
Portland, Oregon
United States
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Ximena Perez Grobet
Face the Face
Barcelona, Spain
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Ladislav Hanka
Toads
Kalamazoo, Michigan
United States
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Karen Hanmer
Celestial Navigation
Glenview, Illinois
United States
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Mark Head
Korlo in Blues
San Mateo, California
United States
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Deanna Hitti
Assimilated Symphony
Richmond, Victoria
Australia
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Nif Hodgson
Bundle Up
San Francisco, California
United States
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Jane Hyslop
Ediburgh, a Visual Handbook
Midlothian, Scotland
Great Britain
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Jane Hyslop
Prestonholm
Midlothian, Scotland
Great Britain
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Paul Johnson
Truth, Hope, Love, Joy
Cheshire, England
Great Britain
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Ellen Knudson
A Strawberry in the Snow
Starkville, Mississippi
United States
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Gulla Ronnow Larsen, Hanne Matthiesen & Jensen Lis Rejnert
Flying Trunk
Copenhagen, Denmark
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Roberta Lavadour
Reading Aloud
Pendleton, Oregon
United States
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Roberta Lavadour
Relative Memory
Pendleton, Oregon
United States
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Roberta Lavadour
Someone Borrowed Something Blue
Pendleton. Oregon
United States
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Jacqueline Rush Lee
Anthologia: From the Devotion Series
Kailua, Hawaii
United States
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Jacqueline Rush Lee
Flutter: From the Devotion Series
Kailua, Hawaii
United States
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Jacqueline Rush Lee
Unfurled II: From the Devotion Series
Kailua, Hawaii
United States
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Carolyn Leigh
House of Cards (08.04.08)
Tucson, Arizona
United States
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Viviana Lombrozo
Circular Logic
San Diego, California
United States
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Viviana Lombrozo
Kernel of Untruth
San Diego, California
United States
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Marian Macken
S2.O/b
Brooklyn, New South Wales
Australia
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Mikhail Magaril
Lenin Hunting
New York, New York
United States
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Emily Martin
Siftings
Iowa City, Iowa
United States
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Ceci Cole McInturff
Breaking the Digital Heart
Washington, DC
United States
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Ceci Cole McInturff
Seduction, Obsession, Addiction
Washington, DC
United States
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Ceci Cole McInturff
What Are You Searching For, Little Girl?
Washington, DC
United States
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Elizabeth McKee
For Immediate Release
Pasadena, Maryland
United States
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Clifton Meador
Heart
Chicago, Illinois
United States
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Clifton Meador
Kora
Chicago, Illinois
United States
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Susan Mills
Fieldnote Girdle Book
New York, New York
United States
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Barbara Milman
Dresden
El Cerrito, California
United States
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Carol Montgomery
Mitch and Albert Go to the Zoo
Helena, Montana
United States
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Tim Mosely
By Regard 2
Goonellabah, New South Wales
Australia
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Tim Mosely
Lookback
Goonellabah, New South Wales
Australia
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Claire Owen
A Cabinet of Curiosa
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
United States
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Jennifer Yoshida Park
A Brief Condensed Diagrammatical Abridgement of the Encyclopedia Britannica in Twenty-Six Pages (ABCD)
San Diego, California
United States
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Sumi Perera
Beauty Is...
Redhill, Surry
Great Britain
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Sumi Perera
Building Blocks Book
Redhill, Surry
Great Britain
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Sumi Perera
Turn the Page
Redhill, Surry
Great Britain
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Maureen Piggins
Echo
Toronto, Ontario
Canada
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Simon Redington
Bolt-117 Weapons of Civilization
London, England
Great Britain
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Simon Redington
What’s So Funny About Peace, Love & Understanding?
London, England
Great Britain
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Harry Reese
The Sea Gazer
Isla Vista, California
United States
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Gary Richman
Coyote and Quails
Kingston, Rhode Island
United States
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Gail Rieke
Blaze of Glory
Sante Fe, New Mexico
United States
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Sialia Rieke
OM
Sante Fe, New Mexico
United States
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Elizabeth Riggle
Troll Bridge Book and Box
Louisville, Kentucky
United States
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Benjamin Rinehart
Corrupt
Appleton, Wisconsin
United States
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Kelly Roe
Reconsider
Baldwinsville, New York
United States
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Thomas Rose
Time Frames
Minneapolis, Minnesota
United States
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Sniedze Rungis and James Riegel
Survivor
Kalamazoo, Michigan
United States
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Regula Russelle
Every Morning is an Entrance to a City
St. Paul, Minnesota
United States
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Regula Russelle
Kinship Circle: A Path
St. Paul, Minnesota
United States
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Claire Jeanine Satin
Pentimento/Cairo, Egypt #1
Dania Beach, Florida
United States
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Tom Scarpino
Connecting the Dots
Palo Alto, California
United States
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Tom Scarpino
Starting Over
Palo Alto, California
United States
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Shirley Sharoff-Zezzos
Franc Marelle
Montreuil, France
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Carolyn Shattuck
The Urn Book
Rutland, Vermont
United States
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Shawn Sheehy
Beyond the 6th Extinction: A Fifth Millennium Bestiary
Chicago, Illinois
United States
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Cori-Beth Sherlock
Kinship
Minneapolis, Minnesota
United States
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Chip Shilling
Half Life/Full Life
Minneapolis, Minnesota
United States
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Suzanne Skon and Carmen Gutierrez-Bolger
Hand to Hand
St. Paul, Minnesota
United States
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Mark Addison Smith
Pulpillary Distance
Chicago, Illinois
United States
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Sarah Smith
The Fire Extinguisher Family Reunion
Beverly, Massachusetts
United States
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Penny Stanford
Handle With Care
Bromley, Kent
Great Britain
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Nick Thurston
Historia Abscondita (An Index of Joy)
Birkenshaw, England
Great Britain
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Jill Timm
The Train Game
Wenatchee, Washington
United States
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Jody Williams
Still Sense
Minneapolis, Minnesota
United States
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Agata Wodzinska
Water
Zgierz, Poland
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Lisa Young
The Holbein Circus Comes to Town
Greensboro, North Carolina
United States
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Lisa Young
Men See Women Women See Women
Greensboro, North Carolina
United States
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Marlene Yuen
mini ny
Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada
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Minnesota Center for Book Arts is open to the public:
Tuesdays: 10 am to 9 pm
Wednesdays - Saturdays: 10 am to 5 pm
Sundays: 12 to 4 pm
Mondays: closed
Minnesota Center for Book Arts is located in
the Open Book Building in downtown Minneapolis
1011 Washington Ave S, Suite 100
Minneapolis, MN 55415
Phone: 612.215.2520
Fax: 612.215.2545
Email: mcba@mnbookarts.org
© Minnesota Center for Book Arts
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