Minnesota Center for Book Arts Newsletter:
Fall 2008

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ABOUT MCBA

From the traditional crafts of papermaking, letterpress printing and bookbinding to experimental artmaking and self-publishing techniques, Minnesota Center for Book Arts is the place for you to feed your curiosity, stretch your creativity and get your hands dirty! Try a workshop... take in an exhibition... bring your kids to a free family day... opportunities abound!

HOW TO GET HERE
Minnesota Center for Book Arts is located on the first floor of the Open Book building at 1011 Washington Ave. S. in downtown Minneapolis, just northeast of the Metrodome.

By bus: We are located on Metro Transit bus routes 7 and 22. The nearest stop is right outside Open Book at Washington Ave. S. and 11th Ave. S.

By rail: We are located five blocks east of the Downtown East / Metrodome light rail station.

By car: Free parking is available in the Open Book lot adjacent to the building. Events in the building may limit availability. Metered street parking, pay lots and public ramps are also available nearby. Handicapped spaces are available in the Open Book lots near the front and rear entrances. Note: Metrodome events can affect parking availability.

VOLUNTEERING
Art fairs and festivals, gallery openings, bookmaking projects... volunteers provide critical support for each of MCBA’s artistic, education and community programs. We welcome volunteers at any and all skill
levels. MCBA announces volunteer opportunities via e-mail “Action Alerts”; if you would like to help, please visit www.mnbookarts.org/aboutmcba, then click on “e-mail newsletter” to sign up.

TOURS AND PRIVATE WORKSHOPS
Guided tours and private workshops make great outings for community organizations, Girl and Boy Scout troups, youth groups, college classes, and even corporate teams. Take a 30-minute guided tour or take part in a custom book art workshop in one of our studios! For information and pricing please call Emma Allen at 612.215.2533 (adult groups) or Jill Weese at 612.215.2529 (preschool through high school groups).

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STUDIO ACCESS OPPORTUNITIES

Have you taken an intro workshop, but feel a little uncertain about working independently? Gain confidence by participating in open studio. Open studio sessions are not workshops; they are opportunities to work independently under the watchful eye of an experienced artist who can answer questions, share tips and tricks, and help you hone your skills. Register online or by calling 612.215.2520.

BOOKBINDING OPEN STUDIO
Open Bindery provides access to tools and equipment, and also fellowship! Join fellow artists to work on projects in a friendly and supportive environment. Supply fee covers select text papers, select thread and PVA; supply your own bookboard, cloth, decorative papers and other needs. Not working on a personal project? Try our “binding of the month” project kit! Experience and cutting equipment training required.

Tuesday, September 23; 6-9pm
Tuesday, October 28; 6-9pm
Tuesday, November 4; 6-9pm
$15 supply fee per session ($10 members)
Register online!

MARBLING OPEN STUDIO
Bring your own paint and paper. MCBA will supply brushes, cups, eyedroppers and 16” x 20” tanks of carragheenan. Marbling experience required.

Saturday, November 1; 9am-4pm
Saturday, December 6; 9am-4pm
$40 supply fee per session ($35 members)
Register online!

LETTERPRESS OPEN STUDIO
Register at least a week in advance to reserve a press. Reservations are first-come first-served, and students must have had an introductory course on the press they are requesting (Vandercook, platen, sign). Letterpress experience required.

Tuesday, September 16; 6-9pm
Tuesday, October 14; 6-9pm
Tuesday, November 18; 6-9pm
Tuesday, December 16; 6-9pm
$40 studio fee per session ($35 members)
Register online!

VISUAL JOURNAL COLLECTIVE
Do you keep a visual journal? Do you wonder how others approach this art form? Would you like an opportunity to get to know peers and be inspired by their work? Are you interested in a forum for exchanging information on the newest pens, paints, and other supplies? Do you want to commit time to practice your drawing skills or find a sketching partner? Do you just want to touch base each month with people who understand journaling? Join facilator Roz Stendahl at MCBA's new Visual Journal Collective. This group is open to all visual journal artists of any skill level. We'll discuss methods, materials, and media. Group members will be encouraged to participate in round robin journals and theme projects. At every meeting we'll have discussion, share our work, and engage our minds with a fun journaling exercise.

Monday, September 15; 7-9pm
Monday, October 20; 7-9pm
Monday, November 17; 7-9pm
$5 supply fee; each paid participant will receive a $5 coupon for The Shop at MCBA.
Register online!

EQUIPMENT / STUDIO RENTAL
MCBA’s equipment and studios are available to rent in half-hour increments. MCBA requires all renters to be trained specifically for the equipment they wish to use. After training, you can rent equipment by calling to reserve time, provided such use does not interfere with a scheduled workshop or event.

Fees depend on the equipment rented. MCBA members receive a 10% discount on hourly rental fees. Call 612.215.2520 to inquire about availability.

Equipment training sessions are included on the ADULT WORKSHOPS schedule. An equipment training tutorial can also be scheduled to suit your needs. To inquire, contact Emma Allen at 612.215.2533.

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IN THE GALLERY

CONTINUING:
Face The Nation
On display through September 21, 2008

Corresponding Program:
Dialogue: About Face
Tuesday, September 16; 7pm
Four contributors to Face The Nation present some of the most interesting intersections of national identity and type design. See the Book Arts Roundtable schedule for more information.

CONTINUING:
Swiss Impressions: Romano Hanni and the Art of Metal Type
Open Book Lobby Gallery
On display through September 21

COMING SOON:
100 Views of the Peace Crane
Open Book Lobby Gallery
November 28, 2008 through February 8, 2009
Enjoy this installation by local artist Elisabeth Paper featuring variations on the most recognizable form in origami: the paper crane.

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COMING SOON:
New Work by the Jerome Fellowship Artists
October 3, 2008 – January 10, 2009
Opening reception Friday, October 3, 6-9pm

Witness the continuing evolution of contemporary book art in an exhibition of work by the 2007-2008 MCBA / Jerome Foundation Book Arts Fellowship recipients. The explorations of these five artists will be on display at MCBA as part of a culminating exhibition opening Friday, October 3.

An installation by Brian Aldrich will include several individual projects, several of which require unique interactions by an eventual "owner-user": a book of random numbers, the text of which is generated through the use of a bingo game cage; a cipher text to decipher; a paper charm to be completed through the process of carrying for two months; and crated fruit-like "Art Balls" which are made of boiled art and other ingredients, some of which include fat and spices. While not in traditional book forms, each work performs the function of a book: it tells the user what it is and how to use it.

"A book, a map, a pair of pliers... I want my objects to have the same feeling — that if you lived in their world, you would know how to use them."

Distance, memory, love and longing are some of the themes explored by Katya Reka. Her project consists of two books, each containing 12 illustrations and poems. Illustrations are printed from linoleum block prints, and each book in the edition of 15 will be presented in a handmade case. The project includes another component: a short video that continues the themes of memory, love, distance and time.

Sarah Peters has editioned a sculptural book that explores the Arctic region as a space of many mythologies: political, historical, and cultural. The piece is made primarily from cast cotton fiber, and includes letterpress printed text, drawings and embossed symbols. The individually cast pages are housed in five boxes that together make an edition. When unpacked, the non-traditional structure of the book creates a viewing experience that invites the reader to wander through unbound pages of
image and text.

"My work is a meditation on a place where I have never been; the book reads like a series of quandaries, a collection of research facts, and a sketchbook."

To bring poetry and art to new audiences, CB Sherlock and Regula Russelle's "Sidewalk Folios: Something Beautiful for Free" project will disperse 5,000 letterpress-printed folios in several urban neighborhoods in the Twin Cities. Five different folios are being produced; though each folio is able to stand alone, together they form a "community book" addressing the theme of kinship. A companion installation in the gallery will explore the same theme.

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COMMUNITY EVENTS

MINNESOTA BOOK ARTIST AWARD
Nominations for the 2009 Minnesota Book Artist Award open on September 9, 2008. The Book Artist Award — awarded as part of the Minnesota Book Awards, coordinated by The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library — recognizes a Minnesota book artist or collaborative group for a body of work, as well as for significant contributions to Minnesota's book arts community. Jody Williams was named the inaugural winner of this award in 2008.

Beginning September 9, nomination materials will be available on the websites of both MCBA and The Friends. Nominations will remain open through Friday, November 7.

If you have questions, or would like a nomination packet sent to you, contact Minnesota Book Awards coordinator Ann Nelson at mnbookawards@thefriends.org or 651.366.6497.

WAYZGOOSE
Saturday, September 6; 6-9pm
Free and open to the public
A traditional celebration to commemorate the end of summer, Wayzgoose marked the point of the year when printers would have to begin working by candlelight. These days, Wayzgoose is MCBA's annual evening of appreciation for all our members, donors and friends. Enjoy fun activities for the whole family! RSVP to The Shop at 612.215.2520.

CELEBRATION OF MINNESOTA CHILDREN'S BOOK AUTHORS
Saturday, September 6; 12:30-5pm
Anderson Center, Red Wing, MN
Free and open to the public
Make a book with MCBA while spending a fun-filled afternoon celebrating Minnesota's finest children's book authors and illustrators. Highlights include readings, book sales and signings, face painting, ice cream and more. For more details, visit the Anderson Center website.

ARTIST'S BOOKS ABROAD
Saturday, November 1; 11:00am
Free and open to the public
Visiting artists Sarah Bodman and Tom Sowden (Centre for Fine Print Research, Bristol, UK) present an engaging overview of artist's book publishing in Europe and further afield: contemporary artist's books, Internet publishing projects, altered books, performance books, and use of digital and traditional production methods. They will also offer some ideas of places to visit and events to attend to discover even more about artist's books.

After the presentation, meet with Sarah and Tom individually for a session of ARTIST'S BOOK SURGERY, a free opportunity for working book artists to discuss and receive advice and feedback on any aspect of a book related project: conceptual, technical, marketing or otherwise. Call The Shop at 612-215-2520 to reserve a 20-minute slot between 1pm and 5pm for private consultation.

BOOK ARTS FEST
Saturday, November 15; 10am-5pm
Sunday, November 16; 12-5pm
Free and open to the public
Get a jump start on your holiday shopping and take the pledge to give handmade gifts! Over 40 artists will be selling artist's books, handmade journals, art prints and broadsides, decorative paper, and many great bookish gifts. Festivities will include demonstrations throughout the day, free holiday ornament-making, and special sales in The Shop at MCBA. (If interested in being a vendor at the sale, contact Flora at 612.215.2546.)

FREE FAMILY DAY: ORIGAMI CREATIONS
Saturday, December 13
Drop-in family activities 10am-1pm
Free and open to the public
Explore the beautiful Japanese paper art form of origami!
Fold a variety of creations from animals to books as you work alongside MCBA's exhibition 100 Views of the Peace Crane.

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BOOK ARTS ROUNDTABLES

MCBA is a hub of creativity where interesting, passionate and knowledgeable people like you learn, share ideas and get inspired. Join the conversation by attending our Book Arts Roundtables. They’re FREE and open to the public, and they start at 7pm in MCBA’s spacious studios. (There will be no December Roundtable.)

Tuesday, September 16:
About Face: Deeper into Type Design and National Identity
Four panelists, contributors to the Face the Nation exhibition, will offer presentations on some of the most interesting intersections of national identity and type design, expanding on the displays in the gallery. Natalie Stanton will discuss Colm O Lochlainn’s Colum Cille type and its relation to his efforts to establish and support the Irish Free State. Caroline Baum will talk about Rudolf Koch’s interest in updating the German blackletter alphabets while they competed with roman types of foreign origin. Lisa Melander will trace the career of Vojtech Preissig, whose designs satisfied the emergent demand among Czechs for a type of their own. And Traci Olinger will explore the modernist milieu of Weimar Germany, within which pared-down sans serifs were proclaimed to transcend national interests. All four panelists are enrolled in the Master of Arts in Art History program at the University of St. Thomas.

Tuesday, October 28:
A Revived Resource: MCBA's Library
Celebrate the grand re-opening of the James and Marilynn Alcott Library and Archives! MCBA artistic director Jeff Rathermel will outline the new additions to the library as well as some old unique finds. The revived library has more to offer and is now easier to use with a new searchable database.

Tuesday, November 18:
A Winter Book Sneak-Peek
Join members from the production and design crew for a sneak peak at this year's Winter Book publication, Winter Ink. Described as a contemporary take on traditional Asian book arts of woodblock printing, binding, papermaking, Sumi-e ink drawing and calligraphy, Winter Ink will feature the work of Laotian-American writer and poet Brian Thao Worra, with contributions by numerous local artists.

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WORKSHOPS

ADULT WORKSHOPS
This fall, in addition to all the great book arts workshops you expect, we are offering several series of limited-availability special workshops! Just look for the red tags:
WINTER BOOK WORKSHOPS
VISITING ARTISTS
SAMPLERS

YOUTH & FAMILY WORKSHOPS
Parents, did you know? Students ages 9 and up may take family classes without an adult!

TEACHER WORKSHOPS
From binding students' writing projects to encouraging creative expression, book arts provide wonderful ways to reinforce learning. Workshop activities are geared to inspire classroom connections and applications, and teachers will create samples to keep for reference.

Teachers, did you know? You can earn Continuing Education Credits for ANY workshop at MCBA! Just let us know you are a teacher when you register, and we'll prepare the documentation.
ilding.

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PROFILE: Artist-in-Residence Anna Tsantir

Within earshot of the hums and clicks of the Vandercook presses and the clanks and dings of the platens, MCBA's sign press often sits relatively quiet. But in her current work, artist in residence Anna Tsantir is giving that press a workout.

"I wanted to really explore hand-rolling larger polymer plates to create a series of very loosely editioned, almost monoprinted pieces in an attempt to escape the matrix that is often required in preparing a work for printing," Anna explains. "I wanted to take images I have been drawing for the last few years and use them as pieces of a larger puzzle or even like characters in a narrative. As I started working I became really excited by this new process of not knowing exactly what was going to come out, just laying down plates and printing. It's been an exercise in trusting my intuition."

Because she is making very small editions of five to ten prints as well as printing plates that will become elements of the larger compositions, Anna says the sign press was the best fit for the work. "You have the freedom of using more than one color and changing colors very easily because you are hand-rolling your inks; no need to ink up all six or eight rollers of a larger press just to make so few prints."

Anna has taught workshops on using the sign press for relief printing, as well as unique techniques in hand-rolling ink. As an exercise, she encourages printers to use the sign press to "loosen up, try some monotypes or funky rolling or printing techniques. It encourages play, and I think play is very important to the creative process."

In her current experiments, she is also exploring ways to play within the more technical structure of the Vandercook presses. "On the Vandercooks you can print with the ink on the rollers, then raise them and hand roll another color or print a ghost and keep the same registration." The combination of all of these explorations into non-traditional printing techniques will culminate in an exhibition of the work in early 2009.

"It has been so amazing," Anna says, "to get the financial and technical support to turn what were just ideas on paper into a whole new way of working technically with print."

For more info on the Artist-in-Residence program, visit the Artists Programs page or contact Artistic Director Jeff Rathermel.

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BY DESIGN TEEN ARTISTS’ CO-OP @ MCBA

By Design is an intensive teen artist development and mentoring program at Minnesota Center for Book Arts. All teens enter the program by attending a ten-week INTRODUCTORY SESSION where students meet three times a week to learn bookbinding, printmaking, papermaking and advanced art techniques from working artists.

Teens who complete the ten-week introductory session become members of the By Design Co-op and can continue their book arts education through a variety of opportunities including field trips, open studio access, workshops and mentorships. Three times a year, co-op members can apply to work one-on-one with an artist mentor to complete a sophisticated book arts project and plan, curate and install an exhibition.

By Design is open to high school students in 9th–12th grade. Completed applications for the Fall Introductory session must be received at MCBA by February 3, 2009. For an application form or more information, contact Emma Allen at 612.215.2533.

FALL SESSION:
October 7 – December 6, 2008

FALL EXHIBITION:
December 6, 2008 – January 6, 2009
Opening reception Saturday, December 6, 6-8pm, artists’ presentations 7pm

By Design exhibitions take place in the Cowles Literary Commons, on the second floor of the Open Book building.

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