Workshops & Events
Suminagashi at Home
Immerse yourself in the oldest form of marbling, Suminagashi 墨流し (“floating ink”), from your own workspace.
Make Your Own Binding Tools
Many bindery tools are specialized, making them difficult to find or expensive to purchase. In this virtual workshop, we'll make a few tools and discuss how to make more.
More Alternative Printmaking at Home
This virtual workshop expands on printmaking techniques covered in Alternative Printmaking at Home using accessible materials to make prints at home.
Box Building Magic: Virtual
In this virtual workshop, learn how to build this unique and playful structure with an artist who has fine-tuned the box design.
Suminagashi
Immerse yourself in the oldest form of marbling, suminagashi 墨流し (“spilled or floating ink”).
Letterpress 4: Guided Projects
Letterpress 4 focuses on planning and printing an edition (or a group of identical prints).
Stiff-Leaf Binding and Variations
The stiff-leaf binding is a non-sewn binding technique ideal for assembling printed sheets into a rigid, durable book.
Introduction to Marbling: August
Experience the magic of marbling firsthand with this in-person workshop!
Letterpress 1: Printing Basics (August)
This in-person letterpress workshop offers an introduction to MCBA’s print studio—including key equipment, tools, and terminology—in addition to an opportunity to experience the satisfaction of printing a message through the hands-on process of letterpress printing.
Beaded Books
Interested in expanding your bookmaking abilities by adding surface texture with beads?! This in-person workshop focuses on how to create and adorn book cloth with size 10/0 seed beads.
Historical Ethiopian Binding
This in-person, hands-on workshop introduces participants to Ethiopian binding, one of the oldest continuously practiced bookbinding traditions.
Woodcut Printmaking for Beginners: August
Experience the process of relief printing while carving and printing your own design in this in-person workshop.
European Papermaking: August
Learn the tools, terminology, and procedures of European-style papermaking in this in-person studio workshop.
Coptic Binding 1
Explore Coptic bindings, the most common form of link-stitch binding and possibly the oldest continuously used sewing pattern for books.
Marbling with Curves
Do you feel constrained by the forward-and-back motion of most traditional marbling patterns? With a few small tweaks to the combs you're using, clean circles, arcs, and more are all possible!
Letterpress 1: Printing Basics (September)
This in-person letterpress workshop offers an introduction to MCBA’s print studio—including key equipment, tools, and terminology—in addition to an opportunity to experience the satisfaction of printing a message through the hands-on process of letterpress printing.
Introduction to Hand Bookbinding: Evening
In this in-person workshop, learn foundational skills in bookbinding while making three book structures: pamphlet binding (single- and double-section), slotted tape binding, and a hardcover, flat-back book with three-piece case.
Introduction to Marbling: September
Experience the magic of marbling firsthand with this in-person workshop!
Creative Box Design
In book arts, boxes are created as containers to house books, paper, and other objects; they can also function as the artwork itself as the structure provides ample opportunities for creativity and experimentation to flourish.
Coptic Binding 1: September
Explore Coptic bindings, the most common form of link-stitch binding and possibly the oldest continuously used sewing pattern for books.
Coptic Binding 2
Take your Coptic binding skills further in this intermediate, in-person workshop focused on advanced techniques and project design.
Japanese Papermaking
Explore the tools and techniques of Japanese papermaking in this in-person workshop.
Introduction to Screen Printing: September
Get familiar with MCBA’s screen printing studio and practice the photo emulsion process, from positive creation and screen coating to exposure and reclaiming.
Introduction to Hand Bookbinding: Virtual
In this virtual workshop, learn foundational skills in bookbinding while making three book structures: pamphlet binding (single- and double-section), slotted tape binding, and a hardcover, flat-back book with three-piece case.
Collaborative Publishing as an Artistic Practice
Designed to demystify the often hidden administrative and social labor costs of making artists’ books, this virtual workshop will cover the how, why, and what of working with other artists and writers on collaborative publications.
Quick & Dirty Letterpress Posters: October
Learn about the history and power of the printing press as a tool for sharing information, and use a Vandercook printing press to print a message!
Suminagashi: October
Immerse yourself in the oldest form of marbling, suminagashi 墨流し (“spilled or floating ink”).
Plunge into Pop-Ups
Learn fundamental elements of constructing pop-ups--from design and construction to tools and materials!
Letterpress 1: Printing Basics (October)
This in-person letterpress workshop offers an introduction to MCBA’s print studio—including key equipment, tools, and terminology—in addition to an opportunity to experience the satisfaction of printing a message through the hands-on process of letterpress printing.
Introduction to Marbling: October
Experience the magic of marbling firsthand with this in-person workshop!
Book Repair: Broken Cloth & Paperback Books
In this in-person workshop, learn foundational techniques and methods to care for aged and damaged books.
Making Books and Pop-Ups with Kids
This virtual workshop is for any adult who would like to build a repertoire of cards and books to teach the children in their lives, regardless of the setting—school, home, community center, or after-school program.
Intuition Lab: Ekphrastic Collage
In this generative virtual workshop, reach beyond text and image as illustration and description and learn how to respond to poetry or other written art with intuitive collage making.
Budgeting and Pricing Your Artist’s Books
In this virtual workshop, we’ll take a detailed look at the various financial parts of making and publishing artists’ books, including budgeting, tracking costs, pricing, and funding.
Four-Flap Box
The four-flap box—sometimes called a "phase" box—is a fantastic structure used to protect a book from wear and tear.
Printing on the Handpress
250 years ago, printers composed and inked type to print the first copy of the Declaration of Independence on a handpress.
Woodcut Printmaking for Beginners: October
Experience the process of relief printing while carving and printing your own design in this in-person workshop.
Phežúta Mniȟúha: Medicine Paper
This in-person workshop explores the incorporation of traditional Indigenous plant material with papermaking processes.
Hardcover Exposed Sewn Binding
In this virtual workshop, learn how to create a beautiful hardcover binding using leather or cloth for the spine, and paper for the cover boards.
Selling and Distributing Your Artist's Books
Designed to demystify the often hidden administrative and social labor costs of making artists’ books, this virtual workshop will take an in-depth look at the different aspects of selling and distributing artists’ books and zines: audience, promotion, book and zine fairs, working with stores, selling to libraries, etc.
Hand-Lettering 1: Art of Letters (October)
In this in-person workshop, you'll discover hand-lettering techniques through a guided approach to drawing letters and short words, and walk away with a poster featuring your own lettering alphabet or your favorite letter!
Drum Leaf Binding
The drum leaf binding—developed by Tim Ely—is a simple yet elegant design that uses folio pages printed on one side and not sewn through the fold.
Letterpress 2: Setting Type (October)
This in-person letterpress workshop focuses on setting metal type and building familiarity with printing on the Vandercook press.
Watermarks & Assemblage with Handmade Paper
In this in-person workshop, learn foundational skills in bookbinding while making three book structures: pamphlet binding (single- and double-section), slotted tape binding, and a hardcover, flat-back book with three-piece case.
Introduction to Hand Bookbinding: Weekend
In this in-person workshop, learn foundational skills in bookbinding while making three book structures: pamphlet binding (single- and double-section), slotted tape binding, and a hardcover, flat-back book with three-piece case.
Image Transfers for Collage
Image transfers are a playful and versatile process to add to your collage toolbox. Part collage and part print, image transfers offer an opportunity for unexpected results.
Introduction to Screen Printing: Weeknight
Get familiar with MCBA’s screen printing studio and practice the photo emulsion process, from positive creation and screen coating to exposure and reclaiming.
Fine Printing on the Handpress
From the original 15th century wooden handpress to the metal version designed in the 19th century, handpresses have been used to print everything from raffle tickets to the Declaration of Independence.
Make a Money Mala
Make a paper garland in the style of a money mala, a traditional garland made of currency worn by grooms in the Sikh community in India.
Collage Artist Trading Cards: Let's Trade!
Let’s explore collage through Artist Trading Cards! Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) are small two-dimensional works of art about the size of a playing card.
Paper ReMake
Turn recycled paper into beautiful, handmade paper you can write on, draw on, or gift to someone special.
Letterpress 1: Printing Basics (July)
This in-person letterpress workshop offers an introduction to MCBA’s print studio—including key equipment, tools, and terminology—in addition to an opportunity to experience the satisfaction of printing a message through the hands-on process of letterpress printing.
Introduction to Marbling: July
Experience the magic of marbling firsthand with this in-person workshop!
Polygonal Book Forms
Explore a book structure made from equilateral polygons that are hinged together to function in multiple ways, in this in-person workshop.
And your very flesh shall be a great poem
Join us for a collaborative concrete poetry and low-fi printmaking workshop in MCBA’s studios, drawing on the history of concrete poetry, the work of screenprinter and text-combiner Corita Kent, and Walt Whitman's insistence that a just society is poetry's embodiment.
Digital & Analog Zines
Learn to fold six different styles of zines—from the classic 8-page structure to larger, more innovative booklets—then experiment with creating your own structures.
Accordion Collage Book with Surprise Tunnel
Using ephemera, images, and scrap paper, build a unique structure that houses a folded accordion, which reveals a dimensional tunnel attached to the inside of the back cover.
Exploding Books: Turkish & Petal Fold Structures
Construct a dynamic, adhesive binding with Turkish map-folds and petal-fold variations, in this virtual workshop.
Year of the Horse Pop-Up Card
Join instructor Shawn Sheehy (a Fire Horse!) in celebrating your astrological luck with an energetic and cheerful pop-up!
Hand-Lettering 2: Composition & Balance (Virtual)
Building on the fundamentals of drawing letters and short words in Hand-Lettering 1: Art of Letters (previously called The Art of Hand-Lettering), this follow-up workshop focuses on working with multiple words and short phrases.
Hand-Lettering 1: Art of Letters (Virtual)
Discover hand-lettering techniques through a guided approach to drawing letters and short words, and walk away with a poster featuring your own lettering alphabet or your favorite letter!
Summer Moon Flag Book
Create an original flag book—inspired by smiling moons and summer blooms—that showcases your painting and collage skills, in this virtual workshop