Pacific Northwest Book Arts and Related Classes and Events

Events listed on this calendar are collected from book arts listservs, artist announcements and other sources. Help us spread the word – pass along these events to people who might be interested. Please contact us at info@seattlebookarts.org if you would like to list your event here. Click here to go to a list of ongoing (mostly monthly) events. Click here for book arts opportunities (calls for entry, fellowships, grants, etc.)

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A P R I L . . .

Book Arts Guild presents Jim Croft: In Pursuit of Gothic Book Structure & Materials & Other Curious Discoveries Along the Way
Explanation and examples of the raw materials of the Gothic Book will be explored, exhibited and handled. Starting with homegrown flax, one will see where fiber comes from. Various stages of flax and hemp processing into thread, cord and finally paper will be seen and felt. The talk will describe the manufacture of traditional wooden covers from tree to book, followed by covering with old formula tawed, or bark & oil tanned skins. Of interest to bookmakers of all descriptions, curious constructions of recycled paperboard will also be displayed and discussed.

Thursday, April 3, 7:00 pm (doors open at 6:45), Maps/Special Collections Classroom, Suzzallo Library Basement, Room B69, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.

Dos-a-Dos with Patricia Grass
It’s not a square dance. Bookbinding And The Conservation Of Books A Dictionary Of Descriptive Terminology defines dos-a dos binding as, “A form of bookbinding in which two books, usually small and frequently of a complementary nature, e.g., a Psalter and New Testament, are bound back to back so that they open in opposite directions, one of the three boards being the common lower board of both volumes. The spines and fore edges are opposed. ... However the dos à dos binding is picked up, it opens at the beginning of one of the two books.” This binding is also popular for children’s books--Mom’s job one one side and Dad’s job on the other.

Saturday, April 5, 9:30 am - 5:00 pm. Cost: $50+ $20 materials fee. To register for a class e-mail, call or write: Green Heron Book Arts, 1928 21st Avenue, Forest Grove, OR 97116, (503) 357-7263, bookkits@aol.com.

The Unbound Page: Exploring Painting Techniques for Book Artists with Lisa Onstad
Inspired by a simple set of flash cards, students will examine the possibilities of creating a narrative with unbound cards that can be read in many sequences and arranged in multiple configurations. These small cards will become the ground on which to experiment with a variety of painting techniques, such as working with stencils and beeswax varnish thus creating exciting surface textures. During this two-day class, students will edition a set of flash cards to exchange with each other. Students also learn to construct a simple paper case to contain their project.

Saturday & Sunday, April 5 & 6, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, $150; Studio Fee $30, Oregon College of Arts and Crafts, Portland, OR.

Beyond Paper: Printing Photographs on Fabric with Celene Bridgford
Beyond Paper with Celene Bridgford offers you a great chance to investigate the ink jet printing process outside of your standard papers. Start with a discussion of alternative materials and how the printers work, including the use of InkAID™ to make non-coated materials inkjet ready. Delve into the fine points of image prep and color management for this process, then, print several of your own for final critique that will take place on Sunday. The workshop concludes with a discussion of finishing and display options. A real hands on class!
What you will learn:
• How to choose the right fabric for your imagery
• Image preparation in Adobe Photoshop
• Inkjet printer settings and technology differences
• Overview of color management workflow for unconventional materials
• How to finish and preserve artwork
• As an added bonus, for the book artists in the workshop, Laura Russell will demonstrate how to make book cloth from your printed fabric.

Saturday & Sunday, April 5-6, 2008, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 23 Sandy Gallery, 623 NE 23rd Avenue, Portland, OR 97232. Learn more and download a registration form at http://www.23sandy.com/Celene.html. For questions contact Laura Russell at 23sandygallery@gmail.com or 503-927-4409.

Long Stitch Leather Journal with Patricia Edmonds
This is the long stitch leather journal with a cover wrap everyone has been asking to learn. It is a simple sewing technique that can be left simply beautiful or embellished to your hearts content. Feel free to bring charms or beads to embellish the spine.

Saturday, April 12, 2008, 9:30 am - 5:00 pm. Cost: $50 + $15 materials fee. To register for a class e-mail, call or write: Green Heron Book Arts, 1928 21st Avenue, Forest Grove, OR 97116, (503) 357-7263, bookkits@aol.com.

The Newport Paper Arts Festival
A weekend of 16 workshops in book and paper arts.

April 18 - 20, Newport, Oregon. More info at http://www.coastarts.org/home.cfm?dir_cat=45915 or 541-265-6540.

Bookbinding 1 with Mary Barkley
You will make four books while learning to use the essential tools, concepts, and skills of book binding. Book formats will include accordion, star, and stitched signatures. The accordion is perhaps the most versatile structure in the world of bookbinding. A pleated piece of paper, it displays both pictures and words in spread of mountains and valleys. The Star book appears to be a conventional book when it is closed, but open to a spectacular star shape. Multiple layers and colors give this book unlimited opportunities. Stitched signatures are the essential component of the hardcover bookbinding class.

Saturday, April 19, 10 am - 4pm. Seggebrush Studio, Snohomish, WA. Class fee is $140.00 per person. Materials fee $25.00

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B E Y O N D . . .

Letters of Joy Conference
Sponsored by Write On Calligraphers.

May 2-3, Edmonds Community College, Lynnwood, WA. $75,WOC members; $85, all others. Registration begins March 31. Contact: Nancy Larsen, 425-355-1896; Pat Thyden, lettersofjoy@aol.com. More information at: http://www.writeoncalligraphers.homestead.com

23 Sandy Gallery presents Back to Basics 1: Sewn Board Binding with Sandy Tilcock
This is the first in a series of workshops designed to emphasize basic bookbinding skills. Have you ever found yourself returning home from a workshop, only to realize that you have no idea how proceed from there; the information presented was so vast that you were unable to remember the particulars? It is the intent of these workshops to give the participant the opportunity to perfect basic binding skills and gain a working understanding of the processes involved in making a book. We will also discuss tools, adhesives, covering materials and other topics that come up.

This first workshop will focus on the sewn board binding, which was introduced by Gary Frost. In this style the cover boards are sewn as part of the text block employing a simple linking stitch. As a result the cover to text block attachment is secure and the subsequent movement between them is smooth and unimpeded. Covering the boards is done after the sewing and requires a minimal amount of glue. It is not necessary to have a book press or other heavy equipment. The resulting book lies flat upon opening.

Saturday, May 17, 2008, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm, 23 Sandy Gallery, 623 NE 23rd Avenue, Portland, OR 97232. Workshop Fees: $85 plus $35 materials fee. Register online at www.23sandy.com/SandyTilcock/May.html.

A Pieced Leather Cover with Link Stitch Text Block Attachment with Patricia Grass
This book cover has no historical model but the elements of link stitch sewing and embroidery were very common in limp leather books of the Middle Ages. We will use ordinary leather cut and pieced together by gluing and sewing with linen thread. Several different decorative stitches that are basically embroidery stitches used in making crazy quilts will be taught. The text block will be attached directly to the leather cover with the link or chain stitch using four needles. The closure has a rectangle flap with two threads, laced through the flap, which then wrap around metal buttons on the spine.

Saturday, May 17, 2008, 9:30 am - 5:00 pm, Cost: $50+ $20 materials fee.

Beginning Print Gocco with Shu-Ju Wang
Learn how to use a simple silkscreen process known as Print Gocco to create your own greeting cards from original artwork or copyright-free clipart. Each participant will design, silkscreen, and take home 35 cards with matching envelopes. You bring doodles, drawings, or found art, and I will provide all other materials necessary. I will also supply a selection of art books to serve as inspirations or starting points for original and unique designs.

Sunday, May 18, 2008, 1 - 5 pm, Rake Art Gallery, 325 NW 6th, Portland, OR 97209. Register at http://fingerstothebone.com/exhibitsclasses/classes.html

Silkscreened Paper with Meredith Arnold
This is a non-toxic method for creating lovely patterned papers quickly and simply. Once you know the various ways to make your own screens the potential for repeated elements is simplified and the applications are endless.

Friday, May 23, 10am-4pm The Seggebruch Studio, Snoqualmie, WA, 360-239-8081. More info at: http://www.pbsartist.com/workshops.shtml

Advanced Print Gocco with Shu-Ju Wang
Students work in two groups on the 'project of the hour'. Hour one -- eliminating dropouts and blotchiness in your prints; hour two -- multi-color registration, print on larger formats (larger than 4"x6"); hour three -- open screen printing; hour four -- print with your food (and eat it too)! A material's fee of $10 is due the day of the workshop.

Saturday, May 24, 2008, 1-5pm IPRC, 917 SW Oak Street, #218, Portland, OR 97205. This class will be held at IPRC. Cost:$40 members/$60 nonmembers. Please register for this class via the IPRC web site.

Hardcover book binding with Mary Barkley
Learn to make a classic hardcover book. This class will teach you to make and stitch signatures, build a text block, create a case, and bind them all into a finished book. Whether you are a beginner or have experience with paper and binding, you will learn everything you need to know to make a book suitable for use as a journal, a volume of poetry, or sketches.

Saturday, June 1, 10 am - 4pm. Seggebrush Studio, Snohomish, WA. Class fee is $140.00 per person. Materials fee $30.00

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O N G O I N G . . .

Letterpress Classes at SVC
The School of Visual Concepts has letterpress classes every quarter taught by Amy Redmond, Jenny Wilkson and more. Check their website for details on current offerings.

School of Visual Concepts, 500 Aurora Avenue North, Seattle. Click here for more info (scroll to the bottom of the page for letterpress listings.)

Letterpress Classes at Pratt
Pratt Fine Arts Center has letterpress classes every quarter taught by the SCBA's own Lisa Hasegawa. Check their website for details on current offerings.

Pratt Fine Arts Center, 1902 South Main Street, Seattle. www.pratt.org (look under Printmaking classes for current letterpress offerings.)

Write On Calligraphers
Write On Calligraphers , a non-profit organization since 1978, is a group of Northwest artists who share a love of letters and the paper arts. Regular meetings offer special presentations of interest to calligraphers and paper arts enthusiasts. Meetings take place at the Frances Anderson Center in Edmonds, WA. Meetings are open to the public at no charge.

Second Tuesday of each month, 7:00 pm, Frances Anderson Center (700 Main Street, Edmonds, Washington), call (425) 771-0230 for more info

Belltown Book Artists (Seattle)
Please join us at a gathering of Seattle area book artists. It is an opportunity to meet other book artists, to show off your work and get feedback on recent projects completed or those in progress. It can also be a chance to visit studios of various book artists. There are no minutes, agendas or dues. All who work with books or in book arts are invited.

Fourth (or last) Tuesday of each month, 6:30pm, Uptown Espresso Café, 2504 4th Avenue, Seattle (in Belltown). There is usually plenty of street parking. For further information feel free to contact Lillian Dabney (206) 937-9756 or at lilsletters@hotmail.com.

Second Wednesday Book Arts Gathering (Portland)
A gathering of Portland area book artists, always on the second Wednesday of each month. All who work with books or in the book arts are invited. No minutes, no agenda, no dues.

Second Wednesday of each month, locations vary. More info at www.laurarussell.net.

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O P P O R T U N I T I E S . . .

CALL FOR ENTRIES: ‘Multiples’ - a juried exhibition of editioned artists’ books
May 9 – June 28, 2008 at East End Applied Arts, Aurora, CO.
Juror Alicia Bailey; entry deadline with digital image(s) by March 15. Contact Kim Harrell at info@eastendarts.com, (720) 203-3575 or visit www.eastendarts.com for full prospectus. Student and international entries are welcome.