Hello Bookmakers,
We have light! I am sure we are all a little bit happier with the longer days and more sunlight. We have the best sunrises and sunsets this time of year. With spring approaching we seem to come out of hiding so now is a good time to think about taking a class or stopping by the NBG studio on a Wednesday afternoon. As we get closer to summer the board will look at extending our hours for the open studio sessions, we hope more people will have the opportunity to visit our space. I would also like to remind everyone to renew your membership for 2023. It is easy to do online through our website.
Our next program meeting is March 19 where we will continue to focus on The Mighty Pamphlet Stitch (TMPS). Connie Stricks will teach The Reversible Accordion class on March 25. Our Education Committee is working on the schedule of events and classes for the 2nd quarter. If you have any class ideas or would like to teach a class, please let us know. Ashley Davis and Mary Maisch are the chairs of this committee.
And lastly, I would like to let you know that the deadline to submit articles for the newsletter is the 20th of every month. If you would like to contribute an article, have a suggestion for an article, or would like to announce an upcoming book related event please email me or Oralee Nudson our newsletter editor. We value your input.
Thank you for being part of our guild and I hope to see you at our March program meeting.
Corlis Taylor
NBG President
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March Program Meeting
Pamphlet Stitch as Attachment Device
with Mary Maisch
Sunday March 19, 1-3pm
NBG Studio and on Zoom
Look for Zoom link on Friday March 17th
Create a model book using a concertina support and attach folios of different sizes into a valley fold and onto a mountain fold. Use a 3-hole stitch for one, 5-hole for the other (as a review of last activity). Tie off on the inside for one; on the outside for the other.
Tools and Materials
Cardstock (grain parallel to fold) cut to size:
Concertina: 5” H x 7 W”
Folio #1: 4” x 7”
Folio #2: 5” x 7”
2 or 3 - 12” lengths of waxed linen
Needle
Awl
Teflon folder
Ruler
If time allows, we’ll add:
Folio #3: 4” x 3” (not pictured)
Couple of paper scraps or collage cut outs
Scissors
Glue stick
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NBG BOOK CHALLENGE
2023 NBG Challenge Themes
March/April - Fiber
May/June - Jewelry
July/August - Wood
September/October - Architecture
November/December - Winter
The NBG Challenge is an opportunity for guild members to find inspiration through interpretation of the theme in whatever way speaks to them. Once finished, email pictures of your artist book to Ashley to be added to the NBG website. Four NBG members shared pictures of their January/February "Calendar" themed artist books, including Magdeleine Ferru's lovely accordion fold "Lunar Calendar" shown below. To view the other fine works, click the "View Previous Challenge Books" button linking to the NBG website. |
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Reversing Accordion Workshop
with Connie Stricks
Saturday, March 25 - 9:30 am to 4:30 pm
Members $90, Guests $100
Materials fee: $25
Workshop limited to 8 participants
Make payment at the Studio with cash or by check to NBG.
Early enrollment is appreciated.
We will continue our exploration of the “Mighty Pamphlet Stitch,” combining it with the
accordion fold—both fundamental and versatile components of paper book structures. We will
make 2 hard cover accordion fold books with attached inner folios. Embellish the folios and
structure as you choose and attach birch twigs or wooden dowels to their spines. The
structure can be quite elaborate, even sculptural, and displayed from both front or back.
Though embellishing materials will be provided, you are free to bring some of your own. This is
a good time to use those small pieces of paper you may have and/or natural materials such as
pressed leaves and flowers.
INSTRUCTOR WILL SUPPLY:
Boards
Paper for structure and embellishing
Double sided adhesive sheet
Glue sticks
Needle
Waxed linen
Twigs/dowels
Piercing board
Emery boards
PLEASE BRING:
Bone or teflon folder
Bone scorer
Cutting mat 18x24 w/grid (or larger)
Cutting tool (utility knife or X-acto w/ extra blades)
Glue brush (small glue brush or 3/4” flat brush)
Small jar of PVA (mixed)
Pencil & eraser
Scissors
Rulers (one 1 x 12” two 2 x 18” plastic guilting rulers)
Optional: Steel rules, embellished papers, pressed leaves/flowers/thin bark
Note: Please email the instructor to indicate your preference regarding the wearing of
masks by class participants. If one person feels more comfortable with masks on, all will
wear masks. To allow plenty of personal space, this class is limited to 8 participants.
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Art-o-Mat Project Update
Equipped with rulers, cutting mats, and fresh X-acto blades, several NBG members gathered on a February Saturday afternoon to cut and organize enough decorative papers to assemble 100 original NBG Jacob's Ladders! Many thanks to their combined effort, this was no small feat!
Our work continues with the next meeting planned for March 18 from 11am-1:30pm. We will utilize this time to cover book board and foam board with the cut decorative papers. Following the old adage, "Practice Makes Perfect", NBG Members are invited to join us on March 18th to hone your board covering skills through repetition.
"Artie" the Art-o-Mat machine has moved to its next venue for the month of March - Bad Mother Vintage in downtown Fairbanks. This vibrant local small business offers a fun and funky selection of hand picked unisex vintage, thrift, and imported clothing and goods. Echoing the Bad Mother vibe, Artie is currently stocked with a limited edition of 1990's Retro-style one of a kind kiln-fired glass jewelry pieces, cat socks, and more! Local artists are encouraged to apply to the Art-o-Mat project and have their pieces stocked in Artie. Visit the Art-o-Mat website for details.
LEADERSHIP HELP WANTED
NBG is looking for one or two individuals to take lead on developing two NBG Art-o-Mat Prototype ideas: Boreal Botanicals (pochoir painting) and Alaskan Concertina Garlands. We have well developed plans and materials on hand for both prototypes, but need an NBG Member to:
- Develop or recruit others to develop the Art-o-Mat boxes and placard designs
- Coordinate meetings for learning techniques and producing art work
If you find fulfillment in seeing great ideas come to fruition and are interested in taking lead for either or both of these prototype ideas, please click the button below. Thank you in advance!
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NBG Student Membership Update
Special Reduced Rate!
Northwoods Book Arts Guild is pleased to announce we now offer a discounted membership rate to students! If you are a high school or university student 16 years of age or older, you may join the Guild for $15 per year, a fifty percent savings from the current membership rate. Please tell your friends! We are looking forward to the fresh energy youthful members bring to our already energetic Guild!
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Miniature Books
on display at UAF Rasmuson Library
Within the wider arena of artists’ books is the highly popular niche of miniature books. Traditionally these books no more than 3 inches in height, width, or thickness.
Miniature books have a long history. Some scholars consider Sumerian clay tablets, with cuneiform writing and dating to as early as 2500 BC, to be the first miniature books. Others believe they originated in the Middle Ages. Over time, making miniature books has been prompted by ease of storage, challenges of craftsmanship, and - especially - charm.
On display in UAF’s Rasmuson Library is a collection of miniature books created by the following NBG members: Susan Campbell, Chris Greenfield-Pastro, Laurel Herbeck, Margo Klass, Mary Maisch, Oralee Nudson, Sherrill Peterson, Connie Stricks, and Ashley Thayer.
NBG hosted a Tiny Book Party last spring, a popular event which will take place again in spring 2023. The public is invited.
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Rasmuson Foundation Individual Artist Award Presentation
SPACE AND TIME TO MAKE: ARTIST RESIDENCIES
The next session in the series offered to Rasmuson Foundation Individual Artist Award recipients is scheduled for Thursday, March 9th at 12:15pm AKST. The session is available at https://www.crowdcast.io/e/iaa_residencies
Nat May from the Onion Foundation will share resources and pathways for career advancement inside of and outside of Alaska available through artist residencies. Gain insight on how and why residency might support your practice. Learn about how to find and evaluate artist residency opportunities throughout the United States. Nat will also share information about his own experiences as part of residency programs.
About the Presenter
Nat is the Arts Program Officer at the Onion Foundation where he advises grants made to arts organizations across the state of Maine. He previously served as the first Executive Director of SPACE in Portland, Maine, where he established The Kindling Fund, supporting individual artist grantees, and launched a residency program for visiting artists. In 2012 Nat co-founded the Hewnoaks Artist Residency in Lovell, Maine, particularly to support Maine artists who had few or no prior residency experiences. He was a founding member of Common Field, a national network of artist organizers. Nat has worked with or advised numerous local and national arts organizations such as National Endowment for the Arts, Creative Capital, Americans for the Arts, The Artist Communities Alliance, The Portland Museum of Art, Maine College of Art, Indigo Arts Alliance, and the Wedding Cake House. In addition to his interest in the arts, Nat worked with Portland Food Co-op to plan and open its retail location, volunteers with the Maine Tool Library, and has trained as a Master Gardener Volunteer.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanielmay/
https://www.instagram.com/nat_may/
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NORTHWOODS BOOK ARTS GUILD
CALENDAR
NBG Open Studio & Boreal Book Arts Showcase Hours
Meet, Make, Shop!
Wednesdays, 12-2pm
Horn Book Project
Project Progress Update on Zoom
Saturday, March 4, 10-11am
Consultation sessions at Open Studio
Art-o-Mat Work Session
Saturday, March 18, 11am-1:30pm
At the NBG Studio
NBG Program Meeting
Sunday, March 19, 1-3pm
On Zoom
NBG Workshop
Reversing Accordion
Saturday, March 25, 9:30am-4:30pm
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Learn about and support Northwoods Book Arts Guild!
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