Happy Spring!  With it brings a new round of book arts exhibits!  Opening this month is "Readers' Art 12:  Longing for Home" at the Susan Hensel Gallery, Minneapolis, MN...with a theme of home and what it means to you.  This blog's writer has two works in this always inventive and exciting annual exhibit!  Also, from NJ is Mary-Ellen Campbell who also has a work in the exhibit.  Check it out at http://www.susanhenselgallery.com/.  At the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center in Kalamazoo, MI, presents "Good Eats".  This is an annual exhibit as well with all 2-d food-related artwork.  (I also have a work in this exhibit as well...shameless self-promotion here!) This coincides with their annual Edible Book Fest taking place on April 2nd, where contributors to the Fest make all books edible!  In May, their other popular exhibit, "The Illustrated Accordion" will open with another work of mine in the show!  For more information, check it out at http://www.kalbookarts.org/category/kbac-gallery/.  Also, showing here on the East Coast and closing at the end of this month is an interesting exhibit at the Center for Book Arts entitled "Fine and Dirty" curated by Betty Bright and Jeff Rathermel showcasing letterpress and its use in book arts and more!  http://www.centerforbookarts.org/exhibits/archive/showdetail.asp?showID=217 Also, for the lovers of popups, check out this:  University of Rochester showcases "Pop-up and Movable Books from the 16th Century to Today".  It will be up for awhile and looks to be a great exhibit of pop-ups and moveables.  Another fun exhibit that opened at the Santa Fe Community College celebrating the creation of their Center for Book Arts and Printmaking is "BAG Shows Off", an exhibit of book artists from the area exhibiting their wonderful creations...and, yes, I have a piece in this exhibit as well!  Enjoy this lovely weather and get out there and make some books!

Happy New Year, Happy Groundhog's Day and more!  With spring-like temps here in the East, trees are confused, bugs are confused, and daffodils are appearing earlier than normal!  But here's some fun things coming up that are sure to warm the hearts and minds for those who love art and book arts!  Opening February 9th, is a photo documentation show of the time-period of the "happenings" at the Pace Gallery in Chelsea.  With black and white photos of assemblages by Oldenburg, performances by Bob Watts and Allan Kaprow, this is a great celebration of a time frame in art that augmented the birth of many art movements.  Be sure to catch this and google the Pace Gallery for more info with great images from the show!  Also happening is a great exhibit at Lafayette College in Easton, PA following William Pope L. opening February 11th!  One of my favorites, this creative artist will showcase one of his new videos with an exhibit in the adjacent gallery at the Williams Center.  On the book arts front, check out some great exhibits at the Center for Book Arts: Fine & Dirty Organized by Betty Bright and Jeff Rathermel, MCBA; Patricia S. Ward: Re/Vision Organized by Alexander Campos, Exec. Dir.; and Ethan Shoshan: Strange Birds .  All run from January 18, 2012 - March 31, 2012.  Also showing at the Ceres Gallery in Chelsea is an exhibit of 2 of my favorite book artists: Spitz and Pollack.  These 2 artists collaborate as a team to create some of the most fun and innovative artists' books.  Check it out at the Ceres Gallery website...
That's it for now...and Happy Valentine's Day as well!

As the news leaks Black Friday ads with big door busters and early-bird specials hit the news of major retailers, I'm looking for alternatives to check items off my holiday shopping list.  And, because I have many creative friends, my list is going towards handmade, one-of-a-kind, or editioned artists' books that make the artist and book lover oohh and aahh.  Two sites have wonderful on-line catalogs and stores to get your gift-shopping started for the creative book lovin' types in your life!  One is at www.vampandtramp.com under their on-line catalogs offering.  Check out War and Conflict which provides a look at war and conflict from World War I to 9.11 through the eyes of the book artist.  Past offerings of on-line catalogs include 50 under $50.  Perusing their many offerings of artists' books will delight and you'll be sure to find something that fits the budget!  Also, check out their recommendations for books on making books!

Another great website offering wonderful artist's book selections can be found at http://abecedariangallery.com/_wp/.  Alicia Bailey, book artist and gallerist, showcases many artists through her on-line shop with such categories as "Prudent Pix" which highlights emerging artists from Denver and across the country.  Another area to check out is the wonderful catalogs Alicia has prepared of past exhibitions.  Exhibits such as "Boxy Books", "Artist's Books Cornucopia" and "Molten II-Erotic Books" offer a wonderful array of artists' book from book artists both nationally and internationally and are a great way to introduce people to the genre.  Also check out her own works at http://aliciabailey.com/marketplace/.  I would also recommend signing up for her email with upcoming exhibits and calls for art!  The exhibits are amazing and if you can't get to Denver, one can live vicariously by viewing some of the online images of current exhibitions! 

Also, checking out the great book arts centers websites like The Center for Book Arts in New York City, The Chicago Center for Book and Paper, the Minneapolis Center for the Book, Kalamazoo Book Arts Center and the Asheville Bookworks, one will find great offerings from gift certificates for workshops as well as their offerings created and bound in their studios.  The Asheville Bookworks does a great exhibit titled "Bookopolis" annually and then curates a show from their entries which then gets produced as a catalog.  Last year's exhibit catalog entitled "Memory Palaces" was a gift I gave to many people who enjoyed viewing the wonderful selections...(shameful self-promotion occurring here as I was included!)...Published through Blurb, their website provided direct links to past catalogs and they make great gifts!

If you want to shop for someone who wants to make books, also check out Amazon.com for great selections. Offerings by authors and book artists, Gwen Diehn, Esther K. Smith, Alisa Golden, and Gabbrielle Fox have marvelous books with great directions for journeying into the book arts field!  Enjoy the journey and start crossing off those gifts! 

Here we are in the dog days of summer...August opened with a national heatwave that was unprecedented...so, to bring some cooling thoughts let's look ahead to Fall and some great opportunities for book arts!  Already posted, book arts centers across the country are offering some great workshops for novice and expert book artists alike!  If you're on the East Coast, check out The Center for Book Arts in New York City, www.centerforbookarts.org and the Asheville Bookworks in Asheville, NC or SC (I always forget which Carolina, but, you know which one I mean) at www.ashevillebookworks.com under the direction of Laurie Corral, a great book artist in her own right.  If you're in the midwest or want to hop a plane, check out the Columbia Center for Book and Paper Arts in Chicago, IL at www.colum.edu/bookandpaper; the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center, Kalamazoo, MI at www.kalbookarts.org and the Minneapolis Center for the Book at www.mnbookarts.org.  Out on the West Coast, check out the San Francisco Center for the Book at www.sfcb.org.  All of them offer fabulous weekend book arts warrior type workshops as well as letterpress and other various media to get those creative ideas flowing.  Also, check out their exhibits as all have adjacent gallery space for viewing and musing.  The Columbia Center for Book and Paper Arts's exhibit just got reviewed in Art Forum and the Center for Book Arts' special summer exhibit culled from its archives will be traveling the country making several stops...check that out, too!  To check out the workshop teachers and their work, go to www.vampandtramp.com, an artist's book dealer specializing in artist's books and broadsides.  Most of the workshop teachers are represented by Vamp and Tramp and you may after viewing their work, just have to buy a work or two...
Some other book arts exhibits to check out are "Bookworks" at New Orleans Museum of Art...check their website for exhibit dates and times; and "Bookopolis", the Asheville Bookworks annual book arts exhibit and extravaganza.  The writer of this blog will have a work in the exhibit.  So, stay cool and enjoy the summer that lasts.  As we move into the winter months with snow, ice and freezing rain, I know I'll be wishing for the dog days of summer!