Library Announces Acquisitions from Bookworks 13

Thanks to Jeanne Strauss-De Groote for sending us this post:

As the library liaison for the Cincinnati Book Arts Society, and the curator of artists' books at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, I am very pleased to say that this year, the library acquired three books from the CBAS Bookworks 13 display, that will be added to the library's rich collection.

Paper Burns at 451 degrees Fahrenheit: Books Transform at 1800 degrees Fahrenheit by Carol Freid is a very mysterious piece that was created after dipping a book into paper clay slip several times. The book was then dried and fired in an electric kiln. All that is left of the original book is white ash. Carol Freid lives and works in Kentucky.

Fragments of Capri, by Karen Hanmer, will complement the library's nice collection of books made by this Chicago based artist. In this small dreamlike visual object, Karen Hanmer photographed, digitally printed, and deconstructed images from a painting of an Italian landscape that hung over the artist's childhood sofa. Images were then bound into a book using the drum leaf structure.

Uncle Melvin Looks Back, by Janice Kagermeier, is a lovely accordion book with a very strong local connection: the artist captures, in a joyful and materially very satisfying way, the many stories that her uncle, Melvin, told her about growing up in Cincinnati's West End. For the covers of the book, Janice Kagermeier used images of older Cincinnati fire insurance maps, found in the library's collection.

WE TAKE OUR SHOW ON THE ROAD

A studious group

After the popularity of last year's Grandparents Day program at the Mercantile Library, CBAS was invited to hold another workshop, this time for adults. On Saturday morning, September 15, a full house of 12 participants came prepared with scissors, pencils and rulers to make TWO IN TWO (hours), a dos-à-dos booklet and a small leather bound notebook. Janice, April and Cecie found the students, many of them novices, to be quick and able learners. Everybody went home happy with what they had had produced and ready to fill those blank pages.

 

CBAS teachers are there to help

This was the first in what we hope will be an expanded community outreach program for CBAS in the future. Judging from the enthusiasm and interest of the Mercantile participants, our efforts are right on time.

Special thanks to CBAS member Jo Diamantes for prep of our materials and to Mary Gruber at the Merc for her able assistance.

SEPTEMBER STUDY GROUP

Folding signatures

Fourteen Study Group members spent a fun afternoon at the Art Academy making a small "fat book," co-instructor Trish DeMonge's self proclaimed favorite book. After learning how to make it, I suspect this decorative little book may well become the new favorite of lots of Study Group members, too.

Using complete kits made up by Trish and with help from co-instructor Nancy Hignite, we began by folding and assembling 12 signatures from card stock. In this case, that phrase was especially apt since the model we constructed used 3"x 5" index cards for the text block.

Busy hands

The folded signatures were sewn individually, half in pamphlet stitch and half in a figure 8 stitch, with extra thread left on the spine for beads if desired. Included in the kit was a length of decorative yarn or ribbon which was then woven through the exposed stitches on the spine. This was the most time consuming part of the project, but Study Group members are never at a loss for conversation, sharing what we've been doing lately and what projects are on the horizon.

The challenge now? To make enough fat books for everyone on our gift lists! Many thanks to Trish for organizing and Nancy for helping with a great session.

Trish's examples

First CBAS Purchase Award

2012 CBAS Purchase Award—Veronica Sorcher's Gone

After the Bookworks 13 exhibition closed on September 2, CBAS judges Kate Kern (visual artist) and Jerry Bellas (art faculty and gallery director, College of Mount St. Joseph) met to select one work from the exhibition to be purchased by CBAS and donated to the artists' book collection of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County in memory of Keith Kuhn, past Chair of CBAS and former Library Services Director. The work chosen was Gone by Veronica Sorcher. It is hoped this will be the first of many CBAS purchase awards from future exhibitions.

Veronica is a Conservation Assistant at the Library. A native of Canada, she has lived in Cincinnati since 2001 and has been an active CBAS member since 2006. Here is her artist's statement about her memorial star book:

My friend David was a terrific collage and zine artist and a powerful influence and inspiration in my life on many, many levels. In this homage I have tried to use some of the techniques, ideas and materials he used in his own work. I used my personal photographs of him and copies of letters he wrote me as well as an e-mail informing me of his sudden death.

Final Bookworks 13 Walk-through

Susan Rench talks about her book, At Ghost Ranch.

Sunday, August 26, was the final walk-through at the annual Bookworks 13 exhibition at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. These artists shared their insightful comments with visitors: Maxine Seelenbinder-Apke, Judith Serling-Sturm, Susan Rench, Patty Bertsch, Diana Duncan Holmes, Timothy Riordan, Jeanne Clark and Cecie Chewning. Thanks to Dianne Dennis and Jo Diamantes, CDs of the works in the exhibition have been prepared for participants in Bookworks 13. We are most grateful to one and all for such an amazing display of talent.