Greetings PSBA members! We are looking forward to the Annual Members' Exhibition opening in just a month!
Image courtesy of Garden Pathways to Celestial Byways by Selene Fisher
Upcoming Events
Seattle Art Book Fair, May 6-7: Free and open to the public! Visit the event website for information.
PSBA Show and Share Salon: May 7, 2pm-4pm, University of Puget Sound, Collins Library, Archive Seminar Room. This Show and Share Salon is an opportunity to see each other and share what we've been working on. Bring a project you have worked on, or a sample from a workshop in the past 2 years. The event is free, but registration is required. Register here.
Drawn to Tacoma: The illustrative art of Chandler O'Leary: Exhibition Dates: May 10 – 24, 2023: Opening Reception: Friday, May 12, 4-6pm, University of Puget Sound, Collins Library. This retrospective exhibit will feature a variety of Chandler’s many sketchbooks, prints, textiles, artist books, broadsides, cards, ornaments, paper sculptures, materials & tools. Visit the Collins Library website for information.
2023 PSBA Annual Members' Exhibition Events and Deadlines
Book Drop Off: May 31st, 11:00am-2:00pm. See webpage for submission guidelines.
Exhibition Opening: June 5th, Collins Library, University of Puget Sound. Further information will be provided here.
Opening Reception: June 7, Time TBA, Collins Library, University of Puget Sound. Event information will be provided here.
PSBA is on Instagram!
A reminder that we are now on Instagram. Follow us at puget_sound_book_artists.
Sincerely,
Your PSBA Board
Meet the Board members on the Contact Us webpage.
Greetings PSBA members! Hope your Spring is going well!
Image courtesy of Gina Pisello.
Wayzgoose: We are excited to announce that Tacoma Wayzgoose is back in 2023! The theme of this year's festival is RENEWAL. The festival features: Steamroller prints! Educational and enrichment activities! A celebration of letterpress, book arts, printmaking, and community! The event will be held on Saturday April 15 from 11 am to 4 pm at the Moore Library (215 S. 56th) in Tacoma's South End. The library has been a gracious and enthusiastic partner so far, and the Wayzgoose organizers are excited to bring Wayzgoose to another neighborhood in the city. To learn more about Tacoma Wayzgoose, check out their website athttps://www.tacomawayzgoose.com.
Making Oak Gall Ink Class: April 16, 1:00pm-3:00pm, Collins Library, University of Puget Sound. Tacoma watercolor, India ink and graphite artist Mark Hoppmann will be teaching an in-person demonstration/mini-workshop on ink to coincide with the current exhibition on "Scripts & Scribes & Scribbles." The exhibit, located at Collins Library at University of Puget Sound, is on display through April 26 and infraction is available here. Registration is full but a waitlist for the event is availability here.
Artist Gina Pisello Class: April 22, 1-4pm: Artist Gina Pisello presents the mini-workshop, “Hide and Bind: Creating secret spaces in books.” Gina Pisello deftly transforms paper into three dimensional sculptures with hidden depth and meaning. This session is on folding “secrets” in preparation for the upcoming PSBA book exchange. Registration is available here.
Lunchtime Conversations: Gabby Cooksey’s April 7 Lunchtime Conversation has been postponed.
We hope you enjoyed our series of lunchtime conversations. Jane and Amanda will be taking a break over the spring and summer and will return with another great lineup in the fall.
Call for Entries: Submissions Opened February 24 and will close April 7. Additional dates and information are here.
Exhibition Opening: June 5, 2023: Collins Library, University of Puget Sound. Further information will be provided here.
Greetings PSBA members! We are getting closer to the start of Spring!
Lunch Time Presentation with Gillian Stewart: March 16, 2023, 12:00 PM-1:00 PM, Zoom. Event information is here. Gillian Stewart is a prize-winning designer bookbinder from Glasgow, Scotland who teaches students and makes bespoke books, enclosures, artists books, and design bindings. Register at bit.ly/3Y7MCw.
Grit City Magazine, Tuesday, March 21, 3-4pm: Collins Library, Archives and Special Collections Seminar Room, second floor. According to its creators, Grit City magazine "was founded on the notion that Tacoma has good stories to tell." Editor-in-Chief Sierra Hartman will be onsite to discuss journalism, publishing, and Tacoma's rich history. Issues of Grit City will be available to enjoy. Registration is not required. Event information is here
Wednesday, March 22, 12-2pm: Medieval Manuscripts with private collector Matt Brehe, Collins Library, Archives and Special Collections Seminar Room, second floor. Matt is a Seattle based private collector of manuscripts and incunabula. A member of the Book Club of Washington, an organization dedicated to the culture of the book, Matt will bring several treasures to share including a book of hours, hand lettered music sheets, and a number of manuscript leaves. Registration is not required. Event information is here.
Ink and Bamboo Reed Class: April 16, 1:00pm-3:00pm, Collins Library, University of Puget Sound. Tacoma watercolor, India ink and graphite artist Mark Hoppmann will be teaching an in-person demonstration/mini-workshop on ink to coincide with the current exhibition on "Scripts & Scribes & Scribbles." The exhibit, located at Collins Library at University of Puget Sound, is on display through April 26 and infraction is available here. Registration details will be sent out and shared on the PSBA calendarsoon.
Artist Gina Pisello Talk, April 22: Gina Pisello recently relocated to the Pacific Northwest, deftly transforms paper into three dimensional sculptures with hidden depth and meaning. She will be teaching an online mini-workshop on folding "secrets" in preparation for the upcoming PSBA book exchange. Registration details will be sent out and shared on the PSBA calendar soon.
Photography Session: March 26, 1:30 PM-4:30 PM, Collins Library, University of Puget Sound. Registration is currently limited to 10, but more may open due to demand. Event information and registration is here.
Greetings PSBA members! Hope your winter is going well!
Online Lunchtime Conversations with Ben Denzer. February 9, 2023, 12:00pm–12:50pm via ZOOM. The event is free, but registration is required.
For event information and to register, click here.
Online Workshop: Speaking to the Eyes: Writing as Image. Instructor: Suzanne Moore. This workshop has three Presentation sessions, four Discussion sessions, and two Show and Share sessions that Beginning on Saturday, March 4, 10 am-noon and go through Wednesday, April 5.
For all dates and to register, click here.
Scripts, Scribes, and Scribbles! Exhibit Now Open at Collins Library!
This exhibit currently at Collins Library, University of Puget Sound, brings together examples of handwriting and illustrates how handwriting has been taught, reproduced, and reimagined over the past five hundred years. Displaying a range of books and manuscripts from the Collins Library collection and many private donors and collectors, the exhibition addresses the role of handwriting in the age of print newly legible.
To learn more about the exhibit, visit the website.
Many Thanks to Malini Gupta!
Malini Gupta was the featured speaker at the January 29 annual meeting. Her presentation was very moving and inspiring. Her book, The Fortune Teller, was included in the exhibit Changing the Conversation at Collins Library in October 2022. To learn more about Malini and her work, click here.
Many thanks to Malini Gupta for being the featured speaker and giving such an amazing talk!
Annual Membership Renewal
Annual membership renewal information along with a request for end of the year donations was sent out last month. To renew your membership, click here. Donations can also be made online.
Annual Meeting Recording
Thank you to those who attended the January 29 annual meeting! It was recorded and will soon be available on the PSBA Media YouTube channel.
2020-2022 Book Exchange Online Catalogs
As was shared at the Annual Meeting, catalogs for past Book Exchanges are available at the links below.
2020 Book Exchange
2021 Book Exchange
2022 Book Exchange
Greetings PSBA members and happy New Year!
Annual Meeting: January 29, 2023, 2:00 PM-3:30 PM. The annual meeting will be held via Zoom and feature speaker Malini Gupta.
Schedule
· 2:00 -2:45 Introductions and Speaker:
· 2:45-2:50 Short break for 5 minutes
· 2:50 to 3:30: Annual Update on the organization, featuring information on upcoming programs, the 2023 members' exhibition and oversight of the organization.
Event information and registration is here.
Virtual Workshop: Instructional Strategies in Book Arts: January 15, 9 AM-12 PM. A Hands-On Conversation for those in the PSBA Learning to Teach Cohort. Instructor: Roberta Lavadour.
For more information and to register, click here
In-person Workshop: Montage Sur-Onglets or Hinge binding: February 11, 2023, 9 AM– 4 PM, in-person. February 17 at 10-11 AM, on Zoom. February 19, 1 PM– 4 PM, in-person. Instructor: Gabby Cooksey. Location: Becky Frehse’s Studio in Tacoma.
To learn more about the workshop, register, or apply for tuition assistance, click here.
If you've been checking out the website, you'll notice that we have a class called Instructional Strategies in Book Arts. We're excited about this cohort of PSBA members who want to learn how to teach book arts. Only register for this workshop if you have received an invitation from the workshop organizers.
PSBA Workshop Tuition Assistance is Available!
The PSBA Board is excited to announce the launch of our new Workshop Scholarship Fund.
In 2023, PSBA will pilot the Scholarship Fund to assist members who would otherwise not be able to attend full day/multi-day workshop due to financial barriers. Up to 4 partial scholarships will be awarded for the full day/multi-day workshops in 2023. Scholarships will cover approximately 50% of the workshop fee. Given that workshop fees vary the amount of the award may vary depending on the workshop fee.
To apply for the scholarship:
· You must be a current member of PSBA in good standing (dues current at the time of applying and at the time of the workshop).
· Submit the Scholarship Application by the deadline. The link to the application will be on each workshops page on the website.
If awarded the scholarship you will need to:
· Pay your portion of the workshop fee by the stated deadline. If you are unable to meet the deadline the scholarship may be withdrawn and awarded to a different applicant.
· Commit to attending the workshop in its entirety.
· Participate in the final survey of the scholarship fund.
Shereen LaPlantz Collection at the University of Puget Sound
Final work on the Shereen LaPlantz Personal Papers has been completed, and you can view the collection guide at, https://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:80444/xv614944.
The collection contains nine boxes of material related to Shereen (Buckland) LaPlantz's career as an artist and documents the evolution of her artistic interests, inspiration, ability, and process. It also includes examples of her artist's books as well as photographs of her baskets.
The collection is open for research at the University of Puget Sound, Archives and Special Collections housed in Collins Library.
Greetings PSBA members and happy holidays!
Save the Date! Annual Meeting: January 29, 2023, 2:00 PM-3:30 PM. The annual meeting will be held via Zoom and feature speaker Malini Gupta. October. A few of us were fortunate to meet Malini when she visited Collins Library in October. We were so inspired by her honest, reflective and inspirational work that we are pleased to host her as our annual meeting speaker. Her book, The Fortune Teller, was included in the exhibit Changing the Conversation. Malini will discuss this work and others as well as her work as the Creative Director of OCHRE Art and Design in Portland.
An email with registration information will be sent out soon. Check the Calendar page for updates.
January and February are always a bit of a let-down after the hustle and bright lights of the holidays. To keep the spark alive, we have three workshops and our annual meeting scheduled.
Workshop: Wild Windows Slinky Book: January 7, 2023 9:30am-4:30 PM.
Tuition Assistance is available for this workshop. Important: If you are applying for the tuition assistance, please DO NOT complete the workshop registration.
To learn more about this workshop, tuition assistance or to register, click here.
Workshop Instructional Strategies in Book Arts: January 15, 9 AM-12 PM. A Hands-On Conversation for those in the PSBA Learning to Teach Cohort.
For more information and to register, click here.
Workshop: Montage Sur-Onglets or Hinge binding: February 11, 2023, 9 AM– 4 PM, in-person. February 17 at 10-11 AM, on Zoom. February 19, 1 PM– 4 PM, in-person.
Looking ahead to the spring, Suzanne Moore will be teaching a virtual workshop that will take place over the month of March and early April. We'll let you know when that is open for registration.
Thank You to Bonnie Julien! Carol Stallard Legacy Gift
“Book Art Play Dates – Carol”
Thanks are extended to PSBA member Bonnie Julien for her effort to share the work of educator and artist Carol Stallard. Carol Stallard was a science teacher turned librarian. She worked at Jason Lee Middle School in Tacoma for many years where she was instrumental in incorporating book art into the curriculum. The district supported her taking book art classes from instructors like Shereen LaPlantz and Patricia Grass. Carol then inspired her students to participate in Wayzgoose events at King’s Books and to create their own book art.
After Carol and her husband retired from teaching they built a home on Hammersley Inlet in Mason County and settled into a quiet life of whale watching, gardening, and for Carol, book making. She enjoyed attending workshops at the Newport Paper & Book Art Festival (NPBAF), Focus On Book Art (FOBA) and participating in the North Redwoods Book Art Guild (NORBAG) monthly book exchanges.
Sadly, Carol was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that eventually took her life on January 21, 2022. She was an only child and did not have any remaining family, so her husband donated her handmade and collected books and supplies to Collins Memorial Library and for use by the Puget Sound Book Artists (PSBA). This is a way for Carol’s teaching legacy to continue. Several members of PSBA gathered together in late October to review the many gifts and soon we will have a full report on the resources that are available. It is truly a treasure trove!
PSBA channel on YouTube
Remember to check out our YouTube channel to keep up to date on new videos and content. Visit PSBAMedia or click on the YouTube button on the PSBA website.
Greetings PSBA members and happy early start to the holiday season!
Workshop: "How Do We Talk and Write About Artists' Books More Effectively?" Two part mini-workshop.
1st Session: Sunday, November 13, noon-2:30 pm.
2nd Session: Sunday, November 20, 2022, noon-2:30 pm.
Location: Becky Frehse’ Studio, Tacoma. Instructor: Ann Storey.
PSBA member fee: $45 (includes a $5 materials fee)/ Space is limited to 12 participants. All skill levels welcome. Registration is required.
Writing the description for a book you have created can be challenging! It is often a struggle to capture the words to describe what inspired you. Yet, the descriptions for our books are an important component, especially if we are exhibiting and selling our work. If you would like to learn more about writing a description and talking about your work join us for this two part mini-workshop!
New! PSBA Lunchtime Series: Conversations with Book Artists. Thursday, November 17th, noon.
Registration is required. Register and a Zoom link will be sent out prior to the event.
Hosted by Jane Carlin (University of Puget Sound) and Amanda Roth Clark (Whitworth College).
We are pleased to offer a new series of casual lunchtime conversations over the next year. This new series debuts with printmaker and book artist Steve Miller of Red Hydra Press, the Penland School of Craft, and emeritus professor from The University of Alabama's Book Arts Program. Learn about Cuba, the latest projects, and life lessons for the curious, the collector, and the creatives. Read more about Steve’s great work here.
Workshop: Rainbow Box with Pyramid Lid and Feet. Friday, December 2, 2022, 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM. Location: Becky Frehse' Studio, Tacoma. Instructor: Randi Parkhurst. pace is limited to 12 participants
All skill levels are welcome. PSBA Member Fee: $85.00 (includes a $20 materials fee).
PSBA Non-Member Fee: $120.00.
Member Registration Opens on October 3, 2022
Public Registration Opens on November 14, 2022.
Registration is required.
In this workshop you will be making a specific box, but you will learn the skills to create boxes of any size to hold one of your artist books. This box might also make a nice holiday gift for someone special.
Coming in 2023: Scripts, Scribes and Scribbles: Celebrating the Art of Hand Writing & Lettering. An Exhibition Curated by Jane Carlin and Mark Hoppmann at Collins Library, University of Puget Sound.
Opening January 8th, 2023.
We are in the midst of planning a unique exhibit that will include a potpourri of items from medieval manuscripts, hand lettered books, 19th century penmanship textbooks, pens and inkwells, examples of contemporary calligraphy, personal handwritten journals and letters, writing desks, a "doodle wall," and much, much more! The idea started last year when we introduced students in a book arts class to the tools of the trade including handmade bamboo pens made by PSBA member Mark Hoppmann. The idea has evolved as we learned more about how cursive writing is no longer taught in many schools.
The exhibit is bringing together items from the Collins Library collection, Mark Hoppmann's personal collections, and private collections from around Puget Sound. If you have a unique item(s) that you think would fit into this exhibition (see below), or have suggestions for Exhibition related events please contact Jane Carlin. jcarlin@pugetsound.edu, and Mark Hoppmann, mark@markhoppmannart.com. Be sure to include an image and a brief description in your email. We would love to hear from you!
The exhibition runs from January 8th to May 14th and all items accepted for the exhibition must be received by December 1, so submit your ideas early!
More information will be shared on the PSBA website.
Congratulations to the PSBA artists who participated and a special thank you to those who attended and for making the Tacoma Studio Tours a resounding success after a three year hiatus!
PSBA October Updates
Greetings and Happy Fall, PSBA Members!
October Events:
PSBA 4th Annual Book Exchange: Sunday, October 9, 2-4pm. University of Puget Sound, Collins Library, Room 053.
Registration for non-participants is required and is limited to 18 participants.
Join us for the 4th Annual PSBA Book Exchange at Collins Library. For those who did not participate in this year's creation of books for this year’s exchange but would like to attend the event, registration is required. For those who registered previously to participate, you do not need to do anything, you are already registered.
Questions? Contact Belinda Hill at benjisnewadventure@gmail.com.
Masks are not required but recommended.
Changing the Conversation, Malini Gupta: Friday ,October 21 from 1:00- 2:30. University of Puget Sound, Collins Memorial Library, Archives Seminar Room. Registration is required and limited to 15 participants.
Meet artist Malini Gupta whose book, The Fortune Teller, is included in the exhibit Changing the Conversation. As the artist states, “through this work I seek to investigate the deeply entrenched gender biases that plague the Indian society. It is comprised of two parts: part one is the game of Fortune Teller; part two is my personal childhood story. The Fortune Teller - an unassuming childhood game that predicts your future based on choices you make. As the viewer interacts with this seemingly benign and innocuous game they are confronted by the cold, hard statistics of gender inequality in India. For the second part of the piece, I narrate my first hand experiences of growing up in India. “ Malini will discuss this work and others as well as her work as the Creative Director of OCHRE Art and Design in Portland.
Changing the Conversation, Open Cases Event: Wednesday, October 26, 12:00-1:30. Collins Memorial Library, Room 118.
Registration is limited to 15 participants and required.
Join exhibit curators Jane Carlin, MalPina Chan, and Carletta Carrington Wilson, along with many of the local artists (Bonnie Thompson Norman, Amy Ryken, Paige Pettibon, Deborah Greenwood, and Lucia Harrison) featured in the exhibit, to have an up close and personal look at individual books and learn about the creative process. Books will be removed from the exhibit space and available for closer viewing in library room 118.
Mini-Workshop, Jacob’s Ladder Construction: Saturday, October 29, 1:00 – 4:00. Pt. Defiance-Ruston Senior Center, 4617 N. Baltimore. Tacoma. Instructor: Jan Dove
Please Note: Covid protocols apply to this workshop! The instructor and all participants must be vaccinated for Covid19 and wear a mask during the workshop. Be prepared to show your up-to-date vaccination card.
Registration is required and limited to 12 participants.
Member Fee: $35.00 that includes a $15 materials fee.
Skill Level: All levels are welcome.
Workshop Description: A Jacob’s Ladder is a folk toy consisting of blocks of wood woven together by ribbons. When the ladder is held at one end, blocks appear to cascade down the ribbons. This effect is a visual illusion which is the result of one block after another flipping over. Our Jacob’s Ladder is built of mat board blocks and has the added effect of appearing to magically switch between two different images.
Participants will investigate the mechanics and construction of the Jacob’s Ladder. Participants will leave with at least one functioning Jacob’s Ladder that displays two contrasting images in correct sequence.
Questions? Contact: Jan Dove, jan@jandove.com
Administrative type questions? Contact Dorothy McCuistion at dorothykmc@gmail.com.
Save the Date, Workshop, Rainbow Box with Pyramid Lid and Feet: Friday, December 2, 9:30 AM-4:30 PM. Location: Becky Frehse’ Studio in Tacoma. Instructor: Randi Parkhurst. Skill Level: All levels are welcome.
PSBA Member Fee: $85.00 (includes a $20 materials fee)
PSBA Non-Member Fee: $120.00
Registration opens in early October. Watch the PSBA website calendar for details.
Book Arts Guild event, The Wild Garden of Childhood: A Look at Children’s Books Through the Ages: Tuesday, October 18, 7pm, Zoom. Presenter: Sandra Kroupa, Book Arts and Rare Book Curator, University of Washington Libraries. This presentation will look at the history of the book through the lens of childhood, from early forms of the book up to the work of modern book artists, with texts originally written for children.
Register here to receive the Zoom link and for event information.
Report from the Program Committee:
Many PSBA members—52% of you—filled out the program survey last spring. We thank you again! You provided such an abundance of ideas and direction. Over the summer the program committee took a deep dive into the results, which we are using to plan programs into 2023. Here are a few highlights of what’s ahead:
If you are interested in joining either the teaching to teach group or the outreach group and did not state your interest on the survey, please contact Dorothy McCuistion dorothykmc@gmail.com .
There were lots of ideas about what workshops to offer: over 30 structure types and over 15 book arts techniques were suggested. While we can’t do it all, we did find some common threads and we hope one or more workshop is of interest to you in the coming months. While complete registration details will eventually be up on the website, here’s a sneak preview:
One last programming news item—we have an additional location at the Pt. Defiance-Ruston Senior Center in Tacoma, for some of our workshops and activities. Look for workshops and sharing events at this location in 2023.
Thank you again for your great ideas and support. We need all of you to keep things going.
September PSBA Updates
Greetings PSBA members! Wishing you a happy Labor Day holiday weekend!
Changing the Conversation presentation recording: Did you miss Alisa Banks’s presentation Changing the Conversation last week? The recording is available on the PSBA YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8_tJtUuQZA.
Changing the Conversation with Yoshi Nakagawa and Jessica Spring: This in-person event will be held in the Book Arts Studio and Exhibit Space in Collins Memorial Library at the University of Puget Sound on Monday, September 12 from 3:00 to 4:30.
Join Yoshi and Jessica as they share the collaborative process for the design of the Changing the Conversation poster as well as their own efforts to support local artists and organizations. This unique poster is printed in an edition of 100 and available for purchase. All proceeds will go to benefit programs in support of diversity and inclusion in the book arts at the University of Puget Sound.
This event is free but registration is required. Register here. Masks are recommended but optional.
PSBA Supports DEI! Donate $30 for a beautiful broadside: This unique broadside is printed in an edition of 100 and available for purchase. All proceeds will go to benefit programs in support of diversity and inclusion in the book arts at the University of Puget Sound and our community. Printed by Jessica Spring and Yoshi Nakagawa in honor of the Changing the Conversation exhibition at Collins Library.
If you are interested in purchasing a broadside they are available for $30 and can be purchased by credit card (in person) or by check made out to Collins Memorial Library. We are happy to mail you a broadside and you can contact Jamie Spaine: jspaine@pugetsound.edu. As aforementioned, all proceeds will be used to encourage opportunities to engage a new generation of book artists!
Workshop: A Study of Home: This hybrid workshop will be taught by Shu-Ju Wang and will have a maximum of 12 attendees. The workshop limit has been reached, but you may still join the waitlist if someone cancels.
This workshop is designed to help you learn how to develop an idea, conduct research and create a workable model for an artist book in time for the 2023 PSBA Exhibition.
“A Study of Home” comes from the literal definition of the word “ecology” – from Greek oikos "dwelling place, habitation" + -logia "study of.” In this hybrid zoom/in-person workshop, you will select, research, and create artist books on topics near and dear to your heart and home, however you define it. We will emphasize collaboration, problem solving, verification, and embrace complexity. There will be 3 zoom sessions and 1 in-person session spread over several weeks to allow the participants time to work on their projects. Participants will develop avenues of research (archives, online (jstor, wiki), social media, and neighbors --- by location, by material, by time period, by industry, by species, by folklore). At the end of the workshop, we hope each participant will have a draft of their text, an image library, a list of resources, and an artist book structure mockup.
Workshop sessions are
Register here to join the waitlist. Workshop fee is $260 for PSBA members, $295 for non-members.
Annual Puget Sound Book Artists Book Exchange: Save the Date! The Book Exchange will take place at Collins Memorial Library at the University of Puget Sound on Sunday, October 9th from 2:00-4:00 pm.
We know there is still uncertainty about meeting in person, and we want to be prepared for an online only or restricted event. We will have a slideshow prepared to show if we need to change to an online event. The information you provide for the works you create for this event will be used in the slideshow. Please include three images for it. Complete this form by September 15th.
Questions? Contact Belinda Hill benjisnewadventure@gmail.com or Abbie Birmingham abbiemi5274@gmail.com.
Volunteers needed: We are looking for 3-4 PSBA volunteers to review some wonderful books arts materials and supplies that may be of use in workshops and events. The materials are currently located in the Book Arts Studio at Collins Library. The review process would begin in mid-October and it will be up to the group to determine when they might like to start. The sorting and review might take place over a few afternoons or a Saturday! Contact Jane Carlin if you would like to be part of this effort: jcarlin@pugetsound.edu.
August PSBA Updates
Greetings PSBA members! Hope your summer is going well!
PSBA Members' Exhibition Closes August 5: Plan a day to come and absorb the work in this exhibition!
To learn more about the exhibition, visit the Collins Library website.
PSBA Members' Exhibition Panel Discussion: Thursday, July 28 5:30-7:00, Zoom. This last exhibition event is a special screening of a pre-recorded panel discussion between several artists in the exhibition and moderator Peter Newland. The four selected panelists are Nancy Brones, Kimberly Izenman, Lynn Skordal, and Ray Zill. Additional information and registration is here.
PSBA Members' Exhibition, Pick Up Work: August 6, Time TBD. Collins Library. Masks are not required, but recommended. Visit the PSBA website here for updates.
2023 PSBA Members' Exhibition Updates: As a PSBA member, you’re invited to participate in the 2023 Annual Exhibition. This year’s suggested theme is “Collaboration.” As always you are encouraged to think broadly in your interpretation. Building community within PSBA and connecting with the larger community is so important today and we hope that this theme will meet that objective.
Here are some ideas to get you started: You can take this prompt literally, as in two or more artists working together. Or you may interpret it more generally, as in being inspired by or in alliance with a creative work from an historic or contemporary author/visual artist. Or you can think outside your routine as well, expand into the community by working with an elderly neighbor, talking to someone that works in a field you find interesting, or chatting with someone at a local community center. Collaboration can imply a positive partnership and it can also have a more negative connotation such as conspiring with a dangerous or subversive group.
As always you also have the option of going outside of the theme. Dates and other details will be announced later.
Let the creativity begin!
Book Club of Washington, On Collecting and Legacy: August 14, 2pm Zoom. For more information and to register, click here.
Puget Sound Book Artists 4th Annual Book Exchange: Registration opened May 1st and will close August 27. The date will be sometime in September. Location TBD. Registration is required to participate. To register and see the latest updates on this event, click here.
Alisa Banks, Changing the Conversation Presentation: August 25th, 4pm, Zoom. Register for this free event here.
Changing the Conversation is an exhibition co-curated by MalPina Chan, Carletta Carrington Wilson, Jane Carlin and Angela Weaver and features over 60 books collected over the last decade that address social justice themes. Alisa’s book Wrongful Termination in this exhibit addresses race-based discriminatory practices. Starting in the 1980's, multiple suits have been filed against employers, schools, and other agencies by people of color (primarily women) who were fired, passed over for promotion or hiring, or sent home for wearing their natural hair
Alisa Banks investigates connections to contemporary culture, her Creole heritage, and the African diaspora through the lenses of home, terrain, and the body, using Southern Louisiana as a point of entry. Her sculptural artist books, writings, and textile collages, which incorporate fibers and found materials, reference traditional craft forms through twisting, knotting, crocheting, and sewing. Her interests include exploring alternative modes of reading and the performative potential of the book. Alisa’s work has been exhibited in Canada, Europe, Asia, Africa, and throughout the US, and is housed in several private and public collections, including the Smithsonian Institution, the US Library of Congress, and the New York Public Library.
Alisa holds a B.S. degree in Medical Laboratory Science from Oklahoma State University and an M.F.A. degree from Texas Woman’s University. She lives in Dallas, TX. For more information, visit her website
Workshop: A Study of Home, A Hybrid Workshop: Zoom: Sat. Sept. 17, 1-4pm. Zoom: Sat. Oct. 1, 1-4pm. Becky Frehse's Studio: Oct. 23, 9-4. Zoom: Sat. Nov. 5, 1-4pm.
This is a combination of 4 Zoom and In-person sessions taught by Shu-Ju Wang designed to help you learn how to develop an idea, conduct research, and create a workable model for an artist book in time for the 2023 PSBA Exhibition. Registration is required. Registration opened July 7th for members and will open August 1 for non-members. Cost is $260 and registration is limited to 12. Register here.
Please contact us at psbanews@gmail.com to learn more about the Puget Sound Book Artists or if you have a question about our organization!