Greetings and hope your Winter is going well!
Greetings from the PSBA President!
Dear Friends,
Happy 2025! We wish you a year filled with energy and creative ideas. We hope that you will join us Sunday, February 9 at 1 PM via Zoom to hear our special guest speaker Rebecca Chamblee. Then at 2 PM you’ll hear more about some of our exciting events for the year.
Belinda Hill
New Features for PSBA Members
We are excited to announce two new features: an enhanced event registration form and member profiles!
New Event Notification Submission Form on the PSBA Website
This new online form, available at https://pugetsoundbookartists.wildapricot.org/page-18134, is for event notices and registration.
Call for Book Artists to Feature in PSBA Members’ Spotlight
PSBA is beginning a new series of spotlight interviews featuring its members. If you have someone in mind, contact Jane Carlin (carlinjane@gmail.com), chair of the Communications Committee.
Inaugural Members’ Spotlight: Sally Alger
PSBA Board member Diane Miller is responsible for our first profile on our previous President Sally Alger: https://pugetsoundbookartists.wildapricot.org/Member-spotlight. Thank you Diane and Sally!
Upcoming Events
Help PSBA Make Valentine’s Day Cards February 4
PSBA is pleased to partner once again with the Print & Book Arts Studio, BARN (Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network) on this special event. Join us in the Print & Book Arts Studio on Tuesday, February 4, from 10am to 2pm for this special event. We'll be making Valentine's Day cards to distribute to community organizations or to special people in our lives. All the materials will be provided for this free gathering, and you can just show up!
If you have a special Valentine you'd like to share for inspiration, please bring it.
This is co-hosted by Puget Sound Book Artists member Jane Carlin and BARN member Amy Goldthwaite. It's a great opportunity to come together and enjoy the time making unique treasures to share with others. Sweet treats will be provided. Hope to see you there!
And think about combining this event with a visit to BIMA and the Book Arts Gallery. Questions? Contact Jane Carlin: carlinjane@gmail.com.
Visit the BARN site for directions: https://bainbridgebarn.org/.
Exhibition opening February 3 and reception February 8
Puget Sound Book Artists (PSBA) is proud to present "Nature and the Book: 2025 " a compelling exhibition showcasing the work of PSBA members whose creative practices are deeply inspired by the natural world. This exhibition highlights the dynamic intersection between nature, art, and the printed page, exploring themes of sustainability, climate change, and the inherent beauty found in the environment.
The exhibit opens February 3 at the Elisabeth C. Miller Library on at the University of Washington Seattle campus. The opening reception is February 8 from noon-2pm. Questions? Contact Lucia Harrison at luciaharrison49@gmail.com.
Further information about the exhibit and events is here.
Portions of the exhibit will travel to the Bloedel Reserve from March 4-April 13. The Reserve is located on Bainbridge Island. Additional events are planned.
PSBA Annual Meeting February 9
February 9, 2025, 1pm-3pm, Zoom meeting
Featured speaker: Rebecca Chamlee
Presentation: 1:00 to 2:00
PSBA Board Update on Programs, Exhibits, Events and Budget: 2:00 -3:00
Registration link forthcoming.
We are delighted to invite you to our 2025 Annual Meeting that will feature noted artist Rebecca Chamlee as our speaker.
In 2019, Rebecca visited Tacoma and inspired many members during her two-day workshop on using botanical contact printing in artists’ books. Her work of directly printing from forms found in our natural world is a way to preserve the ephemeral beauty of nature and directly relates to many themes explored by PSBA artists.
She can be described as a book artist, printer, writer, and bookbinder who has published innovatively designed, letterpress printed, limited-edition fine press, and artist’s books under the imprint of Pie In The Sky Press since 1986. Rebecca’s artists' books examine the intersection of her artistic and scientific interests by collecting and cataloging the natural world. Website: https://www.pieintheskypress.com/About-the-Press
Rebecca retired in 2023 as an associate professor at Otis College of Art and Design where she taught bookbinding, letterpress printing, and artists' book classes and headed the Book Arts minor program for over 20 years. She now holds workshops at her studio and book arts centers throughout the country.
She is currently completing work on a new book: Listen, notes from the field. This book is a personal investigation into the sounds of birds; what the vocalizations mean and how they differ from bird to bird. As to her process, she states: “Utilizing a ‘sit spot’ routine allowed the natural world to unfold before my eyes and ears in a way I’d never experienced in the years of exploring trails on foot in a nearby wildland park. In a comfortable spot in nature I sit, slow down and observe to discover the wonder in the moment.”
Her thoughtful reflections and approach to writing, listening, and creating will inspire us all.
Registration is required and can be completed by clicking here and logging into your account.
Annual Membership Renewal
The annual membership renewal letter was sent out to members in December. Instructions for renewing memberships are also available online.
2025 Annual Members Exhibition Update!
This year’s theme is Field Work which could mean the conventional sense of work performed not in the office or studio-but it could also mean the artist’s area of interest or expertise, and how that interest is expressed in the work. While it often has a professional, scientific, or academic undercurrent, other phrases like “the field is wide open” or “out in left field” suggest large competitive sport arenas. “Field” can typically mean “outdoors” but could equally be a different part of one’s country (“far afield”) but also of one’s brain or soul. You can even consider field work through an agricultural lens or a spiritual one. Your field of vision is wide open.
And as in years past, you are invited to submit work inspired by the theme or by your own muse.
More information will be posted in January and February. Key dates:
• Prospectus will be available on the PSBA website February 1, 2025
• Formstack submission applications will be open from February 14, 2025-April 1, 2025
Questions? Send your inquiries to psba.exhibition@pugetsoundbookartists.org.
Reminder: The Annual Exhibition Prospectus will be available on the PSBA website on February 1, 2025. We'll talk more about this at the Annual Meeting on February 9th.
If you know a student who might be interested, please pass on this information. Membership fee is waived for students.
Then add the flyer to the newsletter (not as an attachment but to the body of the text.)
Key dates:
- Prospectus will be available on the PSBA website on February 1, 2025
- Applications will be open between February 14, 2025, and April 1, 2025
- The Exhibit at the Collins Library at the University of Puget Sound from June 5—August 3, 2025
- The Exhibit moves to the Daniel Evans Library at Evergreen from September 29-December 29
Volunteer Coordinator for PSBA Needed
As PSBA continues to grow membership and expand programming, we recognize the importance of engaging and recognizing our volunteers. We want to recruit a member to serve as our Volunteer Coordinator. The Coordinator will report directly to the Executive Committee on a quarterly or as needed basis and is responsible for maintaining a volunteer list, establishing volunteer recognition events and assisting with opportunities to recruit volunteers! This is a great way to get involved with PSBA and have fun meeting and engaging with members. If you are interested in building our strong community of volunteers, enjoy outreach and are energetic, please contact President Belinda Hill to discuss details.
Volunteer Request from the Outreach Committee
The Outreach Committee is collecting book arts related items to sell at the next Wayzgoose event in Tacoma at the public library May 2-3. If you have book arts books, tools, papers, etc. to donate, please contact Becky to arrange pick-up or delivery.
Volunteers are also needed to staff the table at Wayzgoose. It's very easy and fun to demo a "make and take" project, sell our wares, and share all about book arts with old and new audiences.
To donate materials or help at this event, contact Becky Frehse at bfrehsestudio@gmail.com.
Olympia-area PSBA Meetups
The next Olympia PSBA meet-up will be on Monday, February 3, starting at 1 pm in the Olympia Public Library meeting room. Everyone is welcome! Please bring some book arts or creative writing to share. For more information contact Ann Storey (aelizabeth.storey@gmail.com) or Belinda Hill (benjisnewadventure@gmail.com).
Tacoma-area PSBA Meetups
The next meet-up is Wednesday, Feb 12, from 6-8pm at the University Place Pierce County Public Library in the small conference room. Bring something book arts related to share. All are welcome! Questions? Contact Lucia Harrison at luciaharrison49@gmail.com
Spring Events from the Programming Committee
What book art form do we have that can be big and expansive or small and compact; can fit beautifully on a shelf or cover a large wall; can be any shape or colors; can even be made as a container for other works; and can be explored both by beginning book artists or experienced ones looking for new discoveries? Of course, the basic accordion book structure! Join us for three PSBA workshops on the accordion structure and its many possibilities, held on April 5, May 17, and May 31. Watch for more details and registration information coming soon.
Other Book Arts Upcoming Events
Curated Conversation with Mita Mahato: Hybrid Poetics in TROPSSAP and Arctic Play
February 3, 6PM, Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (BIMA) Auditorium
Featured in Seattle's publication The Stranger in “Best Books Out of the PNW This Year,” comix artist Mita Mahato will share insight into how place-making inspires her hybrid poetics, with special focus on how collage technique, poetic forms, and color theory inform her new book Arctic Play (published by The 3rd Thing) and its companion activity book TROPSSAP (on exhibition in Crossing the Line: The Passport Re-Imagined”). Audience Q & A to follow. Reception and book-signing prior to the talk at 6pm.
Additional information and registration is here.
Tropic Bound Fair February 6-9
If you want to beat the winter cold and grey, you may want to attend this great artists' book fair. Details are at https://www.tropicboundfair.org/.
This event takes invites book artists, publishers, curators, librarians and book lovers to come together to enjoy an international event highlighting the art of the book!
The 10th Annual Washington State Zine Contest is now open! Submissions are due March 28, 2025. Visti the official website for further information, https://washingtoncenterforthebook.org/wszc/.
Community Print just released their spring class schedule, including:
- Reduction Linocut
- Introduction to Collagraphy
- Playing with Pantones: Ink and Color Theory
- Intro to Letterpress
- Intro to Risograph
- Drypoint on Plastic
- Collage / Poetry
- Paper Bag Junk Journals
- Re-introduction to Letterwriting
- Intermediate Letterpress
- Treasure Books
- Intro to Photopolymer Printing
See full details and register at https://www.community-print.org/events
Call for Member News
Are you planning a special event or workshop? Have you recently presented your work at a Conference or event? Is your work included in an exhibition?
If you would like to share information, please send your submission to Julia.stringfellow@cwu.edu by Wednesday, February 26. Subject line should read: PSBA Member News. The March newsletter will be sent out to the membership early that month.
Call to Share Upcoming Events
Do you have an upcoming event that you are holding or participating in? Let us know! Email psba.public.relations@pugetsoundbookartists.org to add it to the calendar.
Sincerely,
Your PSBA Board
Meet the Board members on the Contact Us webpage.