Greetings,
Enjoy the summer! Create! Celebrate!
Share your creative efforts and energy with others, promote discussion and community.
Belinda Hill, President
PSBA Members’ Spotlight
The July Members’ spotlight is An Gates.
When I walked into An’s apartment, I saw she had put out some of her favorite books. I remembered many of them from our early PSBA days. We reminisced about our adventures in nature and how that influenced our work.
I’ve known An for some time. I would describe her and her work as inspired by curiosity. You’ll see examples in this interview.
In the above photo you see her studio which has open shelves with all sorts of things she’s collected. They are beautifully displayed. It’s a lovely room, well lit and facing east.
—Lucia Harrison
You'll find her Spotlight interview here.
Previous spotlight profiles are here.
If you have a suggestion for a PSBA spotlight, contact Jane Carlin (carlinjane@gmail.com) or Diane Miller (dianemiller1914@gmail.com).
Upcoming Events
July 8: Tacoma Meetup. 6-8pm at United Church in University Place (3912 Grandview Drive W, University Place, WA).
All are welcome. Questions? Email Lucia Harrison at luciaharrison49@gmail.com. Register here.
July 11: PSBA Exhibition: Open Cases. Zoom. Noon-1pm.
Curious about the creative minds and handmade books featured in this year’s exhibition? We hope you join us at this special ZOOM presentation.
Facilitated by Gina Pisello, this engaging, hour-long virtual presentation will spotlight a selection of artists and books from the exhibition.
Register here.
July 16: PSBA Exhibition: Open Cases. 4pm-5:30pm. Collins Memorial Library, University of Puget Sound.
Facilitated by Jane Carlin, join us for a lively, rapid-fire tour of books from the exhibition! This hands-on session includes short artist testimonials, time to browse, and the chance to carefully handle selected works—an intimate way to experience the materials, structures, and stories that bring these books to life.
We hope you’ll join us for this special gathering as we celebrate 15 years of creativity, community, and book arts.
(Please note space is limited so if we have a large interest in this event, we will schedule a second in-person Open Cases event in August!)
Register here.
July 17: Olympia Meetup. 1pm.
Our next meetup will be a potluck lunch celebration. For more information contact Ann Story aelizabeth.storey@gmail.com.
July 18: MalPina Chan Celebration of Life.
MalPina's daughters will be hosting a social gathering in her honor after the SOLA Opening at the Tacoma Art Museum. MalPina has 4 pieces in the exhibition.
The event will be held at The Bindery, 717 Commerce Street in Tacoma from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Artists are welcome to create art in her honor/inspired by her to be displayed at the venue that has hanging space and shelving.
August 29: PSBA Summer Potluck Picnic. 11am-2pm. Gathering begins at 11 with Lunch served at noon. Wapato Park Main Picnic Shelter, 6500 S. Sheridan Ave., Tacoma WA, 98409.
This is a time to share a meal and socialize with your PSBA friends old and new. Bring a potluck dish to share (and serving utensils).
PSBA will provide drinks, paper cups, plates and plastic ware.
Optional book arts show and tell--bring something you've been working on, a sample from a workshop, a new tool or a how-to book you've found.Don't bring anything precious as we will be outdoors and there will be food and greasy fingers. Nothing to share? Come anyway!
This event is FREE, and you can bring a guest, but PLEASE register so we'll have a headcount. Register here .
Please Note: While there is accessible parking, one must walk over uneven ground to the picnic shelter.
This picnic is hosted by the Pierce County Meet-up group. We look forward to seeing you! Questions? Contact Dorothy McCuistion at 253-678-8587.
PSBA Announces 2027 Annual Members’ Exhibition Theme:
“Trains of Thought”
A train of thought suggests something reflective: a sequence of thoughts, a chain of events, or the process of teaching and learning. A “train” may be the trailing elegance of a wedding dress, the discipline of skill-building, or the unfolding of ideas over time. The expression “off the rails” implies an intentional or unintentional departure from the usual or predictable.
The word trains also carries a range of more literal meanings and associations. It may call to mind the rhythm of steel on tracks, memories of leisurely journeys, or the press of daily commutes. For some, it evokes childhood train sets, collections, and the wonder of motion and machinery.
Trains have also played a transformative role in shaping history. In the Pacific Northwest, Tacoma’s identity is deeply tied to the railroad—most notably its selection in 1873 as the western terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad, earning it the name “City of Destiny.” The expansion of railroads in the 19th and early 20th centuries reshaped landscapes and communities, bringing growth and opportunity while also leaving legacies of environmental change, labor conflict, and displacement of people.
Trains mark moments of departure and arrival—of connection, transition, and passage. Like train cars linked together, book structures connect pages, ideas, and narratives into a cohesive whole.
What will be your train of thought?
Committee Members: LeeAnn Campos, Becky Frehse, Lucia Harrison, Angela Howard, Lucia Harrison, and Paige Pettibon.
2026 8th Annual Book Exchange
The PSBA 2026 8th Annual Book Exchange is an opportunity to exchange your artist book with another artist. This year’s theme is “Wabi-sabi.” Definitions of the term vary, but Wikipedia describes it as a Japanese aesthetic that centers on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. In the arts, it often emphasizes natural materials, simplicity, and a sense of authenticity and imperfection. For our Book Exchange, there are many possibilities with the theme, such as exploring concepts around the natural cycle of growth and decay; using materials that celebrate beautiful, rustic, or incomplete objects; or a piece that’s not only about impermanence but also uses materials that are themselves transitory. We encourage everyone to look up the different facets of Wabi-sabi online and see where the "rabbit hole" of research takes your design.
For those who are new to the Book Exchange, the rules are simple.Create a book using the theme as a guide and join us for the Exchange at the in-person event on October 4th, 2026 (2–4 PM) at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU), Ingram Hall, 12149 8th Avenue Ct S, Parkland, WA 98444. Your name/book will be randomly paired with another participating artist, and in exchange you’ll receive a book from a randomly selected participating artist.
If you cannot be physically present at the Exchange but would like to participate, you are welcome to do so. Please note that if you are mailing your books, your books must arrive by October 1 and include a $10 check made payable to PSBA to offset the shipping costs of the book that will be mailed to you after the Exchange.
Send your book and check to:
LeeAnne Campos
4001 S Pine St
Unit 111163
Tacoma WA 98411
Complete the online registration form by September 20.
For inspiration, visit the PSBA website to view images of the books from the past few years.
Questions? Contact LeeAnneCampos@icloud.com.
PSBA 2026 8th Annual Book Exchange Committee
LeeAnne Campos
Deborah Poe
Janet Reynolds
Denise Stephenson
Art Supply Swap-Olympia
Join PSBA and Community Print for another art supplies swap! Bring in your gently used art supplies and swap them for something new-to-you. This is an on-site swap, and donations must be delivered in person on July 8, 3-7 pm or July 10, 2-6 pm. Members of the public are invited to "shop" for free art supplies on July 17 from 4-7 pm. Remaining supplies will be donated to Lost and Found Crafts. We are most interested in donations of supplies for printmaking, bookmaking, and mixed-media art.
Address: 414 Legion Way SE, Olympia, WA 98501.
Introducing PSBA’s New Administrative Assistant!
Lisa Harkins is a multi-media artist from Whidbey Island, Washington, whose primary medium is textiles, though hand-made paper, books, and printmaking are also disciplines she regularly explores. She has a wide range of administrative volunteer experience that spans the last 25 years in Girl Scouts, FOBA, and her local, regional, and national dragon boat organizations. Her professional experience is largely in the travel industry, though she currently has a part-time job as a production manager in a local office and screen printing business. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, hiking, bicycling, letterboxing, and paddling in outrigger canoe and dragon boat. Her website is currently getting an overhaul, but you can find her on Instagram here.
Volunteer Opportunity –
Join the PSBA Communications Committee!
We are seeking at least two members who would like to help share the work of our organization with the wider community. Opportunities include:
• Assisting with the production of the monthly PSBA newsletter
• Writing and distributing press releases to local media outlets
• Helping update website content
• Promoting PSBA events, exhibitions, and members through social media
If you love writing, photography, and social media, this is a wonderful way to meet fellow members, learn more about PSBA activities, and play an important role in supporting the book arts in our region.
No single volunteer needs to do everything — we welcome a range of skills, interests, and levels of experience!
If you are interested in joining the Communications Committee or would like to learn more, please contact Jane: carlinjane@gmail.com.
Member News
Marilyn Stablein: Marilyn has three artworks juried into the Asian Celebration Art Exhibition which opened in June at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. In addition to a Tibetan scroll painting, two of her artist books in the show include: Hanuman: Popular Hindu Super-Hero, a flag book with vintage ephemera collages, and Wind-Powered Good Luck Prayer Flags, an accordion book featuring hand-colored vintage Tibetan Prayer Flags with good luck symbols that traditionally are strung together on long cords and fastened to wayside shrines and Bodhi trees on pilgrimage trails in the Himalayas. The show will be open through July 12. Visit Marilyn’s website here.
Other Book Arts Events
New Exhibit at Bainbridge Island Museum of Art
The Bainbridge Island Museum of Art will host the retrospective exhibit Object Lessons by artist Carletta Carrington Wilson from July 3 to September 20. This exhibition will include artists' books, installations, assemblage and collage works. An artist talk and reception will take place on August 1. On September 13, the film debut of Migration of a Seebound Heart will be held. Additional information is at https://www.biartmuseum.org/exhibitions/carletta-carrington-wilson-retrospective/.
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 Sunday, July 26. Subject line should read: PSBA Member News. The August 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.
