Book Arts Mentorship at Minnesota Center for Book Arts

MCBA/Jerome Foundation Book Arts Mentorship
In October 2006, Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA) and the Jerome Foundation announced the participants for the 2006/07 MCBA/Jerome Book Arts Mentorship:

Mural and mixed media artist Bethany Kalk
Photographer Julia E. Babb
Fiber artist Kathleen Richert
Drawing and installation artist Cherith Lundin
Poet Molly Van Avery
Sculptor/mixed media artist Cecilia Ramón

These six artists worked on their proposed projects with the help of mentors Bridget O'Malley, Paulette Myers-Rich and Chip Schilling. The mentorship has opened doors for the Jerome artists into new ways of thinking about their work and the media they use to express themselves.

“I think that in a lot of ways, it allowed me to pursue things I’ve been wanting to try, but are not part of my usual repertoire,” says Bethany Kalk, a mural and mixed media artist. “I’m a graphic designer, so I make books for other people. I’ve never made a book of my own before.”

Poet Molly Van Avery learned about the process of making visual art. Although she knows from experience that writing is an organic process that leads the writer to a conclusion, Molly felt like she needed to have a perfect idea of what the final book arts project would look like before she started working on it. During the fellowship period she practiced “loosening the grip,” learning how to just start making art.

The culmination of the MCBA/Jerome Book Arts Mentorship is Book: Unlearned, an exhibition in MCBA's Star Tribune gallery. Work from the six proteges and three mentors will be on display from October 13, 2007 through January 5, 2008. The work may also be viewed via an online catalog.

About the MCBA/Jerome Mentorship Program

As a highly malleable and versatile form of expression, book arts extend the possibilities of other art forms. You can create a conceptual space. Experiment with sequence and visual or verbal narrative. And use the book art form to interrogate or document. The book arts mentorship will be offered every other year; applications for the next round of mentorships will be accepted in the fall of 2008.
Selected emerging artists for the program receive:

$1,000 for the purchase of materials and to supplement living or travel costs. (Awards are subject to Minnesota State and Federal income tax guidelines.)

Three months of basic book arts training at MCBA.

The opportunity to participate in three classes offered by MCBA through its regular class schedule (artist pays only a material fee).

The ability to meet regularly with a mentor and attend master classes that provide contextual and historical foundations for book arts.

One year’s membership to MCBA.

Recognition through an exhibition held in MCBA’s main gallery.

Eligibility

Fellowships are awarded to 6 emerging artists in the following arts disciplines:

Literary arts (fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction and spoken word)

Visual Arts (drawing, mixed media, multi-media, painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture)

Music* (composers only)

Film and video* (film and video makers only)

Theater* (playwrights only)

Dance* (choreographers only)

*Musicians, actors, directors, dancers, screenwriters, and other such categories are not eligible. Only the originating artist is eligible for Jerome support.

If you have questions about the MCBA/Jerome Book Arts Mentorship, please contact Jeff Rathermel, MCBA artistic director.


	MCBA/Jerome Foundation Book Arts Mentorship In October 2006, Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA) and the Jerome Foundation announced the participants for the 2006/07 MCBA/Jerome Book Arts Mentorship: Mural and mixed media artist Bethany Kalk Photographer Julia E. Babb Fiber artist Kathleen Richert Drawing and installation artist Cherith Lundin Poet Molly Van Avery Sculptor/mixed media artist Cecilia Ramón These six artists worked on their proposed projects with the help of mentors Bridget O'Malley, Paulette Myers-Rich and Chip Schilling. The mentorship has opened doors for the Jerome artists into new ways of thinking about their work and the media they use to express themselves. “I think that in a lot of ways, it allowed me to pursue things I’ve been wanting to try, but are not part of my usual repertoire,” says Bethany Kalk, a mural and mixed media artist. “I’m a graphic designer, so I make books for other people. I’ve never made a book of my own before.” Poet Molly Van Avery learned about the process of making visual art. Although she knows from experience that writing is an organic process that leads the writer to a conclusion, Molly felt like she needed to have a perfect idea of what the final book arts project would look like before she started working on it. During the fellowship period she practiced “loosening the grip,” learning how to just start making art. The culmination of the MCBA/Jerome Book Arts Mentorship is *Book: Unlearned, an exhibition in MCBA's Star Tribune gallery. Work from the six proteges and three mentors will be on display from October 13, 2007 through January 5, 2008. The work may also be viewed via an online catalog. About the MCBA/Jerome Mentorship Program As a highly malleable and versatile form of expression, book arts extend the possibilities of other art forms. You can create a conceptual space. Experiment with sequence and visual or verbal narrative. And use the book art form to interrogate or document. The book arts mentorship will be offered every other year; applications for the next round of mentorships will be accepted in the fall of 2008. Selected emerging artists for the program receive: $1,000 for the purchase of materials and to supplement living or travel costs. (Awards are subject to Minnesota State and Federal income tax guidelines.) Three months of basic book arts training at MCBA. The opportunity to participate in three classes offered by MCBA through its regular class schedule (artist pays only a material fee). The ability to meet regularly with a mentor and attend master classes that provide contextual and historical foundations for book arts. One year’s membership to MCBA. Recognition through an exhibition held in MCBA’s main gallery. Eligibility Fellowships are awarded to 6 emerging artists in the following arts disciplines: Literary arts (fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction and spoken word) Visual Arts (drawing, mixed media, multi-media, painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture) Music (composers only) Film and video* (film and video makers only) Theater* (playwrights only) Dance* (choreographers only) *Musicians, actors, directors, dancers, screenwriters, and other such categories are not eligible. Only the originating artist is eligible for Jerome support. If you have questions about the MCBA/Jerome Book Arts Mentorship, please contact Jeff Rathermel, MCBA artistic director.