STUDIO OPPORTUNITIES
Equipment/Studio Rental
Cutting Equipment Training
Equipment Training Tutorials
Open Studio

IN THE GALLERY
Black White (and Read)


HERE: Artists’ Books and Works on Paper by Minnesota GLBT Artists

Face the Nation

EVENTS
F
lint Hills International Children's Festival

Stone Arch Festival

An Evening of Fine Wine and Fine Books

Public Library Workshops

Book Arts Roundtables

Wayzgoose 2008


MCBA PROFILES

Cathy Ryan

BY DESIGN TEEN PROGRAM

 

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Minnesota Center for Book Arts Newsletter:
Summer 2008


STUDIO OPPORTUNITIES

EQUIPMENT / STUDIO RENTAL
MCBA’s equipment and studios are available to rent in half-hour increments. Fees depend on the equipment rented. MCBA members receive a 10% discount on hourly rental fees. Learn more at www.mnbookarts.org, or call 612.215.2520 to inquire about availability. MCBA requires all renters to be trained specifically for the equipment they wish to use. After training, you can rent equipment by calling to reserve time, provided such use does not interfere with a scheduled workshop or event.


CUTTING EQUIPMENT TRAINING
with Sue Bjerke
Tuesday, May 27; 7-8:30pm
Tuesday, June 24; 7-8:30pm
Tuesday, July 29; 7-8:30pm
$25 ($20 members)

Through hands-on training you will learn the capabilities of each piece of MCBA’s efficient cutting equipment, and how to use them correctly and safely. Whether you want to cut reams of paper, trim bookboard or cloth, or just drill a few holes for an album, completion of this training will permit you to rent this equipment for upcoming
projects. Register


Equipment training tutorials can also be scheduled to suit your needs. To inquire, contact Emma Allen at 612.215.2533.


OPEN STUDIO
Have you taken an intro workshop, but still feel a little uncertain about working independently? Gain confidence by participating in open studio. Open studio sessions are not workshops; rather they are opportunities to work independently under the watchful eye of an experienced artist who can answer questions, share tips and tricks, and help you hone your skills.


OPEN STUDIO: LETTERPRESS
with CB Sherlock
Tuesday, May 20; 6-9pm
Tuesday, June 17; 6-9pm
Tuesday, July 15; 6-9pm
Tuesday, August 19; 6-9pm
$40 studio fee per session
Letterpress experience required

Advance registration is required to reserve a press. Reservations are first-come-first-served and must be made at least a week in advance. Students must have had an introductory course on the press they are requesting. Register


OPEN STUDIO: MARBLING
with Lin Lacy
Saturday, May 10; 9am-4pm
Saturday, Aug 23; 9am-4pm
$40 supply fee per session
Marbling experience required

Bring your own paint and paper. MCBA will supply brushes, cups, eyedroppers and 16" x 20" tanks of carragheenan. Register


 

 

IN THE GALLERY

BLACK / WHITE [AND READ]
On display April 19 through June 22, 2008
Opening reception Saturday, April 19, 6-9pm

Day and night. True and false. Life and death. Explore your own dualities at Black/White [and Read], a striking exhibition of artists’ books using only black and white to communicate their histories, memories and narratives.

This touring exhibition includes work by 26 nationally and internationally recognized book artists from across the nation. The exhibition’s stop in Minneapolis will include additional works by local artists, including prints by wood engraver Larry Welo and a collaborative print series by Philip Gallo and Elizabeth Paper.

Coordinated programming includes a lecture and adult workshop by featured artist Béatrice Coron, and a family day with free black-and-white papermaking activities.


COMING SOON TO THE GALLERY

HERE: Artists’ Books and Works on Paper by Minnesota GLBT Artists
On display in the Open Book Lobby
May 8 through June 29, 2008


MCBA presents HERE, a juried exhibition of book art and works on paper created by gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender artists from across Minnesota. Please join us for a free public reception on Friday, June 27, 6:00-8:30pm. The exhibition is presented in partnership with GLBT Pride Twin Cities.

 

FACE THE NATION
July 12–September 21, 2008
Opening reception Saturday, July 12, 6-9pm


This historical exhibition investigates how the desire to reinforce, redefine or transcend national identities shaped the design of typography between 1900 and 1960. The same era that encompassed two World Wars also saw many new designs of type, in part demanded by the new printing technology of the Monotype and Linotype casting machines. The exhibition will include a number of case studies, showing original printed examples and objects from the printing trade.

Face The Nation is presented by MCBA and the University of St. Thomas, curated by art history professor Dr. Craig Eliason.

COORDINATED EXHIBITIONS:

HOT SWISS TYPE
July 12 through September 21; Open Book Lobby
View the stunning technique and design mastery of Basel designer/printer Romano Hänni in this exhibition of hand-printed books and publication design. Educated at the Basel School of Design under such teachers as Wolfgang Weingart, Hänni tends to avoid the fashionable excesses of ‘deep impression’ letterpress effects, returning instead to the core values of traditional printing technique and modernist European design. Hänni and partner Martin Sommer have also forged a reputation as designers of magazines and newspapers, most prominently the Basler Zeitung (1983–2003). The exhibition also features examples of their computer-aided publication design.

Tÿpøgrafika: The Work of Erik Brandt
June 20 through August 3; Open Book Cowles Literary Commons
Brandt’s interests focus on issues of globalization that affect and drive the complexities of intercultural visual communication systems. Brandt began his career as a magazine editor in Japan; taught typography and visual communication in Doha, Qatar; and is currently an assistant professor of design at MCAD.

COORDINATED PROGRAMS:

Opening Reception
Saturday, July 12
6-9pm
Join designers, artists and fellow book arts enthusiasts to view the exhibitions, enjoy refreshments, and print a commemorative letterpress broadside to take home. Free and open to the public.

Dialogue: The Place of Letters
Tuesday, July 15
7pm
Face the Nation curator Craig Eliason will lead a conversation about how type designs acquire associations with national identities. We will consider competing ideas about how a typeface can express the values or outlook of its country of origin. Seen historically, what motivated commentators to draw those associations? Evaluated now, how persuasively can those associations be substantiated? In our web-enabled world, in which digital fonts can originate anywhere and be accessed everywhere, what has become of national cultures of design? Craig Eliason is a type-design historian and professor of art history at the University of St. Thomas.

Family Workshop: Design Your Own Font
Saturday, July 19
1-4pm

Dialogue: Geotÿpøgrafika Nuovo: Global Issues in Graphic Design and Typography
Tuesday, July 29
7pm
Designer Erik Brandt provides context and projections to stage a discussion on contemporary issues and challenges facing designers in rapidly changing globalized market. How to practice or teach graphic design and typography in a truly massive global market where competition is as fierce as never before? While highly intimidating in some respects, the new global market offers new and exciting problems for designers to solve.

Screening: HELVETICA
Thursday, Aug. 14
7pm
Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which will celebrate its 50th birthday in 2007) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. The film is an exploration of urban spaces in major cities and the type that inhabits them, and a fluid discussion with renowned designers about their work, the creative process, and the choices and aesthetics behind their use of type.

Helvetica encompasses the worlds of design, advertising, psychology, and communication, and invites us to take a second look at the thousands of words we see every day.

Dialogue: About Face: Deeper into Type Design and National Identity
Tuesday, Sept. 16
7pm
Four panelists, contributors to the Face the Nation exhibition, will offer presentations on some of the most interesting intersections of national identity and type design, expanding on the displays in the gallery. Natalie Stanton will discuss Colm O Lochlainn’s Colum Cille type and its relation to his efforts to establish and support the Irish Free State. Caroline Baum will talk about Rudolf Koch’s interest in updating the German blackletter alphabets while they competed with roman types of foreign origin. Lisa Melander will trace the career of Vojtech Preissig, whose designs satisfied the emergent demand among Czechs for a type of their own. And Traci Olinger will explore the modernist milieu of Weimar Germany, within which pared-down sans serifs were proclaimed to transcend national interests. All four panelists are enrolled in the Master of Arts in Art History program at the University of St. Thomas.



EVENTS


COMMUNITY EVENTS

FLINT HILLS INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL
Saturday, May 31 & Sunday, June 1
10am-5:30pm
Rice Park, downtown St. Paul
Make a book to take home with MCBA and Minneapolis Public Schools, who will be sharing a tent during the festival. For more details, visit www.ordway.org/festival.

STONE ARCH FESTIVAL
Saturday and Sunday, June 14-15
10am-6pm
Old St. Anthony Main, Minneapolis
The 5 Centers for Art (MCBA, Northern Clay Center, Highpoint Center for Printmaking, Textile Center and Minnesota Center for Photography) will offer demonstrations and activities for families throughout the weekend as part of this annual community festival. For more details, visit www.stonearchfestival.com.

AN EVENING OF FINE WINE AND FINE BOOKS
Tuesday, August 26
6:00-8:30pm
Free and open to the public
Join book artists, publishers and collectors at The Shop at MCBA for our third annual Evening of Fine Wine and Fine Books. Sample delectable wines and fine cheeses, take in the gallery exhibitions, and preview new work by local, national and international book artists. RSVP to The Shop at 612.215.2520.

PUBLIC LIBRARY WORKSHOPS
This summer, MCBA is coming to your neighborhood! Throughout June, July and August, MCBA is partnering with over 20 neighborhood library branches throughout Minneapolis, St. Paul and Hennepin County to present interactive bookmaking activities for families and children of all ages. Check with your neighborhood library for more information.


FAMILY DAY

MCBA Family Day: PAPERMAKING SILHOUETTES
Saturday, June 14
drop-in family activities 10am-1pm.
Free and open to the public!


Come explore the creative and mysterious artform of silhouette! Participants will make black and white handmade paper with silhouettes inspired by MCBA’s exhibition Black/White [and Read]. Dress for mess with water-safe clothing and shoes.


BOOK ARTS ROUNDTABLES

MCBA is a hub of creativity where interesting, passionate and knowledgeable people like you learn, share ideas and get inspired. Join the conversation by attending our Book Arts Roundtables. They’re FREE and open to the public,
and they start at 7pm in MCBA’s spacious studios.

Friday, May 30: New Horizons: Papercutting and Beyond
Breathtaking examples of visiting artist Béatrice Coron's intricate cut paper work are featured in the exhibition Black/White [and Read]. Coron will present examples of papercutting traditions in various cultures around the world and how her own papercutting work has evolved from paper into public art.

Tuesday, June 10: Are You a Member? MNartists.org 101
MNartists.org is a valuable online resource for artists across Minnesota. Are you tech-shy? Not feeling particularly internet-savvy? No problem! Will Lager presents MNartists.org 101, a step-by-step guide to becoming a member, uploading your work, forming networks and interacting with other Minnesota artists.

Tuesday, July 15: The Place of Letters
Face the Nation curator Craig Eliason will lead a conversation about how type designs acquire associations with national identities. We will consider competing ideas about how a typeface can express the values or outlook of its country of origin. Seen historically, what motivated commentators to draw those associations? Evaluated now, how persuasively can those associations be substantiated? In our web-enabled world, in which digital fonts can originate anywhere and be accessed everywhere, what has become of national cultures of design? Craig Eliason is a type-design historian and professor of art history at the University of St. Thomas.

Tuesday, August 19: Journaling the Great Minnesota Get-Together
Everybody has habits — develop a healthy one! Roz Stendahl’s habit is visual journaling, an artistic discipline like daily exercise for your creativity. Roz journals every year at the Minnesota State Fair, and publishes the resulting works (visit www.rozworks.com to see examples). Just in time, she will introduce you to visual journaling and talk strategies to approach sketching at the State Fair.

September 16 Roundtable: About Face: Deeper into Type Design and National Identity
Four panelists, contributors to the Face the Nation exhibition, will offer presentations on some of the most interesting intersections of national identity and type design, expanding on the displays in the gallery. Natalie Stanton will discuss Colm O Lochlainn’s Colum Cille type and its relation to his efforts to establish and support the Irish Free State. Caroline Baum will talk about Rudolf Koch’s interest in updating the German blackletter alphabets while they competed with roman types of foreign origin. Lisa Melander will trace the career of Vojtech Preissig, whose designs satisfied the emergent demand among Czechs for a type of their own. And Traci Olinger will explore the modernist milieu of Weimar Germany, within which pared-down sans serifs were proclaimed to transcend national interests. All four panelists are enrolled in the Master of Arts in Art History program at the University of St. Thomas.


WAYZGOOSE 2008: SAVE THE DATE
Plan now to join us at MCBA’s annual donor and member appreciation night! Saturday, September 6, 2008


 

CATHY RYAN

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Cathy Ryan

Many of our friends experience an “evolution” in their relationship with MCBA, and none more so than artist Cathy Ryan. Since attending her first workshop in 2005, she has become a Winter Book volunteer, a mentor in the By Design teen program, an active member of our artist co-op, and is now serving her first term on MCBA’s Board of Directors.

Cathy’s artistic practice has evolved as well. “I’ve always been as much about a love of the process as a desire for the product, so printmaking was the natural answer,” she says. “It just took me a few years to figure that out.”

An interest in book arts was ignited by her experiences studying printmaking in California and subsequently at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. In 2005 she began supplementing her MCAD curriculum with MCBA workshops, and her interest in book arts continued to grow.

Cathy notes that her involvement in the co-op has helped her grow as an artist, and her enthusiasm is a testament to the collaborative environment the co-op creates. “There’s the creative community, a wonderful group of people to share ideas with, who will give critical feedback and suggest solutions to technical problems. It’s great to have other people working in the studios, to watch the progress of their projects.”

For more info on the artist co-op, visit the co-op page or contact Artistic Director Jeff Rathermel.


 

BY DESIGN TEEN ARTISTS’ CO-OP @ MCBA

By Design is an intensive teen artist development and mentoring program at Minnesota Center for Book Arts. All teens enter the program by attending a ten-week INTRODUCTORY SESSION where students meet three times a week to learn bookbinding, printmaking, papermaking and advanced art techniques from working artists.

Teens who complete the ten-week introductory session become members of the By Design Co-op and can continue their book arts education through a variety of opportunities including field trips, open studio access, workshops and mentorships. Three times a year, co-op members can apply to work one-on-one with an artist mentor to complete a sophisticated book arts project and plan, curate and install an exhibition.

By Design is open to high school students in 9th–12th grade. Completed applications for the Fall Introductory session must be received at MCBA by September 20, 2008. For an application form or more information, contact Emma Allen at 612.215.2533.

SPRING SESSION EXHIBITION
May 16 – June 10, 2008
Opening reception Friday, May 16,
6-8pm, artists’ presentations 7pm

SUMMER SESSION EXHIBITION
August 9 – September 9, 2008
Opening reception Saturday, August 9,
6-8pm; artists’ presentations 7pm

By Design exhibitions will be on display in the Cowles Literary Commons, second floor of the Open Book building.

 


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MCBA Hours
Monday: 10 am – 5 pm
Tuesday: 10 am - 9 pm
Wednesday - Saturday: 10 am - 5 pm
Sunday: noon to 4 pm


Minnesota Center for Book Arts is located in the Open Book Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota


1011 Washington Ave S, Suite 100
Minneapolis, MN 55415

PHONE:
612-215-2520
FAX:
612-215-2545
EMAIL:
mcba@mnbookarts.org

Web Comments:
webmaster@mnbookarts.org

Map and directions to MCBA


Minnesota Center for Book Arts is supported in part by a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature, a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, Wells Fargo and other private funders.