New Elevator

Please note that a new elevator is going to be installed in the Center's building this summer.

The construction will begin on Monday, August 3, and will last until September 10.

During this time, the Center will be accessible via the Freight Elevator, which will be in operation during the following hours:
Monday - Friday, 8am-9pm
Saturday, 9am-6pm

The entrance to the freight elevator is located on 28th street, just west of the regular entrance.

The Center will also be accessible by stairs (two flights up).

Because there will be no freight elevator service on Sundays, please contact Sarah Nicholls at 212-481-0295 if you are planning to take a weekend class during this period and are unable to use the stairs.

Thank you,
The Center for Book Arts

NYC Zine Fest - June 27th and 28th - Pix

It's hard to believe it's already been several weeks since the NYC Zine Fest - we had a great time showing our Center for Book Arts wares, and hope you had the chance to stop by as well. To see some pictures from the event, take a look here, and for more information about the festival, check out their home page.

We look forward to seeing you there again next year ... !

Live! Binding! Event! The Big Draw 2009

The Center for Book Arts is proud to be participating in the Big Draw, the Drawing Center's fourth annual celebration of drawing. Binders from the Center will be on hand to aid artist Suzanne Bocanegra in the World Financial Center Winter Garden from 11 am to 4pm this Saturday, July 18th. Join them in creating drawings on outdated and recycled music scores that will immediately be performed in ongoing improvisations by the renowned American string group, Flux Quartet. After being performed our volunteers will bind the scores on the spot for future reference. We're super excited to take part!
There's more information about the event, as well as the three other events happening as part of the Big Draw, here on the Drawing Center's website.

Discounts on Select July Classes

The Center is now offering a discount on select July classes! Follow the links below to register online, or call 212-481-0295. Save even more by becoming a member today and receive a double discount. Chapbooks July 25-26, Saturday and Sunday, 10am-4pm Poets and artists, here is your chance to give your content a worthy book form. Prior to the workshop, following instructors from a PDF, you will design and print the interior of your chapbook on 8.5" x 11" paper in an edition of 50. In class, you will print your covers letterpress and bind up to 4 hardcover sewn books and 45 papercover sewn books. If time permits, we will also bind a multi-section collaborative book. You will end the class with patterns to cut more materials for binding, the experience of actually binding an edition of your very own chapbooks, and of course, the books! Instructors: Karen Randall and Susan Mills. Click here for more information and to register. Summer Special: $245 Special for Members: $230 (Regular Price: $260) A World of Boxes July 20-24, Monday through Friday, 10am-4pm The world of boxes is large, magnificent and full of surprises. A tray, a case, a lid and a flap: four simple architectural elements- and hundreds of ways to combine them! Working with cloth and patterned papers, we will construct portfolios, hinge-lidded boxes, partitioned boxes, boxes with unusual closures and other decorative details. Please bring with you photographs, postcards, letter, buttons, ribbons, all sorts of doodads and ephemera - anything that will personalize your boxes and make them truly unique. Instructor: Barbara Mauriello. Click here for more information and to register. Spring Special: $500 Special for Members: $475 (Regular Price: $525) A Classic Hardcover Book - in Leather July 18-19 , Saturday and Sunday, 10am-4pm When properly tanned, leather is an excellent cover material for books. It is durable, flexible and allows for traditional finishing - the blind and gold tooling of letters and decoration on book covers. And despite its reputation for being "difficult", leather can be easy to work with. Building a traditional quarter-leather or half-leather case bound book is a good introduction to the basic tools, techniques and principles of hand binding with leather. Instructor: Susan Mills. Click here for more information and to register. Spring Special: $245 Special for Members: $230 (Regular Price: $260) Illuminated Manuscripts July 11-12, Saturday and Sunday, 10am-4pm They only illuminate Bibles, right? No! Manuscript illumination is a set of techniques developed in the Middle Ages. The brilliant colors, supple parchment, and luminous gold catch the eye and demand complete attention. Small and discrete or overwhelming in scope, illuminations delight the eye. Using traditional designs or images from their own work, students will create a small illumination while learning all the steps in the process. Instructor: Karen Gorst. Click here for more information and to register. Spring Special: $245 Special for Members: $230 (Regular Price: $260) The Handworked Surface July 27-31, Monday through Friday, 10am-4pm This class will focus on the use of embroidery, collage, stenciling, various paper treatments and low-tech printmaking techniques to produce one-of-a-kind artist books. Simple multi-section binding structures will be introduced as a launching off point to explore the tactile qualities of unique hand worked paper and fabric surfaces. We will explore the proper use of adhesives and preparation of materials such as backing fabric with tissue and wax treatments for paper. This class will run in conjunction with the 2009 Artist Members Exhibit "Threads", which explores the use of thread as a design element in book works. Instructor: Nancy Loeber. Click here for more information and to register. Spring Special: $500 Special for Members: $475 (Regular Price: $525) SAVE MORE WITH MEMBERSHIP! Membership is only $50 annually. Sign up for a class today, and your membership can pay for itself! As a member you will receive year-round discounts on classes, admission to programs, bookstore purchase, and more.

TEXTFORM Reading Series

The TEXTFORM Series features readings and performances by writers whose methods of production, presentation, and distribution are a vital component of their work.

Book Arts Lounge: Mad About Matchbooks!

BOOK ARTS LOUNGE
"Mad About Matchbooks"
Friday, July 10, 6 to 9pm

A fun, creative, accessible book arts lounge. Come prepared with your creativity! This night's lounge is like a casino buffet! After learning the simple binding structure and setting type and printing on a Vandercook press, everyone can create their own series of Matchbooks and bind one with special prepared content. In conjunction with the new exhibit opening July 8th, Racism: An American Family Value we'll see how common place objects, icons and materials can be reconfigured.

Led by 2008-09 Stein Scholars Taelor Reid and Liz Zanis!

Book Arts Lounge is a monthly art-making extravaganza and open studio event at the Center for Book Arts. Each month, we focus on a different book arts theme, covering printing, bookbinding, and paper treatments, among other exciting topics. This low cost, high energy event takes place on the second Friday of every month, and is open to arts enthusiasts of all skill levels. Snacks provided. $10 suggested donation.

No registration required, but you can let your friends know about the event on Facebook.