Friday Insights: Preparing for the 2012 Benefit

An envelope, printed by the CBA!

It's an exciting time of year at the Center for Book Arts as we prepare for our annual benefit. Like planning a wedding, there is much to be done: orders need to be made, guest lists need to be prepared, musicians need to chosen, and everything must be just right. Unlike a wedding, the CBA does something very distinct: it designs and prints its own invitations.

Envelopes, ready to be stuffed!

With a print shop and some very kind and willing letterpress artists at their disposal, the staff at the Center has designed and printed customized envelopes and invitations directly off of our presses.The project was printed by a group of talented letterpress artists affiliated with the Center for Book Arts, including Sarah Nicholls (the CBA's own program manager!), Amber McMillan, Kimberly McClure, Richard O'Russa, Tim Sullivan, Sarah Smith, and designer (and printer) Meg Quarton, all who put in time and effort to create the beautiful invitations and envelopes.

That blank is ready to be filled with your name

If you have tried to rent our printshop recently, you may have noticed it being more difficult to book hours: that's part of the preparation for this event! While the invitations are not quite finished, the envelopes are, so we thought we'd give you a sneak peak of what our current members and benefactors will be seeing in their mailbox soon!

These beautiful, hand-designed and hand-printed invitations are just one of the many ways the Center for Book Arts uses our space. Though we're mostly known for our classes and exhibitions, the Center's talented staff are always producing work for you, our readers, students, supporters, and members, every day. These envelopes and invitations are just a part of that.  We believe in the artistry of typefaces and hand-printing, and just as we are always encouraging our artists, we are also here, doing the same.

What I love about these envelopes is that each one is unique; unlike the machines that mass-produce cards now, the Center sticks to the personal, hands-on technique. Like the books, posters, and cards our artists make, there is something extra beautiful about them being designed, formatted, inked, and pressed, here in our own studio.

Members and benefactors, expect one of these to appear in your mailbox soon (they should be going out sometime next week). If you are not a member and would like to become one (for a hand-made invitation, who wouldn't? You can almost smell the ink drying...) visit us online at www.centerforbookarts.org, call us at 212-481-0295, or stop by at 28 W 27th Street, 3rd Floor. Keep your eyes open for more information on our website, and mark your calendars for Wednesday, April 4th, 2012! It's going to be a lovely time for a wonderful cause, and your support will allow us to continue to encourage and teach the production of hand-printed things, to provide classes and studio rentals for book and letterpress artists, and to keep designing, printing, binding, and creating. Thank you!

-Christina Squitieri

Have any stories about your favorite part of the Center? Want to give us suggestions or comments? Comment on this post, email us at info@centerforbookarts.org, visit us on Facebook (/centerforbookarts) or follow us on Twitter (@center4bookarts). Can't wait to see you there!