Celebrating Books & the Season at the Center for Book Arts

Had a great time at the Center for Book Arts holiday open house and sale last night. My wife Kyle, a visual artist, used to teach a course on printmaking at the Center and it was fun for both of us to revisit the big loft space in Chelsea on W. 27th Street and see the place full of people. We found the work of many, many talented book artists and paper artists on display, Kafana Mundial, a musical trio (clarinet, accordion, and percussion) playing Balkan music, and lots of nice food & drink. Everywhere my eye landed I saw printing presses, drawers of old metal type fonts, bookbinding materials, and beautiful examples of paper craft and book art. We enjoyed speaking with Alex Campos, director of the Center; Barbara Henry, master of letter press printing who’s done a stunning Walt Whitman book under her Harsimus Press; Roni Gross, book artist and publisher of Z’roah Press; and Esther K. Smith, artist, author and co-publisher of Purgatory Pie Press. Here are the best pictures Kyle and I took last night.

: A retro-looking guidebook from Purgatory Pie Press.

: Purgatory Pie Press is run by Esther Smith and Dikko Faust.

: “How to Make Books” is by Esther Smith of Purgatory Pie Press.

: “Three Taino Myths”

: Fun with lion words.

: A display about labor and graphics.

: Lovely drawers all over the Center for Book Arts.

: Interesting lines of type are everywhere at the Center for Book Arts

: Pamela Spitzmuller is Master Faculty Fellow at the Center for Book Arts

: A book of folding images by Pamela Spitzmuller

: A second book of folding images by Pamela Spitzmuller

: “Book for Baudelaire” by Pamela Spitzmuller

: Pamela Spitzmuller had many interesting works in her exhibit, Fold=Trans=Form.

: The board of The Center for Book Arts includes librarians from the NY Public Library, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Frick Collection.

: Everywhere your eye lands there are interesting examples of bookmaking equipment, all of it originating from a much earlier era.

: “Common People” by Jamie Townsend, printed on a handsome ragged sheet of paper.

: Director of the Center for Book Arts Alexander Campos (right in red shirt) welcomed everyone to the holiday open house and sale.

: Roni Gross (r.), Z’roah Press; Roni’s husband, Peter Schell, sculptor; and Barbara Henry, Harsimus Press.

: Barbara Henry with printed matter from Harsimus Press, including her Walt Whitman book, “Faces.” Next to her, Peter Schell told me he works with his wife, Roni Gross.