Quantified Aesthetics, 12/18

Minnesota Center for Book Arts seeks work to be included in an artist book
exhibition titled “Quantified Aesthetics,” opening March 12, 2010, closing
June 20, 2010. The exhibition will feature work that incorporates or
thematically features numbers, formulas, codes, counting systems and/or
other numerical organizational schemes. All formats are welcome. There is no
entry or participation fee. Selected artists will be responsible for
shipping costs. While on view, all work will be fully insured and presented
in secure cases (unless other installation instructions are specified).

To be considered, email the following to Jeff Rathermel, MCBA’s Artistic
Director (jrathermel@mnbookarts.org):

1. A one-page Word or PDF document containing name of artist(s), mailing
address, email address, telephone number, title of work, materials used,
measurements of the work, any special installation instructions and any
other descriptive information you feel necessary to fully appreciate the
work.

2. Up to three digital images (72 dpi) per work. Multiple entries are
allowed but should be sent as separate emails.

Place “Quantified” in the subject line of your email.

Email entries must be received by December 18, 2009.

Selected artists will be notified no later than January 15, 2010. Selected
artsits' works must arrive no later than February 26, 2010 and will be
returned no later than July 9, 2010.

Questions? contact Jeff Rathermel at jrathermel@mnbooakrts.org

Artists Book Cornucopia, 1/20/10

A juried exhibition of artists' books in all categories (other than altered) will be on view April 1 - May 6, 2010; the deadline for entry is January 20, 2010.

RE: (recycled, repurposed, rebound), 12/1

A juried exhibition of altered books will be on view February 12- March 20, 2010; the deadline for entry is December 1.

Assignment: Inspiration, 10/1

Assignment: Inspiration

Assignments are an age-old way to teach the book arts, but also a great way
to explore a new, uncharted topic or structure or just break free of
creative constraints. They can help artists step outside our comfort zone by
forcing us to reconsider our perceived notions about art in general or the
concept or structure of a book arts project.

We have all been students of the book arts at one point or another and we
have all been inspired, challenged and even sometimes frustrated by an
assignment. Some artists even create assignments for themselves as a way to
get the creative juices flowing or start thinking outside the box. And
teachers everywhere work very hard at developing creative, thought-provoking
assignments.

What are your favorite assignments? Which assignments had the biggest impact
on your growth as a book artist? What assignments have been the most
successful with your students? If you would like to share them, we will
create a web page with inspirational assignments as we all think about
creating entries for "The Assignment: A Juried Exhibition of Book Arts
Organized in Conjunction with the Meeting of the College Book Art
Association in Portland, Oregon." Send us your assignment and we'll
hopefully get the juices flowing for all of us and perhaps even spark a
conversation or two about what makes an assignment work

Please send your assignment in the following format:

Your Name:

Assignment Title:

Description of the Assignment: (in less than 200 words, please)

Feel free to include a link to your web site with more information about the
assignment or perhaps a book you made in response to this assignment.

Email your assignment to: 23sandygallery@gmail.com

BUILDING BY THE BOOK, 9/25

There is still time to submit a proposal for BUILDING BY THE BOOK: Book
Artists Respond to Architecture and Design. The deadline for proposals is
September 25, 2009. Visit the books in person or on-line. Summary of the
Call for Entries follows:

As part of Philagrafika 2010: the Graphic Unconscious, the Athenaeum of
Philadelphia, in collaboration with the Philadelphia Center for the Book,
is issuing a call for entries for book artists to respond to selected
works from the Athenaeum's legacy research collection of architecture and
design.

Entry & Submission Summary:

Athenaeum curators have chosen ten books from their collections that are
available to view both on site and online. Artists residing in the United
States are invited to submit proposals for a book that they will create in
response to one of the selected books. The proposed books may be editioned
or one-of-a-kind, artist books, book objects, altered books or zines. The
proposal must be for newly created work, directly responding to a specific
book from the Athenaeum collection.

Six of the proposals will be chosen, and these six artists will make their
proposed books, which will be exhibited in the Athenaeum gallery in March
and April during the Philagrafika 2010 festival. A generous grant from the
Beneficia Foundation underwrites this competition and exhibition and will
provide these six artists with a stipend of $500 to help offset the cost
of the book production. The artists books will be exhibited along with
their Athenaeum counterparts.

The Athenaeum books are available to view by appointment during regular
Athenaeum hours and online. Athenaeum staff are available in person and at
215-925-2688 to consult with artists about the books to which they are
responding.

Visit www.philaathenaeum.org/competition.html for project details and to
view books.

Deadline for proposals is September 25, 2009