April 7-8, 2017
Bloomington, Indiana
There are many fun things that happen as a part of the annual meeting weekend. Possibly the most favorite events are the workshops. Members can register for one of two workshop opportunities that will take place on Saturday, April 8. This years instructors are tool maker and and trade binding enthusiast, Brien Beidler of Beidler Made, and nature + science + all-things-book fan, Mary Uthuppuru of Spring Leaf Press.
Registration for the workshops and the rest of the weekend’s events will be announced soon, but in the meantime, read more about the great class options below.
View full weekend schedule here.
Workshop Option 1
Awl Shapes and Sizes with Brien Beidler
Awls are easily one of the most identifiable and essential tools in the bookbinder’s kit, and also one of the most versatile. The usefulness of an awls hardly needs explaining, and unlike bone folders their form immediately suggests their primary function, i.e. poking!
From basic hewing, filing, and sanding to fitting ferrules and riveting, this one-day workshop will cover a variety of incarnations of awl construction and materials, and the techniques to help you make an awl that meets all your needs.
N.B. Many of the steps involved in making awls require hand strength and stamina. That being said, awls can be kept extremely simple at no cost to their function. Students are encouraged to bring work gloves.
Brien Beidler began learning traditional hand bookbinding under the tutelage of Marie Ferrara in 2009, while he was a student at the College of Charleston. From 2012-2016 he served as the Director of the Bindery and Conservation Studio at the Charleston Library Society, where he oversaw the conservation of their collection and various other binding projects. He has since moved with his wife to Bloomington, Indiana, where he works from his home studio.
Over the last seven years he has taken a variety of bookbinding and conservation workshops, and is an active member of the Guild of Book Workers and the American Institute for Conservation. After meeting Jim Croft and becoming his biggest fan in the Fall of 2012, Brien has been obsessed with rediscovering old-world book technologies and materials. He enjoys reading about bookbinding history, working on his own bindings, making hand tools for bookbinding, and going to the flea market to buy old hand tools for making more hand tools.
Workshop Option 2
The Conductive Book with Mary Uthuppuru
Developments in technology have driven the history of the book for decades. From chisel to computer, our tools for recording our thoughts and images have advanced in response to our needs. Following that evolution, this workshop will feature soft circuitry as a means to create or accent book content. We will explore the basics of circuitry by creating small projects using various conductive materials. The concepts we learn in class can be used to highlight a design element or reveal hidden information within a book, box, or two dimensional format. All skill levels are welcome!
Mary Uthuppuru creates artist books, bindings, boxes, and prints inspired by science, literature and travel. After receiving a BA in Art History and a Masters in Library Science with a specialization in rare books she closely studied the history of the book accompanied by training through workshops across the country. Mary began working as a Conservation Technician at the Lilly Library in 2007, and gained an in-depth study of book structures and their repair under the direction of the head of Conservation. As of 2010, she began her career as a full time book artist and book binder under the name Spring Leaf Press at her home studio in Bloomington, Indiana. Mary continues to exhibit work nationally and internationally, and teaches workshops throughout the country.
GBW Midwest Chapter 