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From left: BAL member Jeff Becker sells his hand-bound books in the adjoining booth, Kay Moller. At the press: Julie Seko. Below, L-R: Visitor, Evert Brown, Betsy Dollar, Alicia McKim Tweed, Julie. David Ashley, Jill Berry, and Brenda Gallagher also helped.
Photo: Kay Moller
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| The BAL crew arriving to set up our booth at the Lafayette Peach Festival stood on Main Street, surrounded by boxes of supplies and the Pilot press, looking apprehensively at the early morning sky.
It didn’t look good. Memories of the biblical deluge that ended last year’s Fest were still fresh, the sky was an ominous gray, and the air felt pregnant with rain. By the time our canopy arrived and was set up, a thin drizzle was falling that somehow managed to infiltrate and dampen paper, tablecloths, even the ink on the press, but not Julie Seko’s cautious enthusiasm.
But this is Colorado! In a couple of hours, the sun was shining with all his might, and the few visitors in rain ponchos had been replaced with the customary throngs. All day long, thousands streamed by the booth, curious members of the general public, some who remembered a past experience with printing or book arts, friends of the League and book artists, and as ever, swarms of kids. Many took a moment to pull the lever of the Pilot press and print a keepsake, and many had a calligraphic book mark with their name ornately lettered by David Ashley, Jill Berry, or Alicia McKim. Many paused to watch and examine the bindings being stitched by Betsy Dollar and Brenda Gallagher.
Evert Brown alternated with Julie minding the press and brought delicious and restorative sandwiches for the volunteers to enjoy with Julie’s peach cobbler. Kay Moller and Earl Noe helped keep things organized and interacted with visitors, answering questions about the League and Ewing Farm. This hhyear, volunteers wore “Give Peach a Chance” T-shirts. As usual, past Ephemera Exchanges were offered for sale and many brochures and class information sheets were handed out. At the booth next door, Jeff and Katia Becker sold his hand-bound books.
As the annual festival wound down, the sky darkened again, a few grumbles of thunder began, and the air suddenly began to feel moist. In the entertainment area nearby, the band broke into Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.” When they sang, “Thunder only happens when it’s raining,” the Book Arts League took the hint.
We folded our tent and stole silently away.
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LOST . . . in a book
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A dozen young adult readers at Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library got a hands-on experience with the BAL’s Pilot press in June. Kay Moller and Earl Noe took the small press to an artist’s book class taught by Gigi Yang, BAL member and librarian at the Broomfield library.
As part of getting “LOST in a Good Book,” the kids got a glimpse of how type is set and printed the book's cover on actual pieces of maps using the League's smallest, and most peripatetic, press. Gigi designed eight pages with various quotes on the theme of being lost, which the students folded and bound into a star book.
Each class member took home two books, and Gigi generously donated a number of the books to the League for fundraising.
Meanwhile, July 6, at another library, BAL member Jeff Becker was “Lost” with 12 young women. All were Lafayette Junior High students participating in the Lafayette Public Library's Summer Reading Program.
Jeff explored the “lost art of bookmaking” by starting with a short 10-15 minute history of the book. As examples he used bindings he made in workshops to show how bindings evolved as available materials changed.
Then the group made a 12 page leather-bound journal using the pamphlet stitch, Mowhawk Superfine paper, and some scrap leather Jeff bought from a company at Jefferson County Airport that upholsters private jets.
But what the girls enjoyed most were the “Explosion Books.” Also known as a star book, this is a good binding to teach in an introductory class since it involves covering board with paper, folding corners, working with glue, paper grain and folding using a bone folder. It's also impressive as the “pages” expand to four times the size of original book. “A fun time was had by all,”Jeff said. “My gracious & helpful contact for the class was Patty Frobisher, a reference librarian at the Lafayette Library.”
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NOTICES:
Nan Wigington and Rob Slentz have gone off the deep end and are opening a new used bookstore. Named after a character in Dylan Thomas's A Child's Christmas in Wales, Miss Prothero's Books opened Friday September 15 at 1112 Santa Fe Drive in Denver. As part of a burgeoning arts district, they're also hoping to host other book artists during Santa Fe Drive's First Friday Art Walks. They have a limited gallery and display space, plus a comfortable reading area that could be converted into demonstration space. Anyone interested in one of our First Friday events, can e-mail Nan at
or call the store at 303-572-2260.
For a little more icing on the cake to come the store, identify yourself as a friend or member of BAL during checkout and they'll give 1% of your purchase back to BAL.
www.MissProtherosBooks.com
Longtime BAL member Gail Watson is now printing and binding full time. Examples of her beautiful and innovative letterpress work can be seen at her website:
www.BirdwoodPress.com
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