What: The Book Arts Bazaar
Where: USM's Wishcamper Center, Portland, Maine
Produced by: Maine Reads
For book and paper junkies like me and my daughter, Sunday's Book Arts Bazaar was a little slice of paradise. Part of the Maine Festival of the Book, the bazaar featured book and paper artists from all over Maine and New England, who displayed luscious handbound journals and books, vibrantly colored and deeply textured handmade papers, and handmade boxes with hidden folds and surprise compartments.
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Alison Kuller, 3 Stone Folios. Alison blew our minds with her intricately folded compartments and creatively bound journals. She graciously allowed my daughter to open everything. Each box or journal seemed to hold a little secret, and my daughter had a blast looking through each one.
Just a sampling of handmade paper by Virginia Sarsfield. Made from a mixture of plant and abaca fibers, and hand dyed.
Anna Low, of Purplebean Bindery, had one of my favorite tables. Her journals are so vibrant and colorful and I don't think any two are alike. She does custom book orders as well.
My homegirl Martha Kearsley from Strong Arm Bindery was in the house, with her expertly bound books, earthy prints, and cool stationary.
This was a cool table from Erin Sweeney of Lovely in The Home Press. One of my favorite concepts was a tiny canvas-paged journal with a mosaic tile cover (you can see it at the top of the photo). I imagined my friend Shelley, a button collector, using the canvas pages to pin and keep track of her favorite buttons.
...and my 8 year old daughter had a little moment with artist Scott Mullenberg, whose company creates sleek, gorgeous custom portfolios for visual artists. Scott displayed a table of industrial style black rubber covered journals, which my daughter loves. We bought a journal, met Scott, and as we walked away, she whispered, "I can't believe I got to meet the artist! I should have asked for his autograph." (I love it!!)
This highlights just a few of the artists who were in attendance--I can't begin to capture all of the talent in just one blog post. Overall, it was a great day with amazingly creative people. If you missed it, be sure to check it out next year!
If you're interested in Book Arts, The University of Southern Maine also hosts a week-long Book Arts Intensive, held at USM's Stone House in Freeport, Maine. Faculty include Rebecca Goodale, Karen Adrienne, Michael Connor, Mary Howe, Martha Kearsley, Colleen Kinsella, Wesley McNair, Carrie Scanga, and Bonnie Vinzani. Workshops range from bookbinding to paste paper making to visual poetry. The Stone House is a beautiful place to learn!