American Academy of Bookbinding

2011-10-30T12:40:00.000-07:00

THE WALLS ARE FALLING IN... AGAIN.

Sialia Reike, Monique Lallier, Don Etherington, Patty Bruce, Judy Ferenbach, Gabby Cooksey, Lesa Dowd, Pam Wood, Myssie Light Acomb, Gale Buffett, Lang Ingalls.

Yesterday was the big farewell for Monique's Intermediate/Advanced class. As everyone begins the finishing up/packing up process, it seems the atmosphere becomes more subdued as students start to move their focus from their current project to returning home and the responsibilities that await them. The studio becomes more and more quiet as, one by one, they depart. Eyes mist over as goodbyes are said. But it's a happy sad... we know that everyone will be back sooner or later.

Of course, then the vaccuum comes out to override the quiet. Tools are put away until needed again. The studio gets a big cleaning and reorganization to prepare for the next class. I also turn my focus toward the next group and what their needs will be. But before I do so, let me reflect a bit and share some more photos!

Pam with her embossed gold inset.

Gabby's first onlays and tooling.

Gale with the two she was working on.

Myssie happy to have finished this one!

Myssie's bench.

Lesa and her minis in the press.

Don, Lesa and husband David.

Goodbyes.

Pam and Gale.

Don't know what Don said, but it must have been good!

Gale watches Monique.

Sialia and Gale win the prize for 'midnight oil' burning.

A skiff of snow in the second week.

Thanks to Myssie for these beautiful photos.


Is this the holiday greeting photo or what?

2011-10-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

MONIQUE SPARKS CREATIVE FIRES AT AAB

Now that the Intermediate/Advanced Fine Binding class is well underway, books that were formally just a glimmer in the creator's eye, are starting to emerge as objects d' art. The diversity of design and intent is amazing. Books are definitely as individual as the individuals who create them. Though they are still in the unfinished form and we know that much more will be done by way of decoration, I couldn't resist giving you a taste. Check back for the finals next go around.

Monique Lallier has been in house for over a week now and we've enjoyed every minute. The students also get the extra bonus of having her husband, well known Conservator Don Etherington, working on his own project (and lending a little advice along the way). A two-fer... not quite, but almost. Wonder if the reverse will be true next week when Don teaches his class? What a package deal! It's been totally delightful to have them both here at once. I think these are nine very lucky students.

Monique and Lang (Teacher's Assistant) do final inspection prior to pasting leather

Learning Monique's French headband - no easy task

Myssie's decoration

Molly gets some 'advice' from Patty

Lesa using her mini plough for her mini books

Patty's stack o' stuff

Gale in the spotlight

Monique works with Gabby as Don looks on from afar

A cover is born...

... of box calf no less

Monique's demo book

Demos aren't always serious when Patty's around

One of Don Etherington's projects

We can't wait to see where the hole leads in one of Sialia's projects

Pam is having a blast in her first class with Monique

Glasses seem to be mandatory for this class

Not bad for Gabby's second class in fine binding

Gale's book after covering and before final decoration

Bird's eye view

To be continued....

2011-10-19T16:14:00.000-07:00

BOOKBINDER'S IN BOSTON!

room with a view

Okay, so I've been back for 10 days and am only now getting this posting out... but you have to give me time to recover! Monique's class has started and I'm starting to take photos of that class for the blog, which means I've got to get this one done!

Boston was fabulous. My very first GBW Standards (note I don't say 'conference' anymore ;-) What a lovely time. I met tons of people (who will need to remind me that I met them when next I see them), had a whirlwind walking tour of North Bennett Street School and historic Boston (led by one Judy Ferenbach), saw lot's of tempting goods for sale (and purchased more than I should have), enjoyed all the social activities and woke up every morning to this fantastic view (above). It was also my first time in Boston so that made it even more special. AND, I got to fly over and look down on my old stomping grounds of the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York! A great trip.

another view

Judy looks on as Monique Lallier signs Judy's book with her new, steady hand.

two truly fine Fine Binders

nice group

part of AAB's display

the venue - The Park Plaza Hotel

all the leather you could want!

Judy and Don Glaister with her book

the singing MacGregor sisters. Five of us livened up the overflow vendor room with song!

the finale of the weekend - banquet and auction

How I wish I had taken more pictures of people! And had my camera with me on my walking tour. Oh well,... just have to go back!

2011-10-03T16:17:00.000-07:00

JUDY'S BOOK & PARTY

October 1 marked the celebration of Judy's "metamorphosis" into her new life. It was on this day that she was presented with her book created by Don Glaister from the pages and sentiments submitted by numerous friends, bookbinders and artists (and any combination). It was an amazing evening. Judy loves her book!... a big thank you to all who contributed!! Though my camera did not always cooperate, here are the long awaited photos:

Front cover


Marbled fly leaf and paste down by Monique Moore Racine aka Momo


Title page by Suzanne Moore


Paste paper folio by Judy Ferenbach


Interior of Judy Ferenbach's folio


Jeanne Goodman


Pam Wood


Patty Bruce


Vicke Selk


Gabby Cooksey

There were many other artistic contributions from friends in Telluride and beyond as well as expressions and memories sent in emails and printed into the book. Don Glaister did an amazing job of building this incredible book from such an array of materials and sizes. Thank you Don!

THE PARTY!

The party (some in costume) was an event that is not likely to be forgotten for years to come. It was a huge success. For purposes of this posting though, I'll just stick to the part about the presenting of the book. Robert Weatherford (from the Ah Haa School board) and Suzan Beraza (dear film-making friend of Judy's) presented. Forgive the fuzzy photos.. don't know what happened there! You get the idea...


Taylor Crosby, Judy Ferenbach, Don Glaister celebrate


Heartbeat sings 'Rise Up' - Judy, Suzan, Ulli, me, Rosemerry, Sally

BEST WISHES JUDY!

2011-09-21T19:50:00.000-07:00

FIRST FALL CLASS IS FABULOUS!

It's been awhile since we checked in and gave you all a big ol' posting. Judy, with great patience, has been focusing on bringing me up to speed so that she can hand over the reins. I, with great earnestness, have been focusing on absorbing all that she is needing to transmit... Transition is not always easy and we both wanted very much for it to be a smooth and easy one... especially for the students. Something had to give however during this time, and I now see that that 'something' was the blog. Deepest apologies! But classes are underway again and nothing is more exciting than the return of our students and the wonderful environment of learning and developing of relationships that occurs during this time of shared experience. So thank you all for your patience and understanding! Now, on with the post!

This is a fantastic class! Everyone is so focused and determined to do their very best. I helped out a little bit initially but they all far surpassed my limited knowledge and ability very early on. This is a class that includes individuals who will continue no matter what, in their own individual ways, whether it's in Rowanda or Canada or Nashville. Every single student is self motivated enough to make their skill development happen regardless of where they are. We applaud their energy and drive and wish for them great success in their upcoming years of challenge and study.

Let me introduce you....

Mark (note how delicately this big guy works)

Barry with one of the two books he's creating for his daughters

Gabby... taking on bookbinding with a vengeance! She's signed up for almost every class this fall.

Jennifer. A poet with a meticulous eye who strives for absolute perfection.

Laine (pronounced lie-nah) - a great eye for design.

Sharalee. WOW... this woman (in addition to being the mother of four) has produced 12 copies each year for 10 years of wonderfully whimsical children's books for her family.

Jaye. There's a lot of deep, moving water beneath that quiet surface!

Matt. On a mission to make books in Africa! Next stop Rwanda!

Chris. If you know the GBW, you know him. But he's pretty good at paring too. ;-)

Susan. Graphic designer since you drew by hand... already the heart of a FINE binder.

Katy. She's been here so many weeks so far this year, she's got the 'relax' thing down... a dirty job but somebody's got to do it. In reality, Katy is an amazingly productive binder. Pictured here reading the new, 2012 AAB catalog! Check it out online.

Vicke. Always steady with a twinkle in her eye... a true inspiration and the cover girl for the 2012 catalog!

The class finishes up this Friday and we'll miss them, but others are on their way! Stay tuned!

Posted by Deb

2011-09-16T14:59:00.000-07:00

Fall Classes Start!

Judy Moves on and Deb Takes Over!

Don Glaister's Fundamentals/Intermediate Fine Binding class is finishing up their first week today. The studio is busy with paring, making headbands and sewing pages together, among other wonderful things. This class seems particularly focused—there are 12 students and everyone seems to be 'getting' it. Photos to follow soon!

In other news, Judy Kohin (that's me!) is leaving AAB and Ah Haa after nearly 20 years. It has been a joy to work with all of you....thanks for the great memories! Deb Stevens has taken my place and will do an outstanding job. I'll pursue documentary film making and my own artwork.

Judy on a river trip....not too long ago.

Stay tuned for more updates about our fall classes. Until then, happy bookbinding!

2011-09-16T14:05:00.000-07:00

2012 Catalog Now Available Online!!!

The 2012 catalog is out and ready for you to review. It is getting printed and will be mailed to you in October. For now, check out the link below which goes to the AAB Website and the 2012 Catalog. Click on the link on the right hand side of the page.

Happy Reading!!!

AAB WEBSITE.....LINK TO 2012 CATALOG

2011-07-15T08:57:00.000-07:00

AH HAA PRINTMAKING AT THE STONE BUILDING

Posted by Deb

2011-07-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

RENATE MESMER IS

HEAD OF CONSERVATION AT FOLGER!

We here at AAB, are proud to share this press release regarding AAB Instructor Extraordinaire, Renate Mesmer. Congratulation Renate!!! We wish you the very best!

I am pleased to announce that Renate Mesmer has been appointed Eric Weinmann Head of Conservation effective July 1st.

Renate has been serving as Acting Head of the Gundersheimer Conservation Lab since the end of April. She first came to the Folger as a conservation intern in 1995, and returned for a second internship in 2000. In 2004 she joined the Folger on a permanent basis as Assistant Head of Conservation and, as her colleagues know well, she has contributed significantly to the success of the conservation lab’s work since that time. I’m delighted that we had such a capable candidate for this important position already on staff. Please join me in congratulating her.

Stephen Enniss
Eric Weinmann Librarian
Folger Shakespeare Library
201 East Capitol Street, SE
Washington, DC 20003

2011-06-28T19:36:00.000-07:00

LAURA WAIT IN TELLURIDE

Artist Laura Wait was in Telluride for three days teaching a wonderful class titled "The Book as Art: Images+Handwriting+Exposed Sewing." I was lucky and got to attend the class. I loved it! I'd much rather be in the studio than upstairs sitting at my computer! I'm a painter...well I've done some painting, and this class appealed to me as we painted images and made marks on paper and then cut up the large sheets and made them into books. So cool. We spent two days making the pages, and on the third day we sewed the pages together. I can't tell you exactly what kind of sewing we did, but our sewing was exposed on the spine of the books. Laura combined techniques and made up these structures. They aren't too complicated, but the combination of personal artwork—inspired by words that we wrote down as our homework assignment—and simple binding structures made beautiful and interesting pieces.

Everyone really enjoyed the class. This was the first class in 'artist's books' that we have taught at Ah Haa/AAB, and lots of local artists took the class. I was excited to introduce a new medium to our local art community. There are so many ways to use the book as a form of expression...and unless you see artist books first hand, you don't really know what they are. I love them. And I love Laura's books as well as her encaustic paintings. She is really talented.

We can't wait to have you back Laura! I know your class will fill quickly.

Thanks for a great introduction to a new structure!

Here are a few photos from the class.......

2011-06-11T07:34:00.000-07:00

FINISHING THE FIELD

After posting the previous entry yesterday morning, I walked into the studio to find order out of chaos! Tim and the students had organized all their work of the week into a display on one table and were deep in discussion of the accumulated work. For the first time all week we could see the visual product of all their creativity! So another post is in order!

Next up... Book As Art with Laura Wait on June 24, 25, 26. The class is filling fast of late and we look forward to another exciting experience exploring the design aspects of bookbinding as well as different styles of bookbinding. Then, throughout the summer, we will be hosting several classes offered by the Ah Haa School (ahhaa.org) until we resume bookbinding classes in the fall session - Fundamentals as well as Advanced bookbinding classes are available, Forwarding and Covering, and another great design class offering, Content to Concept to Object with Don Glaister and Suzanne Moore. If you've been thinking of taking a class, we encourage you to sign up soon!

Posted by Deb

2011-06-10T10:24:00.000-07:00

A FIELD OF... CHAOTIC PLAY

Like any self-respecting mad scientist, Timothy C. Ely is poised to change the world... or at least, the bookbinding world. Of course he has already made a significant mark on the landscape of convention and this last week, he has been playfully guiding his students to set aside their notions of established rules of what is or isn't possible, and just spontaneously explore and create. Just. It's been fantastic to witness the process and view the play in progress. We've truly enjoyed our time with Tim and the students - I think we all would like to see it continue on site, but this is a dialog to be continued regardless of spacial constraints. The students have only started or refreshed their exploration. Thank you Tim... what incredible fun this field of play was!

Posted by Deb

2011-06-02T17:28:00.000-07:00

LEATHER BOX MAKING CLASS WELL UNDERWAY

The Academy experienced a change of pace on Monday when the students for Don Glaister's "Leather Box Making" class started their week of learning. A group of seven students sat rapt as Don presented his first of several demonstrations/lectures. As the week progressed, so did the number of dimensions... from a single idea to a fully formed box. What fun to witness the process. I have to admit though, it was very difficult not to want to jump in and join in! I had to work hard to keep my hands off from other people's work!

Tomorrow (Friday) is the final day for the box people and for Don's spring teaching commitment. Best wishes to all as you go forth and make lovely boxes to complement and preserve your books!

One student needed to return home midway through but we were wishing she were here.

Posted by Deb

2011-05-31T14:03:00.000-07:00

A CLASS TO REMEMBER!

In a word.... WHEW! What an incredible two weeks!

Ingredients:

12 students with varying levels of experience and knowledge, all with unique personalities and backgrounds
1 fabulous, DEDICATED and PATIENT instructor
1 incredible facility and equipment
1 super organized and thoughtful administrator (Judy) with perfect memory
14 days of mostly lousy weather
1 gondola field trip

Combine ingredients in large box canyon (Telluride). Mix well. Add a pinch (?!) of humor. Mix some more. Keep mixing until all the lumps are gone and you have a smooth blend (kinda like paste). Place in press off and on. Cut into rectangles. Yield: +/- 30 books and some pretty lasting friendships.

Call me biased... I LOVED this class. It was, of course, my first BIG class. For me, it was a total delight. I learned so much! (I daresay Don did too...;-) What a lot of work for everyone but, in the end, a success. A big THANK YOU! to everyone in the class and to Don for his excellent guidance, skill and gentle demeanor. This was a large class but everyone worked together, supported and helped each other, and felt they gained in numerous ways - skill, understanding, experience. In some ways, we became like a family as well... an extra bonus! I could not have had a better experience for my first go around at learning what this place is all about.

Don receives an award!.. a gift from the National Archives of Malaysia.

More later!

Posted by Deb

2011-05-23T11:59:00.000-07:00

Sewing, Paring, Covering....

Our second week of Fine Binding is starting out with a bang. I think students were busy in the studio this weekend, but I hope some of them have gotten outside to enjoy the fantastic scenery. I'll be the first to admit that we've had lousy weather this spring. But the truth is, it is still beautiful. Fresh snow on the peaks is quite picturesque.

Check out what a few people are doing.....

2011-05-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

Students in Paris with Monique and Hélène!

A group of intrepid students and Monique Lallier are in Paris, Brussels and Brugge for two weeks, with Hélène Jolis as their professional guide. They are touring the amazing studios of some of Hélène's contemporaries, and visiting rare book collections and libraries (and eating lots of delicious pastries and drinking some fine French wine, I'm sure!) We are all very jealous and wish we could be there with them; just thinking about the yummy cheese is making my mouth water! I can't wait to hear about everything that you've seen (and eaten!) Please take lots of photos. Here are some photos of the group sent to me by Yumiko Harris. My first comment is, "Wow! You all look so snappy in your French tourist outfits! Not what you usually wear the studio here in Telluride!"

2011-05-19T15:59:00.000-07:00

Don Glaister is Here!

Don is here teaching Fundamentals of Bookbinding and Intermediate Fine Binding. We have a terrific group of students from all over the world....Malaysia, Taiwan (via New Mexico), Canada, and from many different states: Oregon, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and California. Class is going really well (as far as I can tell) and Don is being his usual funny self, transmitting the intricacies of fine leather binding in a clear, straight forward manner. I took this class last year and loved it...what a joy to spend every day making something by hand, using all hand tools. And taking such care as to make things perfect. What a dream, to spend every day in the studio. It can be a reality if you put your mind to it. There are several students here who do just that, spend their days in the studio making things as their main job.

Our student from Malaysia, Zam, took this trip having never left his country, flown on a plane, or seen snow. And this week, we continue to have a late spring here in Telluride. We threw a few snowballs at Zam yesterday, and today was his 51st birthday, so we had a cake and he opened a small gift from the class: an AAB t-shirt and a brand new French paring knife.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZAM!!!

2011-05-18T11:22:00.000-07:00

NEW SIGN!

Check out the new window sign that Dan is putting on our outside window. Awesome!

2011-05-14T14:19:00.000-07:00

Reusable Bags from Pam!

Pam Wood, one of our devoted students, had a brilliant idea.

When the town of Telluride went plastic-bag free earlier this year, we sent a note to our students alerting them that they would need a reusable bag at the grocery store or pay $.10 for a paper bag when they shopped. I personally embrace the ordinance and think we need to decrease the amount of single-use disposable bags, bottles and packaging that our society uses.

Anyway, when Pam got the email, she had this brilliant idea. Why not have reusable bags at the studio for visiting students to use? Pam went ahead and printed a large quantity of cute, reusable bags with the AAB logo on them.

Here is Brenda Parson's class modeling the groovy new bags. We are giving every student a free-reusuable bag, thanks to Pam's generosity and creativity.

From everyone at AAB—faculty, staff and students, we send a big THANK YOU to Pam!

2011-05-11T07:49:00.000-07:00

Restoration of Cloth and Leather Bindings

Brenda Parsons is here from North Carolina teaching Restoration of Cloth and Leather Bindings. Brenda graduated from AAB's Book Conservation Program in 2009, and currently is senior conservator at Etherington Conservation Services where she has worked for 24 years. Students are learning TONS about how to repair and restore cloth and leather bindings using Japanese papers and various techniques. We enjoyed Brenda's talk on the "Preservation of Historic Memorabilia," last night, which gave an overview of the kinds of projects she works on at Etherington's: books, photo albums, paintings, newspapers and more.

In other news, we are having a very cold spring here in Telluride and it snowed 5 inches last night and it is still dumping! Some people might like this weather, but I must admit that I long for warm, spring days. I know they are right around the corner.

There are still a few spaces in Don Glaister's Leather Box Making class coming up in two weeks, and also in Tim Ely's class the first week of June, A Field of Play or Thinking Outside the Slipcase. Call us if you would like to register!

2011-04-27T14:45:00.000-07:00

Spring Session Starts!

Renate Mesmer is here teaching Basics in Paper Conservation to kick off the spring session of the American Academy of Bookbinding. Yeah! Students are here from Virginia, Wyoming, Utah, Missouri, Nebraska and Colorado. The past three days it has snowed about a foot, which is a surprise but not totally uncommon here in the high Rocky Mountains. Hopefully by the time the rest of you get here the snow will be over!

Congratulations to Renate, who has just been named "Acting Head of Conservation" at the Folger Shakespeare Library, moving up from Assistant Head to take Frank Mowery's place. Frank is still the Folger but is onto some new projects. CONGRATULATIONS RENATE!!

2011-03-27T15:28:00.000-07:00

AH HAA STAFF BOOKBINDING DAY!

From L-R: Laura, Judy, Kathleen, Daniel, Lauren, Kate

Rachel couldn't make it and Deb prefers being behind the camera!

On Thursday the 17th, the staff at Ah Haa took a little mini retreat to the bookbinding studio to get a taste of what this bookbinding business was about. Call it continuing education to improve one's knowledge of what it is they're supporting/promoting. Call it a good, happy time. Everyone had fun learning a couple simple book forms and going away with two to four books for show and tell. Judy used papers she made herself and the rest of us relied on Daniel's inventory that he brought along. All were unique and personal. Laura, a very meticulous sort, produced a couple lovely and precise little books and claimed her comfort level to be higher in making books than in painting a self portrait. Kate branched out in three dimensions and accents on her second book with a miniature book on the cover. Lauren did some cut-outs as a decorative element and Kathleen made books specifically to hold photos and tickets.

Judy with her wonderful paper she made

Laura checking her edges

Kate at play

Kathleen showing off her ticket book

Lauren cradling her 'babies'

Posted by Deb at 4:27 PM

2011-03-15T15:29:00.000-07:00

SIALIA RIEKE AWARDED HILBRANDT

Fine Binding Diploma aspirant from Santa Fe, Sialia Reike, is thrilled to be selected the recipient of the Hilbrandt Scholarship this year! Sialia had applied last year but was not selected, so she is especially grateful to be the winner this year. This year's field of applicants were all very qualified, submitting fine examples of their work representing a broad range of distinctiveness and creativity. Sialia will use her scholarship award to participate in Monique Lallier's Intermediate/Advanced Fine Binding class here in Telluride in October.

The Roberta Hilbrandt Scholarship was created by her husband, Bill Hilbrandt, in recognition of Roberta's love of the book arts and her love of lifelong learning. A former student at AAB, Roberta lost her courageous battle with cancer in 2009. She was a dear friend and enthusiastic student. Numerous fellow students, friends and acquaintances have contributed generously to the fund which supports the growth and education of one career minded student per year.

Roberta Hilbrandt

Congratulations Sialia! We look forward to witnessing your progress as you work toward your goal. Please enjoy viewing her work below!

Posted by Deb at 4:28 PM

2011-03-10T11:16:00.000-08:00

A WEEK WITH MONIQUE THE BEST!

I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting Monique Lallier, but the responses from her students in San Francisco indicate that I'd better roll out the red carpet when she comes to Telluride in the Fall. The best thing for me to do for this blog entry is to let an enthusiastic student (and some of Monique's photos) tell the story.

"There are masters, but Madame Lallier is a master's master, her command of her materials and her refined skills are so easily communicated that for one minute, o' so briefly, one imagines being her and bathing in her light. But then, she says something very softly to give us a tip on how to improve a gesture or a way of doing something. This course was a delight and the tips alone were well worth the price of admission. Unfortunately, the week ended, too soon. I went back to my studio with a smile and a promise to improve every day and be ready for my next week with Madame..." - Momo

Sabina's book with strips of magazine paper and tissue paper over cloth new oriental binding.

Beth's book with strips of tissue paper…very interesting.

Monique Racine's book.

Signa with her book. She made the papers in the class.

Sabina's second book with paper she made in class.

Ellen's book with magazine paper and leather over cloth binding.

We do not yet have photos of everyone's book but will happily post them when available!

Posted by Deb at 12:17 PM

2011-02-22T16:35:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANIEL TUCKER!

Enjoy being the center of attention!

2011-02-15T17:13:00.000-08:00

SIMPLE BOX MAKING AN ENJOYABLE CHALLENGE!

Last Saturday Daniel Tucker once again provided a full day of fun learning and focus with his "Simple Box Making" class offered through the Ah Haa School's winter curriculum. Though there were only four students, we managed to cover every square inch of the available tables. I don't know how students in a full class keep their projects contained! The morning was spent cutting and folding simple origami projects - though we live in this region of topographical diversity, we learned about mountains and valleys in a whole new light. Then, in the afternoon, we proceeded to build and cover boxes with enough structural integrity they could not be crumpled in one hand. We all felt so accomplished and happy with our tidy little 2 x 2 x 6 boxes and lids (some of us are very easy to please ;-) The truth is that Daniel teaches in a way that allows us to succeed and leave feeling very good about the time spent creating something new. And that, of course, just motivates us to do more!

Daniel's creation

Posted by Deb

2011-02-10T14:18:00.000-08:00

AND WHILE THE BINDERS ARE AWAY …

Have you ever wondered what happens at the studio when the bookbinding classes are not in session? Though in my previous post I said something about it being “quiet”, that is not entirely true. As a part of Telluride’s Ah Haa School for the Arts, we often host classes offered by the school such as; Nuno Felting, Watercolor Painting, Drawing, Portrait Painting, Found Object Sculpture, Cold Wax & Oil Painting, Printmaking & Fiber Arts, and on and on. Who knew? Most recently Kathy Green and her students made the Stone Building their home for three weeks of complete color chaos as they submerged themselves into the Batik dying of numerous silk scarves. Beautiful! What a delight it was to walk in the door and float through a riot of color and design as the sun filtered through the studio. So Judy and I thought we would share this with you – ENJOY!

Meredith Nemirov teaches a private in "the lounge"

For more information about classes offered through the Ah Haa School http://www.ahhaa.org

Posted by Deb

2011-02-10T14:11:00.000-08:00

REGISTER SOON - BOOKBINDING CLASSES ARE FILLING

It’s a quiet (and somewhat snowy) time of year here around the studio. Judy and I feel a “calm before the storm” as we prepare for the upcoming season of classes. Though registrations come in steadily, we still have spaces available. If you are considering taking one or more of the fabulous course offerings for 2011, we encourage you get in touch with us soon if you haven’t already!

A reminder to Financial Aid and Scholarship Applicants - applications for the spring and summer sessions of the American Academy of Bookbinding are due March 1, 2011. The due date for the fall classes is July 1. In 2010, AAB awarded over $10,000 in tuition and housing assistance and the Roberta Hilbrandt Scholarship. For information about how to apply for financial assistance, please contact:

AAB at aab@ahhaa.org,

or go to http://www.ahhaa.org/academy-bookbinding/admission/financial-aid/

We look forward to seeing you in Telluride or Summerfield this year!

2011-01-12T14:22:00.000-08:00

DANIEL TUCKER TEACHES LOCAL'S CLASS
"MAKE YOUR FIRST BLANK BOOK"

As AAB's new employee, ignorant in the ways and means of bookbinding, it was especially exciting for me to jump into my first (but definitely not last) bookbinding class last weekend. Designed for true beginners such as myself, Daniel guided his enthusiastic students through so many of the basic skills, concepts and applications that our heads were spinning! He packed a lot of information into two, very focused days, and all nine of us loved every minute; so much so, that we're clamoring for more! Some of us skipped lunch and stayed after class we were so absorbed in our creations. A few of us actually finished a project or two, while others of us (yes, I was one of them) didn't finish anything but got a good start on a few different projects. I'm excited to complete my beginner projects and move on! - Deb

Our one representative from the younger generation, Zakiya, displaying the book she made especially for her friend.

Posted by Deb

2010-12-12T18:00:00.001-08:00

The lovely and talented Deb Stevens

AAB Welcomes New Employee!!

I am delighted to announce that Deb Stevens has joined me at the AAB office. Deb has been training just minimal part time the past month, and will start to work 20 hours/week beginning January 1, 2011. Deb will be helping me with all aspects of administration, including registering students, working with instructors, developing material lists, handling donations and financial aid, ordering materials, assisting with housing, answering emails and so much more. I can't tell you how excited I am! I have known Deb for a long time—we sing together in an all women's a cappella group, Heartbeat. So, maybe you will get to hear us rehearsing in the office in between phone calls!

Besides being a very kind person with a big heart, Deb has a long interest in art and brings great qualities to her position. From 1974-1990, Deb was a full time production potter. She also worked at the Arvada Center for the Arts in Arvada, Colorado, where she was the Deaf Access Coordinator. She is a stained glass artist, sings with the Telluride Choral Society (where she is also a semi-administrator), and does graphic design in her free time. Oh, did I mention she plays the harp? She also can't wait to take some bookbinding classes! Deb lives with her husband Dalen on Hastings Mesa in their beautiful handmade house they built from scratch, along with their dog Chinle, and cats Chutzphah, Bailey and Poh.

I look forward to introducing you to Deb on your next trip to Telluride. You may also be getting correspondence from Deb instead of me if you send an email.

Welcome to the AAB family, Deb! I know you will develop great friendships with the wonderful students and faculty whom you will soon meet.

2010-11-08T10:47:00.000-08:00

2010 Laura Young Recipient, Frank Mowery, getting a congratulations
kiss from his wife, Sonja Jordan-Mowery.

GBW CONFERENCE IN TUCSON A BLAST!!!!

Though I was delayed arriving in Tucson, and had to spend the night in Phoenix without my luggage, the GBW Conference was terrific. There weren't as many attendees and visitors to the vendor's room this year (we had so much more traffic at the San Francisco Conference last year, due to the high number of binders in the area) but I was able to chat more in-depth with people. It was great to see students and faculty. I rented a glass book case and my table was a big attraction. Everyone wanted to see and hold the books by Monique Lallier, Don Glaister, Lang Ingalls and Brenda Parsons.

Once again I failed to take photos of everyone, but I was able to visit with a few people including Rebecca Chamlee (I hope you are recovering quickly), Sherry Barber, Marilyn Chambers, Karen Hanmer, Ethan Ensign, Taylor Crosby, Christine Fabian, Lang Ingalls, Frank Lehmann, Cathy Adelman, Jim Welker, Lesa Dowd, Sandra Good, Elaine Nelson, Patricia Owen, Toby Schwartzburg, Wilfredo Geigel, Edna Wright and several other students that I can't recall at the moment (so sorry!) I also had a good time chatting with the other vendors, and I need to tell you all that I bought a good supply of decorative papers and leather! So you can 'shop away' next time you are here. I enjoyed seeing Don G. and Suzanne M, as well as Frank Mowery and Sonya Jordan-Mowery, Alicia Bailey, Betsy Palmer Eldridge and Bill Minter.

Here are a few snapshots:

Don and Frank

Alma and Wilfredo Geigel

Lang, Wilfredo and Cathy

Lesa looks at Don Glaister's book about sail boats.

Wilfredo, Edna and Taylor

2010-11-08T10:35:00.000-08:00

Binding by Judy Ferenbach

BOOKS FROM MONIQUE'S CLASS The books made in the style of "Separate Board Structures" from Monique's one-week class were absolutely beautiful!!! Some students made stunning paper in Suzanne Moore's class, then put the paper on their books in the following class. Enjoy the images:

Binding by Coleen Curry

Binding by Daniel Tucker

Binding by Myssie Light

Binding by Patty Bruce

2010-10-07T09:32:00.000-07:00

SEPARATE BOARD STRUCTURE with Monique Lallier

Monique Lallier is teaching a one-week class in Separate Board Structure. The beauty of this technique is that the spine can be in leather and the boards covered in with decorative papers, cloth or leather. If the boards are covered in leather, the design is worked on the boards prior to attaching them to the book. The spine is titled by hand as well. Most students are using the beautiful papers that they designed in the last class with Suzanne Moore.

Another fabulous class with a fabulous teacher.

2010-10-04T14:56:00.000-07:00

PIGMENT ON PAPER......WORLD CLASS!!

Wonderful week of making paper with artist Suzanne Moore. We held an open house for the community on Thursday, and Suzanne also presented a slide show/talk of her work. According to one attendee, "That was world class! What an amazing artist!"

Everyone made loads of paper, experimented with new techniques, and learned a lot.

We can't wait for Suzanne to come back next fall when she teaches a class with her husband, Don Glaister.

I'll post the 2011 schedule later this week!

2010-09-28T15:29:00.000-07:00

Don and students from his fine binding class last week. The weather this fall has been a dream! Warm, sunny days. See what you are missing!!!!

SUZANNE MOORE IN FULL SWING

Suzanne Moore, acclaimed artist extraordinaire, is at AAB teaching "Pigment on Paper." The class of 11 1/2 (the half is me, who observes lectures and will be making paper by the end of the week...I swear!) is the largest class we have had in some time. We are managing extremely well with the new tables, new sinks, etc. Everyone seems happy and comfortable. Since this is only day 2, the experimenting is just taking off. Suzanne has demoed a number of techniques and participants are launching on individual projects with a book in mind. They will be making sheets for their books...paste paper sheets that could be used for the end pages, the covers or the textblock sheets.

I must say before I go any further that I am humbled and in awe of the creative genius of Suzanne Moore. WOW! What imagination, what a creative mind, what a long career filled with amazing calligraphy and books. This is the best part of my job, being able to work with such amazing artists. I am so lucky. I am so lucky to be able to see these artists at work, and to learn from them. I can't say enough about the extraordinary artists that teach here at AAB.

Enough from me. Enjoy the photos from these first two days of class. On Thursday we host an open house for the public to see the work, catch a slide show by Suzanne, and check out the facility. If you are in the area, please stop by between 5:00 and 7:oopm.

Jody from Lakewood, CO

Myssie Light of Houston, TX

Nancy from Rancho Santa Fe, CA

Don and Suzanne (Don left today...boo hoo!)

Anne Marie from Montrose, CO

Suzanne showing a book she hasn't seen in 20 years, a book that she and her husband, Don Glaister, made together. The title is George and the Egyptian, and it is wonderful exerpts from a Mark Twain original manuscript that was never published. It describes the house that he and his wife lived in in Connecticut, and some the characters who were a part of their lives at the time. The images and binding are stunning. I didn't get a chance to read the text, but I'll be able to take a closer look this week. One of Suzanne's collectors (who happens to be in the class) brought it for us to see. Such a treat!

2010-09-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

Don's Class Going Well.....Suzanne arrives today

Don Glaister's Intermediate Binding class is in the second week and all is well. Students are very focused on their work and making beautiful books. I'll post some finished book photos on Friday. Here are a few shots from class.....

2010-09-22T12:03:00.000-07:00

ANN ARBOR CLASS FANTASTIC!!

Monique Lallier is in Ann Arbor teaching Fundamentals of Bookbinding at Hollander's. According to several students the class is "fantastic!" There are eight students from all over, including Alaska, Hong Kong, Michigan, Wisconsin and Kentucky. Here are a few photos from the class.

2010-09-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

FALL CLASSES START

Don Glaister's Intermediate/Advanced Fine Binding class started in Telluride today, and Monique Lallier's Fundamentals of Bookbinding class started in Ann Arbor. There are 15 students total attending the two-week long classes, and they have traveled from all over the country and beyond—two students came from overseas...from England and from Hong Kong! Way to go AAB!!! We continue to attract fantastic students from all over the world.

In Telluride, students were treated to a finished studio...new doors and windows were put in downstairs, and new sidewalks were built as well. The building is truly stunning, as as several local residents have commented, "this is the most beautiful building in Telluride!"

Here are a few photos from Don's class:

Ruth sewing her pages.

Don gives some demonstrations.

Don and his recently completed design binding, The Physiology of Taste.

2010-06-14T17:02:00.000-07:00

ANN ARBOR CLASSES A SUCCESS!

AAB held three weeks of classes in Ann Arbor in May and early June. The first week-long class was a combination of two separate classes, "Restoration of Cloth and Leather Bindings," and "Rebacking of Leather Bindings." This was the first time that Don Etherington taught the Rebacking class, which was offered as an elective.

The second set of classes taught were "Forwarding and Covering of Textblocks," and "Finishing I and 2." These are two separate classes that were taught at the same time. Once again, students were thrilled with the skills they learned from master binder/conservator Don Etherington, and told me they had a blast as well. Since my office is based in Telluride, I don't get to see the students and their work first hand, but here are a few photos sent by several of the attendees, and Tom Hollander.

There is still room in all of the Ann Arbor classes this fall in September and October: Fundamentals of Bookbinding with Monique Lallier, Stiff Board and Limp Binding in Vellum, and Account Bookbinding with Springback, both taught by Don Etherington. Contact the Academy for enrollment info, or visit our website.

2010-05-31T16:28:00.000-07:00

Don Glaister and Monique Lallier.

Monique Has Arrived!

Monique Lallier is back teaching her intermediate and advanced students. What a joyful, busy, and creative studio we have! We had an open house at the bookbinding studio the first week of class, and over 100 locals came to see what is going on here. We had book models to view, and a few finished books to showcase. Students described what they are working on to interested attendees. We also presented Monique with a thank you gift for her previous years as Director of the Academy. Her class is one more week, finishing up this Friday, June 4th. Monique is offering a slide show and lecture titled "Contemporary Design Bindings," Tuesday June 1 at 6:30pm at the Ah Haa Depot. For those of you in the area, please join us!

Monique demonstrates how to attach her pewter plate to "The Thread That Binds."

Cutting the round edge.

It was like a sale at Filene's Basement the day I offered suedes for $10. The shoppers went crazy!

Monique with Sally Simpson, one of her students who is also a jeweler. Sally made a beautiful pin for Monique as our thank you gift for her five years as Director. Daniel Tucker presented the gift to Monique and made the box the pin came in.

2010-05-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

Side Trip to the Waterfall

We took a short walk to the beautiful Coronet Creek Falls, about a 15 minute walk up a trail to the base of the falls. Don and Sialia joined me. The water that comes through the narrow slot freezes as it falls and splashes back up, creating a column of ice behind. There are lots of things to see in your free time when you come to Telluride to study (though most students prefer to stay in the studio working on their books!)

2010-05-18T14:14:00.000-07:00

My first head band...English style (or so I'm told.)

FUNDAMENTALS CONTINUED...

It turns out it was too hard to take the class and work at the same time, so I quickly fell behind. I've almost finished my half leather binding, and I've just started on the full leather binding. But, I LOVED THE CLASS! As an artist, my working style is quick and messy, and in fine binding one has to do the opposite: be patient, take care, and work with precision. I can do it if I have to, and in this class I absolutely had to. When I pared my leather to quickly, I ruined several pieces. If I eyeballed something instead of measuring it, my line was crooked. Yes, I had to slow down, and if I really was just taking the class (and trying not to worry about my job) then it was a blast. And the joy I felt when I got something right was fabulous! I do see why so many people study here, and are hooked, and come back year after year. There is something very meditative and intimate in the making of a book.

Here's how the rest of the class progressed: cover the half leather book; glue decorative paper on the covers; make and glue the paste-down; and then attach the end pages. Then repeat everything and make a full leather binding. In between all that, we sanded, pared and sanded some more. Here are a few things I've learned:

One must have a sharp knife and keep it sharp; do not let paste or PVA dry on your brush; don't wet your leather and walk away for any reason, a tide line might form (it did!); measure, then measure again; dividers are really cool little instruments; there are different kinds of bone folders, and a small pointy one is good to have; paring leather is hard to do well; using a scharf-fix takes practice; I need glasses; be patient!

My half leather binding

Don explains how he comes up with a design.

Kirsty with her two books.

Michelle with her half leather binding.

Don applies paste for his full leather cover.

Emily with her books.

2010-05-06T10:20:00.000-07:00

FUNDAMENTALS OF BOOKBINDING WITH
DON GLAISTER
Class started Sunday, May 2

Don Glaister, the new director of the Fine Binding Program at the American Academy of Bookbinding, is in Telluride for three weeks teaching Fundamentals of Bookbinding and Gold Tooling.

After 17 years of watching other students bind books, I am attending my first leather binding class. Yeah! So I'm enrolled in the Fundamentals Class that started Sunday. And I must admit, I'm having a blast!

Attending the class will make it easier for me to describe more completely what is being taught. Here we go:

Day 1:
We met Sunday evening to put our textblocks in the press. I'm making a blank sketch book, so I used 2 1/2 sheets of Arches Text and folded pages to roughly 6.5"x6.5". Then we stacked the paper in boards and the pages were set for the night.

Jeanne's textblock all sewn.

Day 2:
We took our textblocks out of the press and put them together. We sewed them, glued them, rounded and backed them, and glued Japanese paper to the spine.

Don sands the top of the book.

Day 3:
We sanded the top edge and made headbands out of leather and a batonnet that we made from mat board. Then we cut our boards to size and covered our textblocks. Then we made a hollow core for the spine and started paring our leather. We are making a half leather book in a case binding for our first book, and some people are doing spine and corners, and some are doing spine and edges in leather. We sanded our boards (chamfording them). Some people finished paring leather and were able to cover their books today as well.

Don demonstrates how to make a headband with a homemade batonnet and a small piece of pared leather.

Don shows us how to sharpen our knives.

Kirsty pares her spine leather.

Don attaches the leather to his book.

"I can't believe I get to do this!!!" - Don Glaister

What has been such a thrill for me is to see the intimate and personal 'artist' side of Don Glaister as he makes his book. Don is actually binding his own book during the class, and demonstrates all of the techniques right on his own book. This is really a treat—to see a master bookbinder experiencing such joy throughout the process. When he sands his board he holds it up to us with a big smile on his face and says, "See? Isn't that just graceful?" He treats his book not just as any old object but as a perfectly beautiful possesion. He says things like, "I can't believe I get to do this!" while applying paste to his leather spine as he prepares to cover. And he's talking about the fact that he gets to make books for a living. He describes books as either looking "clunky" or "like a dream." Yes we are learning to bind books in leather, but we are also experiencing a gifted artist making his art. This is worth all of the money you pay to attend classes here...it is so much more than just learning bookbinding. It is a two-week immersion into the heart and mind of an artist. Wow. It is a gift for me to be able to attend this class.

2010-04-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

Roberta Hilbrandt

Roberta Hilbrandt Scholarship Awarded

It has been several weeks since a decision was made in selecting the Roberta Hilbrandt Scholarship recipient. The 2010 Scholarship is being awarded to Kayle Sykes, of Montreal, Canada.

The Roberta Hilbrandt Scholarship is an annual award of $1500 to one student for tuition to attend a two-week class at the American Academy of Bookbinding. This wonderful opportunity was made available by the loving friends and family of Roberta Hilbrandt, an AAB student and supporter who passed away last summer after an illness. Roberta loved AAB, the instructors and the friends she made while studying here. Her beautiful smile lit up the studio, and her joyful laugh will always be remembered. The Roberta Hilbrandt Scholarship fund was created to continue the memory of Roberta, and friends and family donated to the fund so that Roberta’s spirit will live on, and her memory will benefit another enthusiastic student.

There were fifteen enthusiastic applicants for the Scholarship. Bill Hilbrandt, Roberta’s husband, had the difficult but exciting task of selecting the recipient after reading passionate essays by the applicants.

Kayle Sykes began her studies at AAB last fall in Ann Arbor at our Michigan campus. Kayle studied “Fundamentals of Bookbinding” with Monique Lallier, and also studied “Treatment of Textblocks and Sewing,” with Don Etherington. The instructors were impressed with Kayle’s hand skills and enthusiasm, and indicated that she will go far in the fields of fine binding and conservation. Kayle will use her Scholarship to continue in the conservation program, attending the next course in the series, “Forwarding and Covering of Textblocks,” with Don Etherington this spring in Ann Arbor.

AAB also awarded nearly $6,000 in tuition assistance, and $3,000 in housing aid to students this year. This is the first year that AAB has been able to assist students in such a significant way. Thank you to all or our generous donors from our annual membership drive. For more information on these scholarships and financial aid programs, please visit our website: www.ahhaa.org/academy-bookbinding.

Kayle Sykes

2010-04-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

Renate demonstrating a sewing technique.

SEWING, SEWING SEWING!

Students learned a variety of sewing stitches and then made models with blank paper of each of the sewing structures to keep for future reference. They then applied this new knowledge to the textblocks they washed and prepared from last weeks "Paper Conservation" class. The results are stunning. The structures are beautiful.

Jennifer Rose of Crested Butte, Colorado.

Leslie Drisdale of Calgary, Alberta.

Michelle Naujeck of Louisville, Colorado.

2010-04-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

Week Two: Sewing Structures

Renate's second class is Sewing Structures. Students washed books and pages in the first week, and now they are learning different historical sewing techniques. This requires lots of concentration, and the students are quietly sewing away.

Over the weekend the group took an outing to Orvis Hot Springs, just over the pass in Ridgway. It was a beautiful, spring Rocky Mountain day.

2010-04-20T16:30:00.000-07:00

DAY TWO!!
Renate had students washing pages today, and then used the groovy 'suction table' on loan from the Folger to dry some of the pages. It was a day mixing lots of different solutions, learning more about chemistry, and discovering the joys of whitening pages. Students are loving the class....especially Renate! We are so lucky to have such an experienced, competent and knowledgeable instructor here at the Academy. Renate will offer a public lecture, "Folger Shakespeare Library and the Preservation of Books," next Tuesday, April 27th. If you are in the area, please stop by. It will be at 6:30pm and most likely will be held here at the Old Stone Building. Enjoy today's photos....

2010-04-19T11:44:00.000-07:00

Renate in the studio with students.

Basics in Paper Conservation

Renate Mesmer, Assistant Head of Conservation at Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, DC, is at AAB teaching an enthusiastic group of students. Students are from Canada, Colorado, New York, Wyoming and Washington. Everyone loves the newly renovated building...check out the photos!

Students having lunch in the 'lounge.'

The kitchen

Renate with Jennifer Rose of Crested Butte, Colorado.

2010-04-18T06:46:00.000-07:00

SPRING SESSION IN TELLURIDE STARTS!!!!

Renate Mesmer and Daniel Tucker check the guillotine.

Daniel attaches the blade.

Workers with BONE Construction place the large percussion press.

Mechanical expert Nancy Heim puts the board shear back together.

Construction ended this past week on our beautifully remodeled Old Stone Building, so this week we moved the equipment in, placed all the tools, machines and materials, cleaned the construction dust from every nook and cranny, and today is the first day of our Spring 2010 Telluride session. YEAH!! Anyone who has been here before will be amazed and delighted at the changes. I'll post photos of the finished space later today. Renate Mesmer, Assistant Head of Conservation at the Folger Shakespeare Library arrived Friday and is getting ready for her Introductory class that starts late this afternoon.

There is still room in some of our upcoming classes, so check out our website and call or email if you are interested in attending.

Renate's first class is Paper Conservation. She'll be going into depth about the care and preservation of different kinds of paper documents, manuscripts, prints and books. I'll post more photos this week.

HAPPY SPRING!!!

MOVING DAY!!!!

2010-04-14T06:56:00.000-07:00

MOVING DAY!!!!

We are moving everything back to the almost finished Old Stone Building on Willow Street. YAHOO!!!! It is a busy week for us......BUT THE BUILDING IS ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS! You will not believe how beautiful it is. More later.......

2010-04-13T09:44:00.000-07:00

DON GLAISTER WORKSHOP "BRILLIANT"!!!

Don Glaister taught a one-week class, Introduction to Alternative Techniques in conjunction with the San Francisco Center for the Book at the end of March. The class was an exploration of design and innovative techniques. Don is master at using unusual materials to create interesting design bindings. Students learned some of his inventive techniques and even made a custom tool. The SFCB was delighted to partner with us, and it gave west coast bookbinders a chance to experience AAB's wonderful instructors. Most students were from the Bay area, but students did travel from as far away as Wisconsin. According to Jenny Bootle of Milwaukee, "The course was brilliant and Don is a fantastic instructor. The techniques we learnt open up many possibilities and the class discussions were stimulating (I'm still thinking about both now!)"

Here are a few photos from the class.

2010-03-07T17:26:00.000-08:00

NICE ARTICLE about Bookbinding, Monique Lallier and Don Etherington

Check out the article in the Greensboro News and Record about bookbinding featuring Monique and Don!

http://www.news-record.com/content/2010/03/05/article/where_books_become_art

2010-02-17T15:48:00.000-08:00

Monique & Company Visit Paris!

Monique Lallier traveled to Paris with students Patty Bruce and Connie Wozny for a bookbinding shopping extravaganza, while taking in the sites, sounds and delicious food of this great city. In the above photo, Patty, Connie and Monique pose at RELMA, where they purchased leather and paper. What a blast!

Hélène Jolis joined her friends for many outings including a bicycle tour documented in the above photo. Monique and Hélène are planning a cultural tour next spring as part of an AAB excursion to Paris and Belgium. Keep posted for more information on that exciting trip, the first in a series of international educational and cultural programs that AAB has planned.

2010-02-01T12:04:00.001-08:00

Old Stone Building to be Finished April 1, 2010

downstairs

upstairs

Here are a few photos of the building as it nears completion. The bathrooms aren't in, but the new roof is on, the upstairs has its drywall and everything is looking FANTASTIC! You will not believe the transformation. With the middle staircase moved back and the bathrooms on the landing removed, the whole downstairs is more open. And there will be a full kitchen at the top of the stairs (which isn't in yet.)

Enjoy these photos!

NEW DIRECTORS AT AAB

2010-01-26T14:22:00.000-08:00

Don Etherington..............Monique Lallier..................Don Glaister

Directorship Changes at American Academy of Bookbinding

As of January 1, 2010, Monique Lallier stepped down as Director of the American Academy of Bookbinding. Monique served as Director from 2005-2009, a five-year term.

Under Monique’s direction, the Academy grew tremendously. An adjunct campus was added at Hollander’s in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 2005, satellite classes were offered in San Francisco and Boston, and a program for visiting international instructors was created. Student numbers nearly doubled under her leadership, with a record 114 students attending classes in 2009. In 2004, only ten weeks of classes were offered through the Academy, and for 2010, 21 weeks of classes are now offered.

Another major change at the Academy was the addition of a program in the conservation of books, created and added to the AAB curriculum in 2005. AAB’s Conservation Program focuses on the repair and restoration of bindings, complementing the already prestigious Fine Binding program. Diplomas are offered for both courses of study, and since 2004, six students have received diplomas, three in Conservation and three in Fine Binding—ten graduates total.

Monique Lallier brought a high level of professionalism and sophistication to the Academy, and we will miss her leadership. The good news is that she will continue a rigorous teaching schedule at AAB, and she passed the torch to two very accomplished and well-known colleagues: Don Glaister and Don Etherington.

Don Glaister is the new Director of the Fine Binding Program. Don is a book artist now living and working on Vashon Island, Washington, near Seattle. He began his bookbinding career after taking degrees in painting and sculpture from San Jose State College in California, and studying binding privately with Barbara Hiller in San Francisco and Pierre Aufschnieder and Roger Arnoult in Paris. His professional career in design bookbinding, spanning more than thirty years, has centered on the exploration, development and use of unexpected binding materials, visual humor and spontaneous visual expression, while working within the classical framework of the European binding form. Beginning in 2002, Don’s work expanded to include the design and production of editions of artist’s books that include painting, sculpture and poetry that Don has made. Don has taught binding and design privately and as Professor of Book Arts at the University of Alabama. Don’s work appears in major private, public and national collections throughout North America and Europe.

We are absolutely thrilled to have Don Glaister as head of Fine Binding, and we look forward to an expansion of course offerings under his direction.

Don Etherington is the new Director of the Conservation. Don has spearheaded the Conservation Program from its inception, and will now have an official position as Director of the Conservation Program.

Don Etherington brings over 45 years of professional experience to the AAB. Don is nationally and internationally recognized for his innovative design and implementation of state-of-the-art conservation procedures, including phased preservation programs for libraries and institutions. After extensive training in England, he established a four-year program in bookbinding and design at Southampton College of Art and conducted workshops and seminars for colleges, universities and the Guild of Book Workers. President of the Etherington Conservation Center in Greensboro, N.C., Don also holds the position of Fellow in both the American Institute for Conservation and the International Institute for Conservation. Other professional affiliations include the Guild of Book Workers (Past chairman, Standards Committee); Accredited Fellow, Institute of Paper Conservation in England; and member of the American Library Association.

Although we are sad to see the departure of Monique Lallier as Director, we are excited by the energy our two new Directors will bring to their programs. As Monique jokes, “It takes two men to replace one woman!” The American Academy of Bookbinding heads into the next decade with a vision to grow and diversify, with tentative future plans for an international educational excursion and a traveling exhibition of student work.

For more information about AAB’s programs, visit AAB’s website.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2010-01-12T15:58:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Telluride, the land of snow and mountains!

Telluride sits at 8750 feet and we are surrounded by 13,000 ft peaks. We get a significant amount of snow in the winter, which makes for great skiing. We haven't had a banner year yet, but the skiing has been decent. The cross-country skiing has been excellent, and in the above photo, Carl and Judy Ferenbach were visiting and we went out for a little jaunt.

AAB is gearing up for a great year! We have enrollment in almost all of our classes, and some classes are nearing their capacity. Sign up today! Call me if you have any questions about anything.

I will be posting a link to a new financial aid program. We have some additional funds available to needy students, and applicants will need to complete a financial aid application that I'll post a link to soon. Deadlines will be March 1 for the spring schedule. This is great news! More money to bind and repair books!

The AAB staff wishes you all a wonderful year filled with lots of creativity!

Three Students Graduate at GBW Standards in San Francisco!!!!

2009-11-07T07:40:00.000-08:00

AAB Director Monique Lallier presenting the
Fine Binding Diploma to Coleen Curry.

Don Etherington and Monique Lallier in their Halloween costumes.
(Don, where's yours?)

Bob and Karen Hanmer in their matching "Marking Time" outfits.
Very clever!

Graduate Brenda Parsons with Marilyn Mohr and
new graduate Sophia Bogle.

Juror Betsy Palmer Eldridge shows off one of her earlier bindings done when she was 25 years old. Monique, Sophia and Don decide if she would have passed the jury. The verdict: yes!

Don and Monique with the new graduates.

Students Lily Hall, Annette Steele and Ethan Ensign visit the AAB table. We'd hope to see you back in Telluride to continue your studies!

A visit from Evan Ballinger (we want you back in Telluride!)
and Brenda Parsons.

Eleanore Ramsey, Don Glaister and Don Etherington take a
focused look at Coleen Curry's books.

The annual gathering for the Guild of Bookworkers was held in San Francisco over Halloween weekend. Three AAB students presented their Diploma Projects to an esteemed group of jurors for review, and all students passed and were awarded Diplomas at the final banquet on Halloween night. Yeah! This is quite an accomplishment. We have two new graduates in Conservation, Sophia Bogle of Ashland, Oregon, and Ruth M. Strach of North Scituate, Rhode Island. Coleen Curry of Muir Beach, California received a Diploma in Fine Binding.

The jurors for Conservation were J. Frank Mowery, Betsy Palmer Eldridge and Bill Minter. Jurors for Fine Binding were Don Glaister, Eleanore Ramsey and Don Etherington. The jurors were able to meet afterward with the candidates and offer feedback. Many thanks to the jurors for coming early and spending the day reviewing the candidates' work, and to Don Etherington and Monique Lallier for overseeing the juries.

New Oriental Binding a HIT!

2009-11-07T07:20:00.000-08:00

Students made incredible bindings with Monique Lallier in her class, New Oriental Bindings. New Oriental Binding is an elegant technique that allows the book to open flat with each page. As Monique describes it: "The beauty of the New Oriental binding is that the book opens flat and no glue touches the sections of the book. The technique is linked to the Japanese style that we all know without the visible sewing. The difference is the preparation of the text block as each section is sewn separately. The covers are also worked on individually and attached to the text block at the end of the process."

Students could use leather, cloth or paper for the covers, and the eight students used a variety of materials for their beautiful books.

BOX MAKING OVER....NEW ORIENTAL BINDING HAS BEGUN!

2009-10-21T20:51:00.000-07:00

Students in Fine Box Making were very ambitious, making more boxes than we had anticipated. This was the kind of class where some students stayed in the studio late into the night (or even into the wee morning hours...I'm talking about you, John!) The boxes were gorgeous. It is always a treat to see new students, some who had never before made a box or a book, jump in and find a new passion. This is a common theme here at the Academy—book lovers who don't know anything about the art of fine bookmaking get a taste, and they become hooked for life. It's fantastic!

We are now deep into our final week of classes, and our full class of 8 students is going well. When I walk into the studio students are engaged in their work and can barely look up at me...every minute counts in a week-long workshop. New Oriental Binding is a simple yet elegant technique that allows the book to open flat without any glue touching the sections of the book. I don't have any finished photos, but I'll post some at the end of the week. Here are a few shots of students focused on their work.....

FINE BOX MAKING WITH MONIQUE!

2009-10-15T10:59:00.000-07:00

It snowed a little this week, but that didn't deter students in Monique Lallier's Fine Box Making Class. Students started with fundamental box making and learned some of Monique's secret techniques. Some students worked in cloth, and others in leather. Monique finds the Buffalo Skins excellent for boxes.

Monique in Ann Arbor and Telluride

2009-10-13T13:37:00.001-07:00

Director Monique Lallier is in her fourth week of teaching, having taught for one week in Cheerio, NC, then two weeks in Ann Arbor, and now two weeks in Telluride. What a busy schedule! Her two week class in Ann Arbor, Fundamentals of Bookbinding, was outstanding. Her is a photo of Monique with her students.

This week in Telluride she is teaching Fine Box Making, and next week she'll teach New Oriental Bindings. Talk about diverse! That's our incredible director! Stay tuned for more photos.

OLD STONE BUILDING UNDER CONSTRUCTION

2009-10-13T13:30:00.001-07:00

Many of you know that the Old Stone Building is getting a complete remodel. Yeah! The roof was completely taken off and is getting redone, the drywall downstairs was pulled off to expose the stone from 1900, and stairs will be relocated and an accessible bathroom will be put in downstairs. Here are a few photos to see what is happening. The building should be ready by April 1, 2010, just in time for Spring classes.

Buffalo Skins from France

2009-10-13T13:23:00.000-07:00

We ordered some beautiful Buffalo Skins from Remy Carriat. Don and students are cutting the skins into quarters. There are lots of colors to choose from, and the skins are excellent quality...very few nicks and dings.

DON GLAISTER: What was the Alternatives Class really about?

2009-10-13T12:45:00.000-07:00

Don Glaister's class that ended on Friday, Introduction to Alternative Techniques, was fabulous. It was everything the description said it would be: learning really cool decorative techniques and concentrating on how to implement these techniques into a design binding. Students explored all sorts of neat techniques that Don has developed and perfected. Students were also challenged to think about how to incorporate these new techniques in a design for a leather binding....that was the hard part! I personally think the design part of leather bookbinding is the most interesting, and can be the most creative. I could feel the intense thinking going on in the studio each day, as participants used their imaginations to come up with visual imagines that related their books. Some of the techniques that Don demonstrated were: drawing on leather, using an airbrush, feathered onlay, board forming, leather molding, blind tooling, and different techniques for paring and sanding. They also made some custom brass tools. Enjoy the photos!

IT SNOWED!

2009-10-06T13:53:00.000-07:00

On the weekend between Don Glaister's Intermediate Fine Binding class and his Introduction to Alternative Techniques class, the students who stayed over took an excursion up to the top of Imogene Pass. This is a pass over 13,000 feet that is just above the Telluride valley. Daniel Tucker was the tour guide, and at one point, everyone had to get out and push the Suburban up the hill through some snow!

Don's "Alternative Class" started this week. Students are busy thinking about how to design their covers using interesting techniques that Don has developed and perfected. This class will be offered in San Francisco at the San Francisco Center for the Book next March, so I'll post more photos the in the next few days to give you an idea of what you could be learning.

2010 Schedule Now ONLINE!!!

2009-10-01T10:58:00.000-07:00

Our 2010 schedule of classes is now available on our updated website:

http://www.ahhaa.org/academy-bookbinding/

What isn't posted there yet are two classes at satellite locations: Boston at the North Bennet Street School, and San Francisco at the San Francisco Center for the Book. Here is a short description of those two classes:

SATELLITE CLASSES: San Francisco and Boston
The American Academy of Bookbinding is partnering with the San Francisco Center for the Book, the Hand Bookbinders of California and the North Bennet Street School to offer specialty classes with AAB faculty members. By expanding some of AAB’s offerings to the east and west coasts, students will have an opportunity to study with AAB faculty and not have to travel to Telluride or Ann Arbor.

San Francisco, California
March 22-26, 2010, five days
Donald Glaister, “Introduction to Alternative Techniques”
Course Fee: $800

Boston, Massachusetts
June 2010, dates TBA, five days
Monique Lallier, “New Oriental Bindings”
Course Fee: $800

For more information and to register, please contact Judy Kohin, aab@ahhaa.org, 970-728-8649.

Photos from Don Glaister's Class

2009-10-01T09:46:00.000-07:00

Don Glaister's two week class, "Intermediate Fine Binding" is wrapping up. What a wonderful two weeks it has been. With the Old Stone Building being remodeled, classes were held in the Depot. I was nervous about the temporary space, but it worked out just fine. We had only one board shear, and with eight students it was not a problem (hey, maybe we don't need three board shears after all!)

Students traveled from Vancouver, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, New Mexico, Arizona, California and Wyoming.

Don will teach "Introduction to Alternative Techniques" next week. Stay tuned to find out what that is all about!

FALL CLASSES STARTED!

2009-09-24T10:14:00.000-07:00

Don Etherington working with Student Marta Gomez from Madison, WI.

Don Etherington with Students in Ann Arbor, Fall 2009.

Eric Alstrom in the front of class at Hollander's.

The master, Don Etherington.

The fall session of the American Academy of Bookbinding started in Ann Arbor and Telluride. Don Etherington is teaching a combined class, Treatments of Textblocks and Sewing, and Finishing, in Ann Arbor. From what I hear the class is going well, Don is in top form, and students are loving it!

In Telluride, Don Glaister is teaching Intermediate Fine Binding. With the Stone Building under construction, classes are being held at the Depot, and though the studio is a little smaller, the location next to the San Miguel River is charming. Students are out sanding on the patio next to the river. Fall colors here in Telluride are about to peak.

Check out a few photos with more to come in the following days.

Our 2010 Schedule of classes is now posted on our updated website, www.ahhaa.org. Click on American Academy of Bookbinding. The site still needs some work, but basic information is available. Please call or email if you would like more information or if you want to register for any 2010 classes. They should fill fast!

Spring Session Over!

2009-07-08T11:14:00.000-07:00

Don's Forwarding Class in Ann Arbor

Hélène's class at Barbara and Fred Voltmer's Havilah Press in Emeryville.

Sialia reading from her book that she wrote and was now binding in
leather during Monique's Fine Binding class.

Hélène titling in Ann Arbor

Monique and students at the Telluride Studio in June

It has been several weeks since I've updated this BLOG. Sorry about that! The past three weeks I have been boxing everything up and moving the entire studio and building contents to storage and setting up a new office for the next nine months. Construction will begin on the Stone Building next week, with a new roof and handicapped accessible bathroom being the main reasons for the remodel. The space and building will get a face lift. When you come back next spring you will be amazed at the difference! The building is great as it is, but as an historic building (built in 1901) there are a few things that need to be repaired.

Hélène taught her final class in the States last week at the North Bennet Street School in Boston, MA, then watched the fireworks on July 4th and headed back to France on Sunday. Her classes were absolutely fantastic! I only heard rave reveiws. And she had a grand time too! She had only been here once before (last year, to Telluride) so visiting some of our best cities was a treat for her.

I am attaching just a few photos from the classes. If you have more you would like to add, send them my way! I don't have any photos yet from Boston.....if any of you took some, I would love to post them.

We still have room in all of our fall classes and we have some great ones coming up: New Oriental Binding with Monique Lallier, Alternative Techniques with Don Glaister, and Treatments of Textblocks and Sewing with Don Etherington, among others. Check out our website for a complete listing.

Have a great rest of the summer! I'll periodically make posts here to update you on AAB happenings.

Final Week of the Telluride Spring Session

2009-06-04T10:06:00.000-07:00

Sadly for me, this is the last week of bookbinding classes in Telluride for the spring semester. Classes are still continuing in Ann Arbor for a few more weeks, and Hélène Jolis will be in San Francisco and Boston for a few weeks after that. This week Monique Lallier is teaching Intermediate/Advanced Fine Binding, and students are here for one week only. So things are very busy in the studio! Some students have worked very late into the night. The bindings and techniques covered this week are very diverse, with students at varying levels of study, so it is a pleasure to see such different and creative approaches to fine binding. Once again I am blown away by the quality of the student work and the enthusiasm students have for their projects.

More Photos From Hélène Jolis' Class in Contemporary Decortive Techniques

2009-06-04T09:52:00.000-07:00

Great work in the Contemporary Decorative Technique Class! Check out the students' fabulous plaquettes. It was a blast to have Monique Lallier in the class with us, learning this wonderful inlay/onlay technique developed by the incomparable Hélène Jolis.

Hélène's Classes

2009-05-27T13:59:00.000-07:00

Hélène Jolis' classes have been terrific. This week students are learning more complicated steps in her Contemporary Decorative Techniques class, after studying with Hélène last year in the Level 1 class. This is the only class that is being offered to students who attended the Level 1 class last year, and building on the inlay techniques they learned, they are working on plaquettes with a slightly more complicated design. "I love this technique!", I overheard a student say. And another,"this is so much fun!" Practical, innovative onlay and inlay techniques that can be used on the covers of fine bindings to executive designs. Hélène will be in Ann Arbor next, teaching Titling and Contemporary Decorative Techniques, Level 1. There is still room in both classes so drop me line if you want to join either of these technique classes.

Ann Arbor Classes Going Well!

2009-05-27T13:34:00.000-07:00

Yumiko, Marcie, Karen, Nerida, Marilyn, Don, Ruth, Jean, and Rose;
on the floor: Lara, John, and Lindsay

Lara and her very complex and challenging box structure.

Don explaining something or other.....

Marilyn covering a tray

Don Etherington is in Ann Arbor teaching a few classes at our Michigan campus at Hollander's. Reports from various sources say that the Box Making class was fabulous, and this week's Forwarding and Covering class is off to a good start. Don's Box class was full with a waiting list, proving that his workshops are as popular as ever. Students attended the workshop from all across the country: Rhode Island, Indiana, Washington, Oregon, Illinois, Texas, Michigan and Canada. Here are a few photos from the Box Making class. We miss you in Telluride, Don!!

Photos from Taylor's 60th Birthday Party

2009-05-24T14:44:00.000-07:00

A few snapshots from Taylor's party....I thought I would post these for the world to see. We had dinner at La Cocina de Luz (thank you Taylor!) and then Lesa handed Taylor a handmade box with an accordian sheet that had the "60 Steps to Bind a Book in Telluride" that Tini wrote for the AAB t-shirts (only we changed a few of the steps for the 60 year old.) The box also contained the well wishes from students and teachers across the country. It was a lot of fun.

TAYLOR CROSBY TURNS 60! Lesa Dowd celebrates her 44th!

2009-05-20T14:52:00.001-07:00

Lesa and Hélène

Taylor with his elaborate cake sent by wife Elise. YUM!

Lesa and Taylor have birthdays today.........what fun! We celebrate Lesa's today, and we'll celebrate Taylor's tomorrow (sort of a big deal....turning 60 and all). Tonight we'll have a BBQ, eat cake and enjoy this lovely spring weather. Tomorrow, Taylor has invited us all to La Cocina de Luz for dinner where we'll eat yummy Mexican food and have flan for dessert. Does anyone remember the party we threw for Tini Miura on her 60th? That was fun....when was that? Happy Birthday to Lesa and Taylor from all of your bookbinding friends!

Don Glaister's Class....FANTASTIC!! Hélène Jolis Arrives!

2009-05-20T11:25:00.001-07:00

Hélène with Titling students.

John works on his hinges.

Lisa from Calgary practices her titles using ink on paper.

Don pointing out subtle details with Garie from Ohio and Jill from Texas.

Don Glaister's Fundamentals of Bookbinding class was absolutely fantastic. Though students tended to work in the studio long after class was over, Don was there too, giving advice, teaching, reviewing the day's techniques. This was Don's first year teaching for the Academy, and every student had rave reviews of him and the course. Almost all of the students have signed up to take Don's Intermediate Fine Binding course in the fall, which is the next course in the series. I can't say enough great things about Don.......he is kind, patient, funny, creative and very generous with his knowledge and time. We look forward to many more years of having him in Telluride. Thank you Don!!

And our honored visiting artist, Hélène Jolis, arrived from Paris last week. Her first class, "Titling for Fine Binding and Conservation," started this week. In the students' words: "This class is amazing! It's just what I needed. I've taken Titling before, but Hélène is teaching how to apply the titles in a very systematic, structured way. I love that there are concrete, clear ways and rules of doing this." And another, "Excellent. Fantastic!! I am learning so much!!" Thank you Hélène. We are so honored and happy to have you here.

Hélène will be in the U.S. teaching for a total of six weeks—2 weeks in Telluride, 2 weeks in Ann Arbor, one week each in San Francisco and Boston. There is still room in some of the upcoming classes, so let me know if you are interested in attending. You don't want to miss this incredible opportunity! More news and photos to follow.....

Don Glaister—Fundamentals of Bookbinding

2009-05-05T10:31:00.001-07:00

Don and Taylor looking through the paper drawers.

Don demonstrates how to sand the spine.

A student sewing the signatures to make a textblock.

We are very honored to have Don Glaister here teaching for us for the first time. What a wonderful and generous teacher, and a great guy, too! Don trained in Paris but thinks of his bindings as truly American. His is an innovator and over the thirty some years he has been binding, he has developed simple, clear, no-nonsense techniques for binding books. And his design bindings are spectacular! So imginative! He has a concept for an image and finds unusual materials to realize his designs. Check out his website at the link on the right.

The two-week class that started this week is titled "Fundamentals of Bookbinding." Students are learning how to make case bindings using brand new textblocks, then sewing them, rounding and backing them, making headbands, etc. The students will make one half-leather and one full-leather binding. It's a process that takes the student through every step of the binding. We have some students who have never made a book before, and we have a student that has been taking various binding classes in Telluride since 1996, so the range is very broad. Even experienced binders can learn something by studying a new way of doing things. How refreshing!

DAY THREE

2009-04-29T15:13:00.000-07:00

Students Outside the Studio

Richard from Kansas

Michael from Utah

Instructor Brenda Parsons with Deborah from Aspen, CO

Studio

Busy Days in the Studio!

Day three of Brenda Parsons "Restoration of Cloth and Leather Bindings" finds students working on putting the repaired spines and cloth covers back on their books using a variety of Japanese papers. Students used acrylic paint to tint the colors of the Moriki Japanese paper to match the colors of their cloth covers. With the third day nearly over, it seems like a five-day workshop is not enough........too bad everyone can't stay another week!

There isn't much time during the day to enjoy the stellar spring weather we are having, though it did snow a little bit over the weekend. Don Etherington does not miss this Colorado weather, that is certain! Don Glaister arrives Friday for his two-week workshop and some students will be staying for the next class. Stay tuned......