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....

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.

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!!!!

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.......

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.

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

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.

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

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!

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!