Opening Reception and Awards
Friday, September 23, 2011
6:00-9:00 pm

Open House and Demonstrations
Saturday, September 24, 2011
1:00-5:00 pm

CALL FOR ENTRIES – Entries for BookOpolis are due at BookWorks the week of August 29 through September 2. See the Prospectus and Entry Form BELOW for details.

BookOpolis, in its seventh year, showcases the contemporary book arts & original prints. BookOpolis is a weekend event displayed in the BookWorks Gallery and walls of the BookWorks studio. The weekend opens with a grand reception and unveiling on Friday evening. With permission of the artist, work may be handled with care under supervision of BookWorks staff and volunteers. On Saturday BookOpolis remains on view with an open house demonstrating the unique tools of the trade associated with papermaking, letterpress printing, book binding, and printmaking. Visitors can meeting with artists and participate in guided projects. After the BookOpolis weekend, a selection of work juried from the full submission of artists’ books and prints will remain on display in the BookWorks Gallery through November 28, 2011. It is called the Capital Works Show.

The BookOpolis 2011 juror is Eileen Wallace.

Eileen Wallace is a letterpress printer and book artist specializing in custom printing and bookbinding. In addition to maintaining a private studio, she teaches workshops across the country and is currently Visiting Assistant Professor in Printmaking and Book Arts at the University of Georgia. She is on the board of directors of Hand Papermaking magazine and has been a co-director of the Paper and Book Intensive since 1995. She recently curated the book Masters: Book Arts, available soon from Lark Books. Her permanent home is Chillicothe, Ohio, where she assists in maintaining the archives and studio of renowned papermaking scholar Dard Hunter and recently co-curated “The Artist’s Hand: Dard Hunter and the American Arts and Crafts Movement”, an exhibition held at the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio in Lancaster. Wallace holds a MFA in Book Arts from the University of Alabama and is a former Resident Artist at Penland School of Crafts.

BookOpolis began in 2004 as the inaugural event for Asheville BookWorks and has become a signature annual event showcasing Book Arts. BookOpolis has introduced Book Arts, Letterpress and Print to many people. Artists send their BEST work to BookOpolis, work that best integrates Concept and Craft; merging content and ideas with creative use of materials, inventive construction and techniques. The first year, BookOpolis exhibited 60 entries and the next year it rose to 80 and 2009 and 2010 saw well over 100 entries. Artists’ Books and Prints arrive for BookOpolis from all across the United States and beyond, we’ve exhibited books from Canada, England, Mexico and Australia. Opening night features the raffle of the Small Book Exchange, the annual project of the BookWorks Co-op. Proceeds support BookWorks Artist-in Residence program. Tickets for the raffle can be purchased at the studio beginning in July until the drawing. With the addition, in 2010, of BookWorks Gallery, we are able to keep a juried selection of the BookOpolis entries on display for an extended period.

Please click here to download a Prospectus and here for a printable Entry Form.

Many thanks, Laurie Corral, Director

September 17-18
Saturday & Sunday 9:00 am-4:00 pm
Bridget Elmer, Instructor
$ 228, includes a $25 materials fee for Kozo, PVA, methyl cellulose

Please bring

September 3 and 4, 2011
Saturday & Sunday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Instructor: Frank Brannon
$228 - a $25 materials fee is included to cover materials and equipment maintenance.

Weekend papermaking classes for the novice and those with some previous experience. You’ll learn techniques for forming sheets of handmade paper using pulp prepared in our Reina beater. The distinctive quality of handmade paper inspires many uses. We’ll look at examples of how handmade papers are used in artwork, book arts, printmaking, cards and envelopes. This is a hands-on weekend geared to familiarizing you with our new papermaking facility. Please bring the following items:

• For class, wear rubber-soled shoes and clothes you don’t mind getting wet.

September 2, 3 and 4, 2011 new dates
F: 6-9 pm, S: 9-5:00 pm, Sun: 9-noon
$203 + materials fee

Instructor: Bridget Elmer

This class will explore several options for creative protective enclosures for books, prints and other collected materials. This will be the first in a series of classes, each of which will focus on two structures. For our first course, students will learn how to make case-bound paper portfolios, as well as a slip case and chemise. The portfolio is a wonderful option for creatively enclosing single sheets, collections of prints, or lightweight books. The slip case and chemise provide elegant enclosure for a variety of book structures, pairing particularly well with hard cover books. Students should bring materials to class that they wish to enclose, as we will custom build enclosure to fit each student’s needs.