We have no workshop program planned for 2012 at this time. If you would like to get an idea of what we have offered in the past you may read about the 2011 program below.

We offer workshops in traditional and non-traditional book arts, letterpress printing, and the conservation of paper and books—all taught by expert instructors.

On the right, please click on any workshop title to go to its description.

Housing During the Summer

We offer our students the option for housing, breakfast, and dinner at Williston Northampton School, just two blocks from the studio. This fine prep school lets us use an attractive dorm that was recently constructed as an addition to a Victorian home. In the past students and teachers enjoyed this community-building experience. Please look for details on our dorm lodging web page.

2011 Workshops

This season we are beginning with something completely new. Daniel Kelm is offering a five-day Independent Projects session. The concept is that individuals come to the studio with a specific goal in mind in order to consult with Daniel and use the facilities, for example, you might want to design a prototype, or get expert help making jigs for an edition. Or you might have a specific technique you would like to learn and practice. Please read the description and contact Daniel to discuss your ambitions.

The following week we have scheduled two wire edge binding workshops with Daniel Kelm: The Book Restructured—Wire Edge Binding and The Ultimate Album. Wire edge binding styles, invented by Daniel, utilize a thin metal wire along the hinging edge of each page. The metal wire is exposed at regular intervals creating knotting stations where thread attaches one page to the next. The result is a binding that opens exceptionally well, and gives you the option of producing unusual shapes. In the Album class you will focus on a page structure that holds an image—and holds it archivally. The Ultimate Album features a binding that opens smoothly and lies flat for effective display. No glue touches the images which are captured in a mat-style page panel. The page structure protects the image by holding it in a recessed well built into the core board. You will be able to use your own images in your workshop model.

Art Larson hosts our next workshop in his beautiful and well-equipped letterpress studio in Hadley. Letterpress Broadsides offers you the opportunity to set and print your own broadside.

Why would we even consider restructuring the codex? As is often the case with Daniel Kelm’s book work, he encountered a set of materials and specifications that did not lend themselves to any structure known to him. Consequently, he developed the binding that you will do in this five-day workshop. The primary innovations here concern the sewing and the connection of the text block to the cover. In The Codex Restructured—Rethinking the Spine you can expect to learn a great deal about some of the challenges binders face when accommodating materials that don’t lend themselves to traditional binding structures, and in the process make a very versatile and strong codex.

Dea Sasso will return to teach Book Repair and Restoration for Beginners. This workshop was very well received two years ago. Operation and function of different book structures will be examined as they relate to repair, restoration, and conservation of paper, cloth, leather, and other binding materials. Emphasis will be on practicing the skills necessary to complete basic repair techniques. Dea encourages her students to contact her two weeks before the class to have a discussion because—as much as is practically possible—Dea tailors the class to your interests.

Does anyone ever tire of interesting Coptic bindings and the options they offer the book artist? Julia Miller returns to GAS to offer Codex C: A Late Sixth-Century Coptic Binding. This structure is both a good starting point for those interested in creating historical binding models, and a fine addition for more advanced practitioners who wish to include this example in their collection of models. Over the course of three days you will make the papyrus boards; fold and trim paper as a substitute for the original parchment text; sew the text block; tie simple endbands; line the spine with coarse linen; create the full leather binding; and make the wrapping band and bookmark! Julia’s workshops are always a very rich learning experience.

Daniel Kelm will wrap up the summer season with The Leather Intensive. This legendary class is a semester-long learning experience compressed into six focused days. Each participant will produce a full-leather binding using techniques traditional to English and French construction. Variations in structure and the characteristics of materials will be discussed extensively. Endsheet configuration, text sewing, rounding and backing, hand-sewn endbanding, spine lining, leather paring (both with knife and manual paring machine), covering, and leather joint application will be explored.

We are excited to welcome Nancy Moore Bess to GAS for the first time this September when she offers Japanese Packaging: Seeking a Narrative. The structures Nancy will teach have direct application to the artist book world as you will see when you read the workshop description. The exposure to familiar and unfamiliar materials and techniques offers a rich variety of innovative formats to tell a story and develop a narrative!

We hope you will enjoy looking through our program, and that you’ll join us here in Massachusetts.

We look forward to seeing you here at the Garage.
—Greta D. Sibley, Co-director