Artists' Books Day
Saturday, April 6, 2024
1:00 PM–4:00 PM
Michael Conforti Pavilion
(See the event location map)
Get directions to the Clark
Celebrate artists' books with an afternoon of demonstrations and other fun activities.
Cycle through the creation of artists books with demonstrations by three artists.
1–1:30 pm and 2:30–3 pm: Papermaking with Nick Constantino
Printmaker and Clark Library Specialist Nick Costantino demonstrates the process of making handmade paper, covering fiber materials and papermaking traditions.
Nick Constantino is a fine artist whose work spans printmaking, papermaking, and book arts. His papermaking practice is centered on ecological making, which is focused on sustainability and hand labor. He studied Western and Japanese papermaking at the Rhode Island School of Design and now provides book repair and conservation services for the Clark's library.
1:30–2 pm and 3–3:30 pm: Bookbinding with Lisa Hersey
Artist and bookbinder Lisa Hersey shows how to craft a three-hole pamphlet, explaining folding techniques, paper grain directions, and bookbinding adhesives.
Lisa Hersey discovered her passion for bookbinding at Montserrat College of Art in 2012. After graduating, she honed her craft with renowned binders in the Valley and became a specialist of unique, small-edition works. In 2023, she launched Antler Editions, a bookbindery in Easthampton, Massachusetts, where she offers in-studio workshops for both novice and experienced binders.
2–2:30 pm and 3:30–4 pm: Pop-Up Books with Simon Arizpe
Pop-up book designer Simon Arizpe presents the construction of complex pop-up books using simple paper structures.
Simon Arizpe is a widely acclaimed pop-up book designer, paper engineer, and illustrator based in Brooklyn. As the Amazon #1 Best Selling Author of Stranger Things: The Ultimate Pop-Up Book, he earned the prestigious 2018–19 Meggendorfer Prize, the highest honor in pop-up book design. Arizpe's work is showcased in the permanent collections of renowned institutions such as the Smithsonian, Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, and Columbia University's rare book collection. Arizpe serves as the professor of paper engineering at the Pratt Institute and Parsons School of Design in New York City.
Be sure to view a showcase of the Institute’s collection of artists’ books with Andrea Puccio, director of the library, anytime from 2–4 pm in the Manton Study Center for Works on Paper. End your visit with Alexandra J. Gold's discussion and live reading from Robert Creeley and Robert Indiana’s Numbers at 4 pm in the auditorium, located in the Manton Research Center.
All Artists' Books Day activities are free. For accessibility concerns, call 413 458 0524.
Cycle through the creation of artists books with demonstrations by three artists.
1–1:30 pm and 2:30–3 pm: Papermaking with Nick Constantino
Printmaker and Clark Library Specialist Nick Costantino demonstrates the process of making handmade paper, covering fiber materials and papermaking traditions.
Nick Constantino is a fine artist whose work spans printmaking, papermaking, and book arts. His papermaking practice is centered on ecological making, which is focused on sustainability and hand labor. He studied Western and Japanese papermaking at the Rhode Island School of Design and now provides book repair and conservation services for the Clark's library.
1:30–2 pm and 3–3:30 pm: Bookbinding with Lisa Hersey
Artist and bookbinder Lisa Hersey shows how to craft a three-hole pamphlet, explaining folding techniques, paper grain directions, and bookbinding adhesives.
Lisa Hersey discovered her passion for bookbinding at Montserrat College of Art in 2012. After graduating, she honed her craft with renowned binders in the Valley and became a specialist of unique, small-edition works. In 2023, she launched Antler Editions, a bookbindery in Easthampton, Massachusetts, where she offers in-studio workshops for both novice and experienced binders.
2–2:30 pm and 3:30–4 pm: Pop-Up Books with Simon Arizpe
Pop-up book designer Simon Arizpe presents the construction of complex pop-up books using simple paper structures.
Simon Arizpe is a widely acclaimed pop-up book designer, paper engineer, and illustrator based in Brooklyn. As the Amazon #1 Best Selling Author of Stranger Things: The Ultimate Pop-Up Book, he earned the prestigious 2018–19 Meggendorfer Prize, the highest honor in pop-up book design. Arizpe's work is showcased in the permanent collections of renowned institutions such as the Smithsonian, Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, and Columbia University's rare book collection. Arizpe serves as the professor of paper engineering at the Pratt Institute and Parsons School of Design in New York City.
Be sure to view a showcase of the Institute’s collection of artists’ books with Andrea Puccio, director of the library, anytime from 2–4 pm in the Manton Study Center for Works on Paper. End your visit with Alexandra J. Gold's discussion and live reading from Robert Creeley and Robert Indiana’s Numbers at 4 pm in the auditorium, located in the Manton Research Center.
All Artists' Books Day activities are free. For accessibility concerns, call 413 458 0524.
