Doing Business

I have discussed the subject of doing business a few times on my blog since 2016. In a changing world and reaching retirement age (I dare to talk about it!), revisiting the impact of producing artists’ books and continuing business during this period of my life seemed important. Warning! If you don’t like reading, this post is a long one, but its content might elevate your spirit.

With the unset of the pandemic, most of us were hibernating and deciding to head into our studios and focus on producing new work. For me, the lockdown allowed peaceful time to produce and enjoy my teeny weeny studio in our travel trailer while confined in Arizona at the end of March 2020. After a summer of 55 plus days in 46°C (115°F) and Covid’s long-term existence, we decided to purchase a modest home. This current phase assists my husband and I to be safe, execute our work, and not worry about baking in the sun!

© 2021 Louise Levergneux. Tools of the trade.

© 2021 Louise Levergneux. Tools of the trade.

Covid presented many economic challenges for us all. Understanding the dilemma of maintaining a profitable business during these tumultuous times was insightful. I asked myself many questions — Why do I produce artists' books? — Is it the desire to express my thoughts, produce something of value, establish a business, or is it absolute joy? Can I manage the necessary materials? Am I destined to accumulate an inventory instead of a sellable product? How do I continue the promotion and distribution of artists' books? How will the libraries actively collect, while closed? Do I stop publishing? Is this a wake-up-call, flagging the end of a career? ...

I was surprised to receive an email through the BookListServ with the subject: Keeping Business Going by John Cutrone. I appreciated someone bringing this matter to the forefront. I responded directly to John’s query as we contemplated the subject together. We both waited for some feedback from other artists on sharing their dilemmas of doing business on the BookListServ. We were both fascinated with the lack of reaction.

In my email to John, I mentioned my struggle to send a prospectus to library contacts at this time. Ultimately, with an optimistic attitude I emailed contacts identifying the sensitivity in which I was sending my prospectus of recent artists’ books created in 2020-2021.

After a couple of days, John responded to my struggle through the BookListServ:

Thank you to Louise Levergneux for the artist-as-businessperson perspective; I appreciate that! I'm going to switch hats from Convivio Bookworks proprietor to Jaffe Center for Book Arts director and say that I don't think that book artists need feel guilty about sending out prospectuses and sales attempts during this pandemic time. For us at the Jaffe Center, we never get an acquisitions budget––we are part of a state university system that is constantly dealing with budget cuts handed down from the state legislature and one of the things to go, back in 2008 or so, was the annual acquisitions budget for Special Collections. Once gone, it never came back. And that's why we have an annual pie sale and other fundraisers.

Thanks to that pie sale and workshops and other perhaps unorthodox methods we've developed to raise money, I am able to buy books and prints from book artists (including many of you on this list), and I was able to do so even when things were looking bleak last spring and summer. I can't ever buy expensive pieces, but I can afford to purchase pieces that are up to a few hundred dollars, and I think supporting artists on a transactional basis like this makes an impact.

So how do you get attention from library collections without in-person events like CODEX these days? Direct mail to collections may not be the best way to go right now. Many, like the Jaffe, are not currently open, so a prospectus sent to a physical library address may go unanswered for weeks or even months. At the same time, emails are easily lost in the avalanche of emails received daily.

I think you have to be persistent if you want to sell your work to collections right now. Emails should be short and sweet, something that can be easily grasped in a few seconds. And while I don't have time to keep up with every contact I follow on Instagram and Facebook, I have made purchases for the Jaffe Collection through these means if something catches my eye there and the moment is right.

Again, I don't know if talking Book Arts as Business is helping anyone on this list (perhaps Louise Levergneux––again, thank you for your response, Louise) but I am hoping it provides some help to some.

Consequently, with no reaction to John’s messages, I wanted to grasp how my colleagues were continuing doing business. I decided to communicate directly with them and find out for myself.

Here is what emerged from my query: in the past year, many artists remained hard at work, creating books or trying to redefine their careers to survive by focusing on professional development instead of marketing and promotion. Like me, some took time to investigate their own careers and rethink how best to distribute their work. Others contemplated their future by wanting to do less production work, and set aside more time for their own art or binding.

The current world situation had a huge effect on everyone, but I found most of them experienced a surprisingly reasonably good financial year in terms of sales, productivity, and online teaching. On the subject of promotion and distribution, a few confessed being terrible at it and use dealers to promote their artists’ books and were fortunate to be able to focus on the creative side. For some, it was time to organize their studio and find pleasure in writing.

Others had to establish life changing decisions such as Yamandu Ploskonka in Texas:

Overload causes burnout. In 2015, I had a business, successful Kickstarter, with many orders, even wholesale purchases. Becoming a papermaker in 2016 was healing, sinking wholeheartedly into pulp and creativity. But, 2020? Yes, I had a couple to five big fabulous projects. For me, that’s nothing, eight is about normal, yeah! But the emotional overload of day by day things seemed to get worse, even scarier. Stupid divisiveness all around, people acting nasty totally on purpose. Everything I did was slow-motion, if at all... It took me until this April to complete projects and finish reporting on cancelled ones because I just wasn’t able to cope, to focus, to admit failure. My response? Take a break, before I break... I sold my paper studio; key-in-hand, et « bon débarras »! Yes, I did cry. Not much, don’t worry. Then, stiff upper lip, new life. I’m keeping the wife and dog.

© 2021 Yamanda Ploskonka. Yama’s paper studio in Austin, Texas.

© 2021 Yamanda Ploskonka. Yama’s paper studio in Austin, Texas.

The lockdowns affected the research and writing of Robert Bolick, collector/writer of Books On Books. Robert was no longer able to go into the Oxford and London libraries’ and museums’ reading rooms to examine book art. Not being able to travel to exhibitions, he became a bit more adept at online research but found the process didn’t replace examining and handling works on site. At least delivery services allowed his collection to continue growing. Good luck in your endeavours Robert!

© 2021 Karen Hanmer. Karen’s online teaching set-up in her Glenview, Illinois studio.

© 2021 Karen Hanmer. Karen’s online teaching set-up in her Glenview, Illinois studio.

Karen Hanmer took a different approach to continue her strong art business with online options:

Like many of us, my studio practice is varied, including small editions of artists’ books, larger editions of inexpensive multiples, design binding, bookbinding instructional materials, workshops and private instruction on a wide variety of book arts topics, and maintaining numerous informal mentoring relationships. Last March, I could have told you what I’d be doing every week of the year, and was even doing some preliminary planning for 2021. A month later all these plans had evaporated.

I'd finished an editioned artists' book in the fall of 2019, and had just completed the first phase of promoting it: emails to current collectors. Normally in the fall I'd send fliers and a follow-up email to a larger group of librarians and practitioners. Since many of those individuals are working from home I made the decision to postpone that a year. I would have to draw income from a different aspect of my practice.

By April conservator friends were contacting me for instructional materials for professional development projects for themselves and their labmates during the stay-at-home. It became obvious that there was demand for resources to keep both professionals and hobbyists occupied under lockdown.

A venue where I was scheduled to teach in person in June 2020 asked if I would be willing to move the workshop online. It was something I had not done before, and neither had they, so we shared in the research and figured how to do it together. This gave me the confidence to plan a full schedule of online workshops that I'd host myself from my studio. I was fortunate to get started several months earlier than many book arts centers began offering online instruction. Since May I've hosted over 200 students from four continents and nine countries for workshops and private instruction.

I've revised and expanded many of my handouts to make them more usable without the workshop sessions, and posted them for sale in my online store. I was already offering some of my workshop demo books on Etsy, but I moved them over to the Square store so all my instructional materials would be grouped together. I have turned one of my workshops into a self-guided tutorial plus supply kit, and am considering developing additional offerings.

© 2019 Helen Hiebert. Helen teaching in her Red Cliff Studio in Colorado.

© 2019 Helen Hiebert. Helen teaching in her Red Cliff Studio in Colorado.

Helen Hiebert was able to continue her activities during the pandemic and maintain her business successfully through her actions and decision making:

I launched my first in person Master Class in October 2019. Four spots filled immediately, so I opened and filled a second session. My in person Red Cliff Paper Retreat was also well on its way to being full. All three events were scheduled for summer/fall 2020 and had to be cancelled when Covid-19 struck.

I feel fortunate, because I’ve been teaching online since 2017. I pivoted quickly and set up a new 8-week online class for the summer. The timing was good, since my clientele were stuck at home and looking for things to do, and I already had an online following. I had a great turnout and was able to recoup a good part of that lost income. I also received Pandemic Unemployment Insurance. I was already planning on turning a printed calendar that features a how-to paper project each month called The Paper Year into a membership club, which I launched in January 2021. That went well and my annual Weave Through Winter (30 days of paper weaving) online class had a record number of students in Feb/Mar 2021.

Artist book sales have been slow. I have relied on dealers for the past few years and my last sale through a dealer was in March 2020. I have my own list of collectors and have sold to books myself when traveling. I sent an e-mail in the fall and made one sale of two higher priced books. I also started working with a new dealer recently and she just sold two higher priced books. I also reached out to one collector who had expressed interest in a particular book and she purchased it. And recently two new collectors have purchased books they saw on my website. Still, my artist book sales are about 25% of what they’ve been in the past.

I send a monthly newsletter, write a weekly blog, produce a monthly podcast featuring paper artists, and am active on Facebook and Instagram. I recently started something called The Paper Advisor, which is like a free mini-class, which is a lovely community and has resulted in newsletter subscribers.

© 2017 Sarah Connors. Andrew Huot teaching at the Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies in Illinois.

© 2017 Sarah Connors. Andrew Huot teaching at the Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies in Illinois.

Andrew Huot kept his business afloat during the past year by concentrating on one part of his practice:

My book arts practice, and my living, is split amongst three interests. I make Artists’ Books and sell them to libraries and individuals, I own Big River Bindery, a conservation and bookbinding business, and I teach, both at the university level and in workshops. When everything closed down in March of last year, I was actually out of town teaching a workshop in Idaho. In the past year making and editioning artwork has fallen to the back, so that I could concentrate on keeping my business and family afloat. I closed the doors for three months, as I tried to complete projects already in the shop and to plan to keep things going. I shouldn’t have worried, as I kept getting calls from those stuck at home, finding old family treasures deciding that they needed repair. I opened the doors again in June and have had a steady stream of new projects coming in. One piece of work that stopped altogether was prop work for the local movie industry. Once the filming stopped, the need for custom books for the movies came to a halt. Just this last week the calls started coming back in. My 2020 classes at book arts centers were cancelled as most of the venues closed their doors. I decided to explore the opportunities from afar, and came together with some colleagues to form bookpaperthread.com, an online format for book and paper arts instruction, relying on recorded lessons and live meetings to allow students to work at their own schedule, while staying safe at home. The interest and registrations have been building over the last six months, and we hope to continue in the future. I hope as things settle down, and we’re able to travel more, my in-person teaching will come back, the conservation work will go back to a reasonable level, and I can get back to making artwork and visiting libraries to sell it.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Monique Lallier teaching me how to execute a Drumleaf binding at her studio in North Carolina.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Monique Lallier teaching me how to execute a Drumleaf binding at her studio in North Carolina.

The pandemic didn’t change Monique Lallier and Don Etherington’s schedule with a prosperous studio space at home:

We had commissions that kept coming, and we had more quiet time to work, being undisturbed by visitors. But we missed seeing friends and family as I was, and still not able to go to Montréal. I maintain a website, but most of my clients are collectors and they choose the binder in relation to the book that they want to be bound. Both of us are approaching the end of our careers, so we didn’t have the urgency to find new customers.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Thomas Parker Williams in his studio in Philadelphia.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Thomas Parker Williams in his studio in Philadelphia.

Thomas Parker Williams and Mary Agnes Williams who live in the Manayunk section of Philadelphia took the last year to create:

During 2020 we certainly missed seeing collectors and fellow book artists at the various book fairs where we usually show our work. We would have shown at three book fairs last year, but were able to do only the Manhattan Fine Press Book Fair in March, right before everything shut down. Because people were starting to be concerned, there were fewer potential customers at that fair, and we sold only one work. Shortly before that fair we had produced a brochure with descriptions and images of work currently available, and mailed it to librarians and previous collectors. We received some interest via email from this mailing. We are fortunate that our studio is in our house. We have used this time to make a major unique book with sixty-eight original drawings, as well as an editioned one, and are now working on a third. We have sold a few books through our dealers and we are hoping that the two fairs planned for the fall of 2021 will take place.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Sarah Pike at  FreeFall Laser, discussing the details for my book Surveillance.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Sarah Pike at FreeFall Laser, discussing the details for my book Surveillance.

As artists, we often need the support of various services to complete our work. How did they adapt during these strange times? Sarah Pike from FreeFall Laser was able to stay positive and find new opportunities:

As an artist and owner of FreeFall Laser, a laser-cutting service for artists and bookbinders, this past year has found me bouncing back and forth between feeling like nothing has changed, and needing to be proactive about adapting to continual change. My day-to-day looks much the same as it did before the pandemic. I’m grateful to have chosen a business model that’s not reliant on local business. I’ve been able to keep going because I was already working remotely with many clients.

That said, one of my important revenue streams, Laser Cutting Boot Camp — an in-person laser cutting training — was in jeopardy due to the pandemic. It was painful to refund all that tuition when I had to cancel the in-person training. But I’ve adapted by creating an online version that actually has many benefits over the in-person model. Not only can people who can’t afford the time or travel costs participate in the online class; but the new online five-week course, versus the condensed in-person four-day course, gives people time to better absorb the information.

I’ve also had to adapt to not being able to connect with future clients through conferences and studio visits. This has led me to step up my email campaigns and stay consistent with my monthly newsletter. I’m seeing how my marketing efforts of the past few years are paying off.

Pandemic or no-pandemic, I’ve found that owning a creative business requires a combination of being proactive, adaptable, and having faith. My efforts don’t always reap immediate results or take the exact form I was expecting, but I’ve learned that opportunities arise when I’m willing to try new things and stay open to positive outcomes.

I reached out to Vicky Stewart in Alabama to see how Vamp & Tramp, Booksellers, LLC was fairing:

Like all businesses, we have been affected by the pandemic shutdown. Most of this was due to collection budgets being cut or put on hold because of costs related to COVID. We were fortunate because due to long-time relationships with collections we continued to get purchase orders. We do maintain a web site, and try to take advantage of social media such as tik-tok and Instagram. We began zoom meetings in the fall as an alternative to on-site visits. We continue to represent artists as best we can through these different media. No matter the method, the best way to sell work is to know your audience. We try to understand the collecting criteria of our customers and show the work that best fits that collection – whether in a zoom call, an on-site visit, or a furnished list.

As for me, appreciating the many obstacles that stood in the way of libraries collecting artists’ books, I sold six artists’ books, some at the beginning of 2020 before the pandemic and some at the end of the year. Last February, leaving guilt aside, I made the plunge and emailed a prospectus of my recent book « Surveillance » . To my surprise, two days after sending off the email, the first four copies of « Surveillance » found new homes. Thank you to the Miller Library of Colby College; the Baylor Book Arts Collection of Baylor University Libraries; the Bruce Peel Special Collections of the University of Alberta; and the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections, Walter Clinton Jackson Library of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro for their support.

© 2021 Louise Levergneux. The inside of my tunnel book Surveillance.

© 2021 Louise Levergneux. The inside of my tunnel book Surveillance.

With all that said, people expressed an interest in the topic of keeping afloat with a business during the pandemic and were most appreciative of John’s exchange on sharing strategies. While the world may be upside-down at the moment, artists found a way to pursue their passion. Now, libraries are opening their doors; collectors are seeking artists to commission special bindings, and exhibition deadlines are on the rise. I guess, one might say we are back in business!

© 2021 Louise Levergneux. Cactus in bloom in Apache Junction bringing a positive view on life.

© 2021 Louise Levergneux. Cactus in bloom in Apache Junction bringing a positive view on life.

Thanks for all the encouraging messages and pointing out that my career may be shifting toward a different emphasis instead of ending. There is hope!

New Year, New Work

I sincerely thank everyone for the ongoing support during a challenging year. Your efforts to communicate and staying in touch were appreciated.

Two artists whose work has been inspirational start the new year.

Monique Lallier, renowned book binder and book artist, practices her craft from her studio in North Carolina which I had the opportunity to visit in 2019. Last December, Monique emailed me her latest bindings, and I’m happy to present these bindings as part of my first post of the year.

A catalog of an exhibition at the Guilford College Art Gallery in Greensboro, NC, from October 29, 2018, to January 6, 2019, which includes 46 years of fine bindings produced by Monique Lallier is the foundation for this binding. Monique Lallier: A Retrospective is available through Oak Knoll Press.

2020 Monique Lallier. The binding is buffalo leather « reliure buffle » and the kumihimo which form her initials « ML » are inlays. The other coloured leathers are mosaics. Each binding has the same design but different in colour. The book is housed…

2020 Monique Lallier. The binding is buffalo leather « reliure buffle » and the kumihimo which form her initials « ML » are inlays. The other coloured leathers are mosaics. Each binding has the same design but different in colour. The book is housed in a silk clamshell box « boitier en soie ».

We all appreciate Monique’s creative and thoughtful approaches to her binding projects. Her use of unusual materials and innovative techniques make her bindings both distinctive and dynamic. During my visit, I enjoyed Monique introducing me to the sequence of narrated and entertaining descriptions and processes included with each creative binding while perusing through the original catalog.

MONIQUE LALLIER: A RETROSPECTIVE. New Castle, DE and Greensboro, NC: Oak Knoll Press and Guilford College Art Gallery, 2018. 8.5 x 11 inches. paperback.Monique Lallier: A Retrospective is available through Oak Knoll Press.

MONIQUE LALLIER: A RETROSPECTIVE. New Castle, DE and Greensboro, NC: Oak Knoll Press and Guilford College Art Gallery, 2018. 8.5 x 11 inches. paperback.Monique Lallier: A Retrospective is available through Oak Knoll Press.

Lallier enjoyed binding one of her favourite books in 1974, Clochemerle by Gabriel Chevalier and illustrated by Dubout. Monique mentioned the illustrations were hilarious.

2020 Monique Lallier. A traditional binding in boards « reliure traditionnelle passer en carton » with signatures mounted on guards « les cahiers monté sur onglets ». Full beige buffalo binding « reliure plein buffle beige » with leather mosaics, la…

2020 Monique Lallier. A traditional binding in boards « reliure traditionnelle passer en carton » with signatures mounted on guards « les cahiers monté sur onglets ». Full beige buffalo binding « reliure plein buffle beige » with leather mosaics, lacunose and four of the circles, the largest of which, are decor from the old binding. The book is currently housed in a cloth clamshell box « boitier en toile ».

2020 Monique Lallier. The front cover « plat avant » has an edge to edge lining « doublure board à bord » and fly leaves « gardes volante » in green suede.

2020 Monique Lallier. The front cover « plat avant » has an edge to edge lining « doublure board à bord » and fly leaves « gardes volante » in green suede.

2020 Monique Lallier. Back inside cover by Monique Lallier.

2020 Monique Lallier. Back inside cover by Monique Lallier.


Marlene MacCallum lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada, where she focuses on her passion for producing artist’s books. Just before the holidays, Marlene invited me to view her most recent piece Shadows Cast and Present, an interactive digital artwork (please click on the title of Shadows Cast and Present to view.)

Shadows Cast and Present is a project made possible by funding from the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Originals grant program and with the invaluable assistance of Marlene’s two creative collaborators, Matthew Hollett and David Morrish. The Digital Originals program was developed to support artists promote and disseminate their work in the current Covid-19 reality. In an interesting synchronicity, Marlene had been thinking of producing a dematerialized or virtual iteration of her book works as a way to address the challenges of exhibiting and sharing art that takes the form of book-like structures.

What I enjoy about Marlene’s artists' book is the visual interpretation of personal domestic space and the ordinary stuff of daily life; and how she is fascinated by her relationship with the spaces that frame our lives and objects that fill the majority of daily routines.

I also incorporate the common day-to-day events and appreciate ordinary moments of every day, building our history, whether sensational or monotonous. I am fascinated by the concept of personal memory and identity. Those elements are exactly what grabbed my attention in Marlene’s work.

Images of the book work:

2018 Marlene MacCallum. Shadow Canto One: Still Life, by Marlene MacCullum. Handbound artist’s book with slipcase, pamphlet binding with gatefold structure, digital pigment print on Aya, 23.7 × 17.5 × 1 cm (closed dimensions), 2018. Edition of 15.

2018 Marlene MacCallum. Shadow Canto One: Still Life, by Marlene MacCullum. Handbound artist’s book with slipcase, pamphlet binding with gatefold structure, digital pigment print on Aya, 23.7 × 17.5 × 1 cm (closed dimensions), 2018. Edition of 15.

2018 Marlene MacCallum. Shadow Canto One: Still Life, detail of spread three fully opened (23.4 x 68.5 cm)

2018 Marlene MacCallum. Shadow Canto One: Still Life, detail of spread three fully opened (23.4 x 68.5 cm)

2018 Marlene MacCallum. Shadow Canto Two: Graffiti by Marlene MacCullum. Hand bound artist’s book with slipcase, accordion binding with hard covers, digital pigment print on Aya (bird images) and Niyodo (music images), slipcase constructed of staine…

2018 Marlene MacCallum. Shadow Canto Two: Graffiti by Marlene MacCullum. Hand bound artist’s book with slipcase, accordion binding with hard covers, digital pigment print on Aya (bird images) and Niyodo (music images), slipcase constructed of stained Tyvek wrapped around eterno boards, 23.7 × 16 × 1.4 cm (closed), 2018. Edition of 15.

2018 Marlene MacCallum. Shadow Canto Two: Graffiti, detail of bird images expanded, 23.3 x 124.8 cm (expanded dimensions)

2018 Marlene MacCallum. Shadow Canto Two: Graffiti, detail of bird images expanded, 23.3 x 124.8 cm (expanded dimensions)

2019 Marlene MacCallum. Shadow: Incidental Music by Marlene MacCullum. Hand bound book work with image accordion suspended over text accordion. Images are digital pigment prints on Digital Aya, hand-set letterpress poem and blind embossed soundscape…

2019 Marlene MacCallum. Shadow: Incidental Music by Marlene MacCullum. Hand bound book work with image accordion suspended over text accordion. Images are digital pigment prints on Digital Aya, hand-set letterpress poem and blind embossed soundscape letterpress. Case bound with digital pigment print covers. Dimensions: 23.7 × 15.9 × 1.1 cm (closed), 23.6 × 30 cm (page spread). View of the closed piece.

2019 Marlene MacCallum. Shadow: Incidental Music. Detail of the soundscape, embossed letterpress.

2019 Marlene MacCallum. Shadow: Incidental Music. Detail of the soundscape, embossed letterpress.


Woohoo! Let’s give ourselves a round of applause for all of our accomplishments ... Being able to create, teach, sell and exhibit in 2020!

To all Health, Happiness and Tranquility for 2021.


New Mexico

Two years ago while visiting Craig Jensen in Texas, I was recommended a visit to Priscilla Spitler’s studio located in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. With my itinerary already planned for the forthcoming year, it was impossible to drive to the cool desert climate at that specific time.

Last October, after an exchange of emails with Craig, I was introduced to Priscilla remotely and prepared my way from Texas to the one town that changed its name from Hot Springs to Truth or Consequences as the result of a radio show contest in 1950.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Making my way to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Making my way to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.

I relished standing outside and viewing Priscilla’s private studio, a beautiful structure reminiscent of a tiny home. Priscilla has downsized in her creative space, which reflects her production binding projects. I was welcomed by Priscilla and we spoke about her thirty years of experience in hand bookbinding and how this challenging craft provided her the freedom to express her artistic design.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Priscilla’s studio.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Priscilla’s studio.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Priscilla’s studio filled with the tools of the trade and cloth of all colours.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Priscilla’s studio filled with the tools of the trade and cloth of all colours.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Priscilla’s studio with an Adobe style structure.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Priscilla’s studio with an Adobe style structure.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Priscilla sharing her current binding edition work.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Priscilla sharing her current binding edition work.

“As a collaborator of book production, my hands have sewn, bound, and assembled thousands of edition books and boxes. It has exposed me to extraordinary people and students who share the love of the handmade book.” Priscilla Spitler

While we sat at ease talking, I was intrigued by an exhibition catalogue entitled “Drop Dead Gorgeous - Fine Bindings for La prose du Transsibérien Re-Creation” on her worktable. Priscilla showed me the catalogue with an explanation of the exhibition of the same name. She continued to accurately explain her book structure and the work load it took to finish an entry piece for the show. The traveling exhibition titled DROP DEAD GORGEOUS: Fine Bindings of La Prose du Transsibérien Re-creation, opened at the UCLA Library Special Collections last October 2019. The organized exhibition featured the work of twenty-two design binders, including Priscilla Spitler, Don Glaister, Monique Lallier, Midori Kunikata-Cockram and Patricia Owen. 

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Priscilla’s studio and home have a very distinct personality that is felt throughout her work.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Priscilla’s studio and home have a very distinct personality that is felt throughout her work.

After an informative tour of Priscilla’s studio space, we moved to the room where she traditionally focuses on her own art bindings. Priscilla’s extensive work incorporates goatskin onlays recessed on leather panels, gold and blind tooling, paint and stenciled acrylic, pastepaper décor, cut foil stamping technique, and endpapers personally decorated.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. This is one of Priscilla’s unmistakable designs incorporating collage, print, and colours.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. This is one of Priscilla’s unmistakable designs incorporating collage, print, and colours.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Priscilla’s exploration of alternative book structures.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Priscilla’s exploration of alternative book structures.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. “Remembering Jan Sobota” by Priscilla Spitler. Honoring Ladislav R. Hanka, Remembering Jan Bohuslav Sobota, this book contains original fish etchings; bound in two colors of gray Hewit and Harmatan goatskin leathers in a la…

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. “Remembering Jan Sobota” by Priscilla Spitler. Honoring Ladislav R. Hanka, Remembering Jan Bohuslav Sobota, this book contains original fish etchings; bound in two colors of gray Hewit and Harmatan goatskin leathers in a laminate case; decorated with three fish designs made with stamped, cut foils and a silver stamped title. Paste papers by Priscilla.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. “The Eagle Jaguar and the Serpent” by Priscilla Spitler.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. “The Eagle Jaguar and the Serpent” by Priscilla Spitler.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. “Anatomy” by Priscilla Spitler.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. “Anatomy” by Priscilla Spitler.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Pricilla explaining the work involved in her book “In the Garden”.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Pricilla explaining the work involved in her book “In the Garden”.

The ease and beauty of Priscilla’s work is inspiring. Her workshops are available throughout the year. A great experience talking and knowing Priscilla — many thanks for a wonderful afternoon.

North Carolina

On our way back to the States from Canada, a trip to North Carolina was a detour long in coming. For the past three years, because of unpredictable climate, a séjour to North Carolina was cancelled. This year, I reached out to Monique Lallier for a studio visit, since weather was good in Summerfield, North Carolina, where she practices her craft full time.

This visitation has been on my mind since crossing path with Monique in 2012, during a Book Arts Program workshop at the J Willard Marriott Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Summerfield was an exciting stopover, since I was also going to see Don Etherington’s studio. Monique Lallier & Don Etherington have been working together for over 30 years. It was an impressive three days of conversations and thought sharing. I indeed enjoyed an impromptu Drum Leaf binding session during an afternoon. 

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Monique and Don at their studio in Summerfield, North Carolina.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Monique and Don at their studio in Summerfield, North Carolina.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. The entrance to Monique and Don’s studio in their art-filled Summerfield home.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. The entrance to Monique and Don’s studio in their art-filled Summerfield home.

As most of you know Monique Lallier is an internationally recognized book binder. She began her studies in the 1960s in Montréal, Canada at Cotnoir Cappone School of Fashion. Monique was tutored at L’Art de la Reliure book binding school by Simone B Roy, also in Montréal. In Paris, she studied gold tooling and onlays with Roger Arnoult. Monique studied basic raised cords French technique binding with Edwin Heim at the Centro Del Bel Libro in Ascona in Switzerland. Afterwards, she learned limp vellum binding, paper binding, twin binding (dos-a-dos), and boxes with Hugo Peller in Solothurn. Her craft has evolved and demonstrates one of the many original approaches to binding for which she is known.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. It was is awe-inspiring to see all the equipment in Monique and Don’s studio.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. It was is awe-inspiring to see all the equipment in Monique and Don’s studio.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Monique’s corner where I spent an afternoon learning the drum leaf binding under Monique’s guidance.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Monique’s corner where I spent an afternoon learning the drum leaf binding under Monique’s guidance.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Another corner filled with materials, tools and presses.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Another corner filled with materials, tools and presses.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Tools and equipment… for all types of binding.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Tools and equipment… for all types of binding.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Fascinating tools abound in Monique’s corner representing some of the countries she has visited.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Fascinating tools abound in Monique’s corner representing some of the countries she has visited.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. A custom red leather box by Monique Lallier. Back in 1972, Monique walked into a bookbinding studio in her native Montréal and fell in love. More than 46 years later, the same love is shown in her own craft of bookbinding.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. A custom red leather box by Monique Lallier. Back in 1972, Monique walked into a bookbinding studio in her native Montréal and fell in love. More than 46 years later, the same love is shown in her own craft of bookbinding.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. A drum leaf binding by Monique Lallier.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. A drum leaf binding by Monique Lallier.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Chemins de Traverse, binding by Monique Lallier, written by Luc Bureau and illustrated by Ghislaine Bureau Editions Les Giboulées, Québec, 2017. Full leather binding in grey buffalo with cut out on the front and back covers…

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Chemins de Traverse, binding by Monique Lallier, written by Luc Bureau and illustrated by Ghislaine Bureau Editions Les Giboulées, Québec, 2017. Full leather binding in grey buffalo with cut out on the front and back covers. Onlays of stone veneer and red leather. Edge to edge doublures with grey buffalo and fly leaves with silver leather.

After extensive training in England, Don Etherington established a four-year program in bookbinding and design at the Southampton College of Art. Don also conducted workshops and seminars for colleges, universities and the Guild of Bookworkers. President of the Etherington Conservation Services in Greensboro, NC, Don additionally holds the position of Fellow in both the American Institute for Conservation and the International Institute for Conservation. Don has re-entered the world of private practice as a design binder and teacher. His knowledge of bookbinding, conservation, restoration and fine binding are unmatched across the world. Don is nationally and internationally recognized for innovative design and implementation of state-of-the-art conservation procedures, including phased preservation programs for libraries and institutions.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. A close up of Don’s corner.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. A close up of Don’s corner.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Don was creating a box for “The Pikes Peak Rush by Edwin L Sabin”.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Don was creating a box for “The Pikes Peak Rush by Edwin L Sabin”.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Monique Lallier teaching me the drum leaf binding with her sense of creativity and high level of confidence

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Monique Lallier teaching me the drum leaf binding with her sense of creativity and high level of confidence

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Monique has fingers of dexterity and precision, with demonstrated ease.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Monique has fingers of dexterity and precision, with demonstrated ease.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Monique showing how to glue the fly leaves.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Monique showing how to glue the fly leaves.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Here, Monique is gluing the spine.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Here, Monique is gluing the spine.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Measuring the thickness of the spine.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Measuring the thickness of the spine.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. It was fantastic to spend time absorbing the vast knowledge Monique holds.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. It was fantastic to spend time absorbing the vast knowledge Monique holds.

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© 2019 Louise Levergneux. The finished binding.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. The finished binding.

It was an honour to be invited to sign Monique and Don’s beautiful bound guest book before they left on a five-week trip to China. This studio visit will be fondly remembered.

The 6 Foot Drop

“I always assume that the person unpacking/re-packing has never worked in a gallery before, that they are an 18-year-old trainee and it's their first day on the job.” 

An artist’s response to my query on packing and re-packing works of art for an exhibition.

In the recent past, I received an artists' book back from a show. It was in its original box, bravo! for matching the box to the artist’s work. Here, the problem was inside the box. The book sat atop a very thin sheet of bubble pack with no protection for its top or sides. I have no qualms in mentioning that the bottom had no protection either. I phoned the gallery and their response was “The gallery ships the books the same way they arrive! 

Of course, for security measures, I pack my books with no protection to survive USPS or UPS delivery. SURE!

Who oversees the procedures for return shipping? Anyone?

© 2017 Louise Levergneux

© 2017 Louise Levergneux

I don’t believe my book would have survived the six-foot drop the Saskatchewan Craft Council recommends for shipping artwork. If damage had occurred to my artists’ book, who would have been responsible?

“Do you feel a gallery should have insurance for damage, theft, and return shipping conditions”?

In my opinion, the gallery is also responsible for how it takes care of books/work while in their possession.

An experienced binder like Monique Lallier insists on having her bindings and boxes exhibited under glass. Even with her demand one of her gorgeous boxes got a corner banged up. How do we limit these type of accidents or carelessness from happening?

Artists, librarian, curators, and staff should read the article Proper Care and Handling of Books by the Library of Congress.


This brings us to insurances! “Who should pay the insurance costs?

This year I made a conscious decision to no longer exhibit my work in galleries without the artists work insured for the duration of a show. According to a Boise gallery, an invited artist should not refuse to exhibit hundreds of dollars worth of work for lack of insurance on the gallery’s part. Most galleries make sure with their contract that they are not responsible for any stolen/damaged artwork. I realize we always take a chance when exhibiting, but the galleries/curators need to take responsibility. How, would galleries survive without us?

One can’t place all galleries in the “I will never exhibit there again” category. 

A few galleries are superb at taking responsibilities, I have found 23 Sandy Gallery in Portland and the MCBA in Minnesota, both respectful of book artists and their work.

© 23 Sandy Gallery

© 23 Sandy Gallery

Food for thought! Make sure you are content with the understanding between the gallery and the artist. Read the contract carefully; if you don’t like what’s written, say no to the invitation. Better not to exhibit than to be sorry. 

“Don’t forget during your decision-making that there is a tendency for the artist to be the last person considered when people are thinking about money and art”—Cathryn Miller

Be aware and make good decisions... Enjoy your exhibitions without regrets!