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The Kalamazoo Book Arts Center is celebrating 20 years! 

The Editions arm of our organization has become integral to who we are and what we do. With help from NEA grants, we have been able to produce limited-edition fine print books and broadsides for our Poets in Print reading series each year since 2008! We have been privileged to work with prestigious writers and poets such as Diane Seuss, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and Kaveh Akbar. We first worked with Kaveh in 2017 after the release of his debut full-length collection, Calling a Wolf a Wolf. Since that time, Kaveh has been a New York Times best-seller, a 2024 National Book Award Finalist, and the recipient of numerous awards. We were thrilled to work with Kaveh again this spring to produce his long poem, The Palace, and have him join us for the April Poets in Print reading. This latest book project was funded by an Arts Project grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and includes two woodcut images created by artist Jenny Pope. A book of this nature takes many months to produce – layout, hand typesetting, proofing and final text printing, the creation and printing of the artwork, and finally hand binding the books. Projects like this are also an excellent opportunity for our interns, who are involved in nearly every aspect of production. They set type, print pages, assist with binding, and participate in hanging exhibitions by the artists, as well as hosting readings. These are important experiences that they carry with them into their professional careers.

Traci Brimhall was an early poetry coordinator and editor for our Poets in Print series, is now a professor at Kansas State University, and served as the Poet Laureate of Kansas. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Best American Poetry, and she is the recipient of numerous awards. This year, she was named the Poet in Residence for the Guggenheim Museum. Traci has participated twice in our Poets in Print reading series: in 2010 with a broadside by Kip Deeds, and in 2018 with a broadside by Caroline Allen. Now, our goal is to produce a limited-edition book of her poems in 2026. Your support will help this dream become a reality! 

Like other arts organizations, we rely largely on grant funds and donations for our modest operating budget. As Federal and State arts funding decreases, we need to look to our community partners to continue valuable programming, such as Poets in Print, which introduces local, emerging, and nationally recognized poets and artists to Southwest Michigan. 

There are many ways that you can help us celebrate 20 years of Turning the Page and continue our work, including:

·      Purchase a limited-edition book or broadside. Take a look at our available Editions and broadsides.

·      Sponsor an online Poets in Print Reading or one poet at an in-person reading for $400 HERE.

·      Help sponsor the production of Traci Brimhall’s book of poems.

Donations of any size are always appreciated. We thank you for your partnership!

Aimee Lee visits the KBAC

The Kalamazoo Book Arts Center had the privilege of hosting Aimee Lee as a visiting Artist-in-Residence between October 17 and November 2. This was made possible by an NEA grant we received this summer and further supported by a grant from the WMU Visiting Scholars and Artists and Program.

Synchronicity

Synchronicity is an exhibition curated by the Pen Dragons Calligraphy Guild for the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center. Several of its members have taught or are currently teaching workshops for the KBAC, including calligraphic techniques, paper marbling, collage, paper folding, and more! The guild asked its members to submit two or more works for the exhibition, with one being a response, or somehow related to the other. This might include multiple approaches to a similar idea (whether a specific quote or theme such as water or nature) with new eyes and perspectives, or contrasting pieces linked by a common thread of subject or meaning. Calligraphers love to play, and the result is an exhibition featuring diversity in media, technique, and subject matter, ranging from whimsical to meditative or somber, integrating book arts with traditional and contemporary calligraphy.

We Are a Community!

Like most non-profits, the KBAC is an organization with a passion; we exist for the sheer love of book and paper arts. Our studios are structured around traditional bookbinding, papermaking, and printing, and our gallery features artists exploring these creative disciplines. Our Poets in Print series provides a platform for poets through readings and limited-edition books and broadsides, all printed and bound in-house.

Fish Skins, Coveralls, and Tomatoes

For many years the KBAC has partnered with the Western Michigan University’s Visiting Scholars and Artists Program to cohost artists. This month, we welcomed Minneapolis/St. Paul-based book and paper artist Erica Spitzer Rasmussen and are presenting her exhibition Books Abound in the KBAC gallery and the Zheng Legacy Collections Center.

Sharon and Katie in Venice!

Venice as I Imagined

This year I was lucky to join the KBAC’s Book Arts in Venice trip. As the Studio Manager at the KBAC I’ve heard about this trip for years from Jeff Abshear, KBAC Director and trip leader, as well as from interns and friends. I have become familiar with people’s names and seen pictures of the studios they visit, and now it was my chance to see them in person.

NEA STUDIO ARTIST RESIDENCIES

WE LOVE SHARING OUR SPACES WITH OTHER ARTISTS AND WATCHING WHAT TAKES SHAPE!

At their best, Studio Artist Residencies stimulate new creative processes and ideas for participating artists. They allow time and space to explore or expand on projects or ideas, often in facilities that artists would not otherwise have access to. The KBAC studios are a rich resource for local artists, providing the equipment and workspace for handmade papermaking processes, letterpress and other press-printing, and bookbinding!