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The Kalamazoo Book Arts Center presents a travel study program to Italy with the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica in Venice, and Tipoteca Italiana Fondazione in Cornuda (Treviso).

Venice, Italy, has been a center for printing since the introduction of movable type in the 15th century, when printers like Nicholas Jenson and Aldus Manutius set up presses and began publishing books. This tradition continues today with creative printers, book designers, and graphic artists. On this trip to Venice, we will explore this rich history, visit museums and libraries, and work in professional studios to create individual prints and a collaborative book. The program welcomes all levels of experience, with introductory instruction in the studio.

The Program 

Our trip will begin in Venice, where participants will be hosted by the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica, a design school and studio located near the Grand Canal that for 50 years has specialized in printmaking and artist’s books. Here we will work in the studio to create drypoint intaglio images for a collaborative book. Instruction will be provided for all levels of experience with printmaking.

Over the weekend we will travel to Tipoteca Italiana Fondazione to print the text of our book. Tipoteca is a letterpress museum in Cornuda, north of Venice in the foothills of the Dolomite Mountains, far from the normal tourist routes. The museum houses a printing studio of historic letterpress equipment and one of the largest collections of movable wood and metal type in the world. At Tipoteca participants will learn to set and print type for the book we will complete when we return to the Venice.

During the program we will tour historic sites including St. Mark’s Square, the Rialto Bridge, and the Accademia Gallery. This will be the year of the 60th Venice Art Biennale, one of the largest international contemporary art exhibitions. Admission is included to visit all the exhibitions in the international pavilions of the Giardini and Arsenale. For our final evening in Venice, the group will celebrate with a special dinner.

Program Director

KBAC Executive Director Jeff Abshear was a Fulbright Scholar to Italy in 2007 to study book arts in Venice. He has returned each year to teach workshops and lead university study abroad groups to work in professional printing studios throughout Italy and Northern Europe. He is fluent in Italian and has extensive experience traveling in Italy, with in-depth knowledge of Venice where he has lived and worked many times. Jeff will be an experienced guide and the principal instructor for the program.

Accommodations and Travel

In Venice, participants will stay in several shared apartments with fully equipped kitchens where breakfast and other meals can be prepared. In Cornuda we will stay at Villa Bolzonello, a 16th century villa in the middle of a prosecco wine vineyard, where breakfast will be provided. All travel will be via public transport including trains, boats, and buses.

Cost: $3,800.00*

The program fee of $3,800 includes all workshops and art materials, 11 nights of accommodations (with the bonus of breakfasts in Cornuda), affiliated ground transportation (trains, waterbuses in Venice, airport shuttle), museum entrance fees, and final celebration dinner.

* Price based on double-occupancy (shared room with another member of the group). Single-occupancy rooms are an additional charge. Please inquire for more information.

Participants will be responsible for covering the cost of round-trip transportation from your home to Venice, meals not listed above, and personal expenses.

Travel Insurance and Liability

We strongly advise purchasing travel insurance which is sufficient to cover emergency medical expenses and evacuation, cancellations, lost or damaged luggage, and other services. Check with your insurance company for more information. The Kalamazoo Book Arts Center cannot be held responsible for accidents, illness, or quarantine required during the trip including the cost of additional housing, flight changes, transportation, or medical expenses. All participants must be up-to-date with vaccinations required for entry by the Italian government and re-entry into the United States.

Reservations, Fee Schedule, and Cancellation Policy

A $500 deposit is required by March 1, 2024, to reserve a place on the trip. Your spot on the trip will be held only when this deposit is made.  Be advised that the trip may fill prior to this January date.  Deposits can be paid by mail, over the phone, or through this link to our website: kalbookarts.org/workshops/venice2024deposit/

Final payment of $3,300 will be due by February 1 . People who enroll after this date will be given payment instructions.

No refunds will be given to participants after they have registered (for deposits or final payments) unless the program is cancelled by the KBAC. In the event of a KBAC cancellation participants will receive a full refund. Please do not make your flight plans or other trip-related decisions until after the director has announced the program is ready to go ahead.

Note: Participation in this trip requires physical demands including a great deal of walking (3 – 5 miles a day). Venice is a city that is navigated primarily by foot. This includes crossing over many large and small, stair-stepped bridges and jumping on/off boat busses. The apartments in Venice are always on the upper floors and require carrying your own luggage up several flights of narrow stairs. Villa Bolzonello, in the town of Cornuda, is a 30-minute daily walk to the Tipoteca studio, although there is also a city bus that is on an hourly schedule. The villa is located on a long steep hill that must be descended and climbed several times every day, whether going to catch the bus in the morning or out to dinner or a gelato in the evening. Participants must be in good physical health, able to climb stairs, hike up inclines, and walk long distances. 

The itinerary is subject to minor changes.

If you have any questions contact us at info@kalbookarts.org. You can also take a look at our blog for first hand accounts of KBAC staff on the 2022 and 2023 programs for additional insight.

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