Designated in 2008 as one of the very first UNESCO Cities of Literature in the world, Iowa City will be hosting the eleventh annual Iowa City Book Festival, October 1-6, 2019. In conjunction with the University of Iowa, FilmScene, the Iowa City Public Library, and the Iowa Arts Council, as well as other organizations and individuals, the six-day event will feature a Book Fair, readings by dozens of authors, and non-stop programming at many venues in and around downtown Iowa City. As usual, many of this year's events will involve the University of Iowa's International Writing Program, which was founded in 1967 by Paul Engle and Hualing Nieh Engle. During this period, over 1,400 writers from more than 140 countries have spent a residency in Iowa City, where they have enriched the writing culture of the community while experiencing firsthand life at an American university. Sponsored by the City of Coralville, the annual Paul Engle Prize will be awarded to both Toi Derricote and Cornelius Eady, writers who have made "an impact on [their] community and the world at large through efforts beyond the page." Derricote and Eady are the co-founders of Cave Canem, a home for black poetry. The 2019 Schedule can be downloaded as a PDF, and full details can be found at the festival website.
Public Space One (PS1) is creating a permanent home for artistic experimentation and community in downtown Iowa City in two historic houses at 225 & 229 N. Gilbert Street:
—a gallery embedded in a welcoming community space
—increased space for the Iowa City Press Co-op, a community-access educational print and book arts studio, with a new dedicated classroom space —a public reading room & archive for The Center for Afrofuturist Studies —a dedicated residency studio for the CAS and Free Studio Residency —light-filled private studios for local artists
—an outdoor space for community gatherings and creative events of all kinds
Please visit PS1's Kickstarter campaign site to learn more about this vibrant community arts organization and how you can help fulfill the vision for their new space.
Corita Kent [1918-1986] was born 100 years today, on November 20, 1918, in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and subsequently became world renowned for her work as a serigrapher (or screen printer), as well as for commissioned works both large (the Rainbow Swash on a massive gas storage tank outside of Boston) and small (the 1985 U.S.P.S. Love stamp, of which more than 700 million were sold).
As a Catholic nun, Sister Corita headed for several years the Art Department at the Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles, California, where she instilled her artistic values of close observation, imagination, and social justice in her many students. A creative iconoclast in her own work, she famously formulated what could be considered "Corita's Decalogue," otherwise known as the "Immaculate Heart College Art Department Rules," of which Rule 7 is: "The only rule is work. If you work it will lead to something. It's the people who do all of the work all of the time who eventually catch on to things." Although she plainly cites artist John Cage in Rule 10, the ten rules are frequently misattributed to Cage rather than Corita herself.
Corita eventually left the order of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and reentered secular life in 1968. She continued her prolific artistic output, which rivalled or surpassed many other artists of the era, including fellow screen printer, Andy Warhol. Corita was posthumously awarded an AIGA medal in 2016, and her legacy is sustained today by the Corita Art Center, which offers her original prints as well as ongoing programming. A recent major exhibition catalogue, Someday Is Now: The Art of Corita Kent, features much of her artwork and serves as an excellent introduction to her life and philosophy.
Corita died on September 18, 1986 at age 67, and her obituary in the Los Angeles Times can be read here. The video above, "Become a Microscope: 90 Statements on Sister Corita," is a short documentary produced by Aaron Rose to celebrate the 90th anniversary of her birthday. Below is one example of Corita's work, "We Can Create Life Without War," a poster commissioned in 1983 by the organization, Physicians for Social Responsibility. An illustrated chronology of Corita's life can be viewed at the Corita Art Center website.
Designated in 2008 as one of the very first UNESCO Cities of Literature in the world, Iowa City will be hosting the tenth annual Iowa City Book Festival, October 1-7, 2018. In conjunction with the University of Iowa, FilmScene, the Iowa City Public Library, and the Iowa Arts Council, as well as other organizations and individuals, the seven-day event will feature a Book Fair, readings by dozens of authors, and non-stop programming at many venues in and around downtown Iowa City. As usual, many of this year's events will involve the University of Iowa's International Writing Program, which was founded in 1967 by Paul Engle and Hualing Nieh Engle. During this period, over 1,400 writers from more than 140 countries have spent a residency in Iowa City, where they have enriched the writing culture of the community while experiencing firsthand life at an American university. Sponsored by the City of Coralville, the annual Paul Engle Prize will be awarded to a writer who "makes an impact on his or her community and the world at large through efforts beyond the page." The 2018 Program can be downloaded as a PDF, and full details can be found at the festival website.
This recent display at the Iowa City Public Library featured books disliked by staff, as well as titles selected by disapproving patrons. As the ancients said about such matters: There's no accounting for taste.
The Iowa City Press Co-op (ICPC) was well represented at the 3rd annual Rock the Chalk, a community art festival sponsored by MidWestOne Bank on August 10, 2018. Artist Carla Bryant based her design for ICPC on the California job case, a standard layout that has been used by letterpress printers for generations to organize and store lead type. The image is anchored by a quotation said to be from Poor Richard's Almanack, which was published annually from 1732 to 1758 by the polymath Benjamin Franklin.
Several members of ICPC assisted in transforming Carla's outline into a polychromatic piece of street ephemera. The chalk image on the other side of the center-line features a portrait of the New York designer and fashion icon, Iris Apfel. Dozens of artists and community organizations participated in this year's event.
For those interested in printing and the book arts, the ICPC offers both equipment and workshops. The Fall 2018 schedule has just been released, and can be viewed at the ICPC web site.
The collections of the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, which holds the nation's only complete set of presidential portraits outside the White House, were recently augmented as newly-commissioned portraits of the 44th president, Barack Obama, and former First Lady Michelle Obama, were unveiled on February 12, 2018 at a ceremony presided over by Smithsonian Secretary David Skorton and National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet. The President's portrait was painted by artist Kehinde Wiley, and the First Lady's portrait by artist Amy Sherald.
National Portrait Gallery Director Sajet observed:
As a museum of history and art, we have learned over the past half-century that the best portraiture has the power to bring world leaders into dialogue with everyday Americans. These two paintings fall into that category, and we believe they will serve as an inspiration for generations to come.
Wiley and Sherald are the first African American artists that have ever been commissioned for official portraits of a President or First Lady.
Designated in 2008 as one of the first UNESCO Cities of Literature in the world and still the only one in the United States, Iowa City will be hosting the ninth annual Iowa City Book Festival, October 8-15, 2017. In conjunction with the University of Iowa, FilmScene, the Iowa City Public Library, and the Iowa Arts Council, as well as other organizations and individuals, the expanded eight-day event will feature a Book Fair, readings by dozens of authors, and non-stop programming at many venues in and around downtown Iowa City.
In addition, many of this year's events will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the University of Iowa's International Writing Program, which was founded in 1967 by Paul Engle and Hualing Nieh Engle. During this period, over 1,400 writers from more than 140 countries have spent a residency in Iowa City, where they have enriched the writing culture of the community while experiencing firsthand life at an American university. Also as part of the festival, this year's Paul Engle Prize will be awarded to Alexander Chee.
Today is the 125th anniversary of the birth of artist Grant Wood [1891-1942]. Pictured above is the house in Eldon, Iowa that is portrayed in the background of his most famous painting, American Gothic. An iconic work that has been parodied countless times since its execution in 1930, Wood based the taciturn farm couple on his own sister and dentist. The painting won a bronze medal in a competition sponsored by the Art Institute of Chicago, where it has remained as part of their permanent collection.
One of just eleven UNESCO Cities of Literature in the world and the only one in the United States, Iowa City, Iowa is hosting the seventh annual Iowa City Book Festival, October 1-4, 2015. In partnership with the University of Iowa's International Writing Program and Writers' Workshop, FilmScene, the Mission Creek Festival, as well as other organizations and individuals, the four-day event will feature a Book Fair, readings by numerous authors, and non-stop programming at many venues in and around downtown Iowa City. The 2015 Program can be downloaded as a PDF, and full details can be found at the festival website.
The 15th annual National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress, will be held on Saturday, September 5, 2015, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The festival is free and open to the public.
To observe the 200th anniversary of the purchase of Thomas Jefferson's personal library by the Library of Congress, the theme of this year's festival is the following well-known quotation from Jefferson's letter of June 10, 1815 to John Adams: "I cannot live without books."
As in prior years, President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are honorary chairs for the event. More than 170 authors, poets, and illustrators will be making presentations throughout the day in the theme-based pavilions for Children, Teens & Children, Fiction & Mystery, History & Biography, Contemporary Life and Poetry & Prose.
Further information, including a schedule of events and a map of the festival grounds, can be found at the festival website. The 2015 poster, shown here, was designed by Peter de Sève.
One of just seven UNESCO Cities of Literature in the world, Iowa City, Iowa is hosting its sixth annual Book Festival, October 2-5, 2014. In partnership with the University of Iowa's International Writing Program and Writers' Workshop, FilmScene, the Mission Creek Festival, as well as other organizations and individuals, the four-day event will feature a Book Fair, readings by numerous authors, and non-stop programming at many venues in and around downtown Iowa City. The 2014 Program can be downloaded as a PDF, and full details can be found at the festival website.
The Dada Vinci Archive (DVA) is comprised of a large collection of oil paintings, works on paper, collages, letterpress printing and the book arts, photography, digital video, and works in other media. A representative sampling of new and older artworks can be seen in the DVA gallery at the Bucktown Center for the Arts, 225 East 2nd Street, Davenport, Iowa. Contact the Common Curator (commoncurator @ gmail.com) for further information.
"my eyes are not shut," an exhibition of photographs by Sandra Louise Dyas, opens at the Anderson Gallery at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa on September 7 and runs through October 12, 2012. A reception will be held from 5 to 7 pm on Friday, September 7, and the artist will give an informal gallery walk beginning at 6:30 pm. The exhibition received great support through a recent Kickstarter campaign, and features a new body of work. In January, Dyas published a book of the same name through Blurb, which serves as the template for the upcoming show. An earlier book, Down to the River: Portraits of Iowa Musicians, was published in 2007, and is available from The University of Iowa Press. "Caroline Flies" is the title of Dyas' photograph shown above.
Books That Shaped America is an exhibition on view through September 29, 2012 at the Library of Congress. Intended to kick off a multiyear "Celebration of the Book," Librarian of Congress James H. Billington states that:
. . . the list [of books in the exhibition] is intended to spark a national conversation on books written
by Americans that have influenced our lives, whether they appear on this
initial list or not. We hope people will view the list and then nominate other titles.
Finally, we hope people will choose to read and discuss some of the
books on this list, reflecting our nation’s unique and extraordinary
literary heritage, which the Library of Congress makes available to the
world.
An annotated online exhibition can be viewed here; in addition, readers are encouraged to submit their input on books of merit via an online survey. Another upcoming significant event is the 12th annual National Book Festival, to be held September 22-3, 2012 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Asheville BookWorks is soliciting entries for its eighth BookOpolis,
an annual exhibition and celebration of artists' books and prints.
Located in West Asheville, North Carolina, BookWorks is a vibrant
community center for the book arts and printmaking. The theme for
BookOpolis 2012 is "Editorial Content: Spine-Tickling Artists' Books." Entries must be delivered during the period, August 20 to 24, 2012; submitted works will be exhibited during BookOpolis weekend, September 21-22, 2011.
Juror Tatana Kellner will also make a selection of the best work for extended display through November 30, 2012. A prospectus with further details, as well as an entry form, is available at the BookWorks website.
Throughout the year, BookWooks sponsors workshops, exhibits, lectures, and other events, such as the Edible Book Festival.
BookWorks is a valuable resource for all those with an interest in the
book arts, providing "space, equipment and technical support for
artistic exploration, collaboration and the sharing of knowledge."
The 11th annual National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress, has been expanded to two days, and will be held on Saturday & Sunday, September 24-25, 2011, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The festival is free and open to the public, with last year's festival drawing over 150,000 visitors.
President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are honorary chairs for the event. More than 100 authors, illustrators, and poets will be making presentations throughout the day in the theme-based pavilions for Children, Teens & Children, Fiction & Mystery, History & Biography, Contemporary Life and Poetry & Prose. A full program with schedules is available as PDF download.
The Festival website features numerous video webcasts and audio podcasts. The 2011 poster, shown here, was designed by Jon J. Muth.
An upcoming exhibition at the University of North Carolina's Davis Library will feature five local artists whose posters have captured the vibe of the Chapel Hill music scene over the last two decades. From the Cradle to the Cave: 18 Years of North Carolina Poster Art will open August 25, 2011, with a reception at 5pm, followed by a panel with the artists (Casey Burns, Matt Hart, Ron Liberti, Jason Lonon, and Chris Williams), and a concert by The Kingsbury Manx. All events are free and open to the public. Further information is available online.
Asheville BookWorks is soliciting entries for its seventh BookOpolis, an annual exhibition and celebration of artists' books and prints. Located in West Asheville, North Carolina, BookWorks is a vibrant community center for the book arts and printmaking. Entries for BookOpolis 2011 must be delivered during the period, August 29 to September 2, 2011; submitted works will be exhibited during BookOpolis weekend, September 23-24, 2011.
Juror Eileen Wallace will then make a selection of the best work for extended display through November 28, 2011. A prospectus with further details, as well as an entry form, is available at the BookWorks website.
The Carrboro Film Festival, started in 2006, is now taking submissions of all short films and videos (under 20 minutes) for the 2011 festival. Entries may be submitted online by "any filmmaker who has breathed the good air of North Carolina sometime in their life." The early deadline is August 20, 2011, with a $10 fee; the late deadline is September 30, 2011, with a $15 fee. The festival will be held Sunday, November 20, 2011 in Century Hall at the Carrboro Century Center. "Submit," the video above, was produced by Beery Media. Further details about the submission process can be found on the festival website.
