University of Iowa To Offer MFA Program in the Book Arts

The University of Iowa's Center for the Book received approval earlier this month to begin offering a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Book Arts beginning Fall 2011. The Center has long offered a graduate certificate, and will soon join the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Columbia College in Chicago, and Mills College in Oakland, California as one of just a handful of institutions with a graduate program in the book arts. Iowa's program is notable for its breadth and depth, as well as its collaborative approach, drawing on significant university resources and faculty in papermaking, printing, calligraphy, bookbinding, digital technologies, and the history of the book. More information on Iowa's Center for the Book can be found at the Center's web site.

See related blog post on the Center's Timothy Barrett: Papermaker Named MacArthur Fellow.

BookOpolis 2010: Memory Palaces

Asheville BookWorks, a community resource for print and book arts based in North Carolina, is sponsoring BookOpolis 2010 this September 24-25, 2010. On Friday, the BookOpolis exhibition, with the theme of Memory Palaces, will have its opening reception from 6-9pm. It will feature over 100 artists' books from around the United States and internationally. On Saturday from 12-5pm, visitors can watch demonstrations and participate in activities such as letterpress printing, papermaking, book binding, and printmaking. For a full description of events, visit the BookWorks website.

Throughout the year, BookWooks also 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."

Note: The BookOpolis 2010 poster, shown here, was screenprinted by Philip Bell and is available for purchase at the event.

Papermaker Named MacArthur Fellow

The 2009 MacArthur Fellows were just announced, and the world of books scored another victory with the awarding of one of the twenty-four unrestricted $500,000 awards to Timothy Barrett of the University of Iowa. Tim is a master papermaker in both Eastern and Western traditions, as well as a researcher, historian, and advocate for the art and science of the book.

The founding director of the hand-papermaking facilities at Iowa, Tim also served from 1996-2002 as director of the Center for the Book at Iowa, where he is currently Research Scientist and Adjunct Professor. His Japanese Papermaking: Traditions, Tools, and Techniques is a classic text, and Tim has trained countless students over the years in hand papermaking. Tim also teaches periodically in the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia, where 2005 MacArthur Fellow, Terry Belanger, recently retired as founding director.

Among Tim's many notable projects is the Charters of Freedom Re-encasement Project, in which he and collaborators produced archival paper to rehouse the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution.

As a former student of Tim's (and Dr. Belanger's), I congratulate him on his lifelong advocacy and contributions to the culture of the book!