View the video below of our discussion with four of the artists featured in Remarkable Maine Women, the stunning new exhibit in the Stier Family Gallery featuring “artists’ books” honoring famous Maine women. The panel offered an introduction to “artists’ books” as an art form, and led a discussion about the works currently on display, how each artist approached their subject, and the process of creating these unique works of art.

 

What is an “artist’s book?” The simple definition is, “art in book form,” but the talented artists who work in this unusual medium regularly take the concept of a book to a whole new level. If you’ve never experienced artists’ books before, prepare to have your whole concept of what a book can be beautifully redefined!

 

 

The inspiration for the Remarkable Maine Women exhibit stemmed from the 2020 celebrations of the Bicentennial of Maine’s statehood and the Centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment. Fifteen women artists from the Critique Group at the USM Kate Cheney Chappell ’83 Center for Book Art participated in the project, each designing their own books as well as contributing a page honoring a remarkable Maine woman to each of five copies of a collaborative book.

The artists presented a second program on December 14th for anyone wishing to learn more about this unusual and incredible art form or try their hand at creating artists’ books themselves. You can view the recording of that program here.

For the handout mentioned in the program,
Resources for Book Artists, please click here.