Center for Book Arts (CBA) is a non-profit arts organization, founded in 1974. It is the first organization of its kind in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

dedicated to contemporary interpretations of the

book A book is a structured presentation of recorded information, primarily verbal and graphical, through a medium. Originally physical, electronic books and audiobooks are now existent. Physical books are objects that contain printed material, ...

as an art object while preserving traditional practices of the art of the book.

History

Founded in 1974 by book artist and master bookbinder Richard Minsky, at its founding, Center for Book Arts was the first organization of its kind and became the model for the establishment of similar institutions across the country. Today CBA is one of the country’s most prominent non-profit organizations specializing in the book arts with active exhibition and education programs. In 2017, the Center for Book Arts was awarded a New York City Cultural Tourism Grant.

About

The

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

offers over 100 classes and workshops in

bookbinding Bookbinding is the process of building a book, usually in codex format, from an ordered stack of paper sheets with one's hands and tools, or in modern publishing, by a series of automated processes. Firstly, one binds the sheets of papers alon ...

letterpress printing Letterpress printing is a technique of relief printing for producing many copies by repeated direct impression of an inked, raised surface against individual sheets of paper or a continuous roll of paper. A worker composes and locks movable t ...

paper marbling Paper marbling is a method of aqueous surface design, which can produce patterns similar to smooth marble or other kinds of stone. The patterns are the result of color floated on either plain water or a viscous solution known as size, and then ca ...

typography Typography is the art and technique of Typesetting, arranging type to make written language legibility, legible, readability, readable and beauty, appealing when displayed. The arrangement of type involves selecting typefaces, Point (typogra ...

, and related fields. The center in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

features a exhibition space which is open to visitors.

Collections initiative

According to their 2011 Annual Report, the Center for Book Arts debuted its digitized collections in October 2010. The collections include a Fine Art Collection of over 2500 artist's books, a Reference Collection, and an Archives Collection. Each of these collections can be viewed through the CBA online catalogue paired with a detailed record of the item.

Archives collection

This collection documents the distinctive history of the Center’s programmatic and administrative activities as the first non-profit book arts organization of its kind in the United States. This collection includes ephemera and institutional records relating to historical exhibitions, classes, publications, and events.

Publications

Exhibition catalogues from Center for Book Arts' long history can be purchased online through the organization's online book shop and through the distributor Oak Knoll Press. Visitors to the organization's website can also purchase letterpress printed poetry broadsides, chapbooks, artist's books and one-of-a-kind bookworks. Thirty percent of all sales is given back to the organization for advancement.

Journals

''Book Art Review: A New Book Art Criticism'' (BAR)

In 2022, the Center for Book Arts published the first issue (April 2022) of BAR, a print and digital magazine for critical writing about artists' books. BAR is slated to be published twice a year.

Exhibitions

Center for Book Arts hosts 8-12 exhibitions annually of contemporary and historical book art. The 900 square foot gallery is reserved for group exhibitions focussing on larger thematic topics in the field. Recent examples of this include ''Americans Looking In'' (2020), ''Poetry is not a Luxury'' (2019),

References

External links

*
Official website
{{Authority control Artists' books Book arts Educational organizations established in 1974 Charities based in New York City Education in Manhattan Art museums and galleries in Manhattan 1974 establishments in New York City