Autumn Newsletter 2017

Contents

Souvenir comes to an
end
page 2

Interview with RMC

member Katy Baum
page 3

Richard Pollock-
Nelson on AAB class
page 8

Upcoming classes Utah member, Madelyn Garretts Sekhmets Casket (see description on p. 11)
and workshops - note
RMC offerings
Dear Rocky Mountain Chapter Members,
page 9
This autumn newsletter issue features an interview with
Katy Baum, new Managing Director of the American
Current and Coming Academy of Bookbinding (AAB). She talks about her
Events path to bookbinding and gives a glimpse into the
page 10 Academy and the amazing learning opportunities there.
RMC member Richard Pollock-Nelson recently attended
his first class at AAB and shared the experience in a piece
Things of Interest he submitted to this issue.
page 11
Madelyn Garrett responded to our call to members to
submit pictures and descriptions of artists books,
Sekhemets Casket
bindings, custom boxes or decorative papers. A picture of
Artists Statement her intriguing Sekhmets Casket is above, with another
page 11 image and her artists statement on page 11. We welcome
entries that we will feature in future newsletters. Contact
pleutz@me.com if you are interested.

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Its a wrap for our RMC member traveling exhibit and time to look to future
exhibitions

Souvenir is a happy memory now . . .

Our member show has ended a successful year-long run; works are in the
process of being returned now. Thank you all entrants and hosts for making it
so! Special thanks to the graphics staff at Phoenix Public Library for taking
my rough sketch and creating a great logo and poster that other venues were
able to revise and print. We heard nothing but enthusiasm and curiosity about
the book arts from the various venues:
Phoenix Public Library - thanks to member coordinator Pam Wood
Harold B. Lee Library, BYU in Provo - thanks to member coordinator
Christina Thomas
Denver Public Library - thanks to member coordinator Karen Jones
University of Wyoming, Laramie - thanks to member coordinator Ginny
Kilander
I hope many of you were able to visit and enjoy the show as it traveled. If you
haven't, the online catalog is still available at https://www.scribd.com/
document/326443334/Souvenir
The University of Wyoming venue was the first to host our book arts show in
a Visual Arts Department gallery. They also printed postcards w/QR code
access to the online catalog. Perhaps other university art departments in our
region will follow their lead and provide an alternative to library exhibit
space. I've also noticed that many libraries are more open to book art exhibits
as their spaces evolve to encompass many media.
All this bodes well for our next group project.
What's next? It would be great if a member show could be organized on a
regular basis; perhaps every 3-4 years? Send us your thoughts and
suggestions.
Karen Jones, RMC Co-Chair

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 An Interview with Katy Baum: Her path into
the world of fine binding, and a look at the
INTERVIEW WITH
American Academy of Bookbinding from her
KATY BAUM
perspective as both student and new
The Rocky Mountain Managing Director
Chapter is fortunate to
have Katy Baum, who has
served as both Secretary
for the Guild of Book
Workers (GBW) and
Communications
Coordinator for the
Southeast Chapter of
GBW, join our own
Chapter. Katy recently
moved to Telluride,
Colorado, nestled in the
scenic San Juan
mountains, to begin her
job as Managing Director
of the American Academy
of Bookbinding (AAB), Katy Baum and her bindings (courtesy of K. Baum)

and in this interview, she

gives us insight into this I see that youve been working in the book world for a long
incredible educational time. library science, letterpress, binding, all sorts of things.
institutes high-quality What was your path into bookbinding?
instruction.In addition
It was totally unexpected. I was in college when I was
to breaking down the
first introduced to bookbinding. I was an art student,
experience of attending attending the University of North Carolina in
AAB, from financial aid Asheville. I really wasnt aware of book arts at all, but
questions to the logistics I got a part-time job working for a couple of artists
of getting (and staying) and they themselves had recently discovered
bookbinding, as well as papermaking and letterpress.
there, Katy shares with us
They introduced me to Coptic binding. You hear
her personal journey into people talk about being bit by the bug, and thats
the bookbinding world what it was like. After that initial introduction, I was
and the life-changing completely obsessed, so upon graduating I moved to
experience that studying Chicago with the intention of applying for the MFA
program in Book Arts at Columbia College. I got cold
at AAB brought to her.
feet about it, though, and I thought it might be

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smarter to get an MLS so that I could have a reliable day job. That ended up being an
interesting decision. I feel like the skills I learned in library school have served me really well,
but the actual library jobs I landed were more about sitting at a computer and working with
software and spreadsheets and databases. I wasnt handling physical books all that often. After
a few years of working in libraries, I decided that it was time to get back to bookbinding.
That decision led me to Penland and really moving forward in binding.

In your MLS program, did you take bookbinding classes?

Yes, there were classes in library school that focused on conservation. They were pretty basic.
No one would come out of those classes and feel prepared to perform treatments, but
because I was in Chicago, I was able to supplement my masters program with a lot of great
experience within the institutions around Chicago. I did an internship in book conservation
at the Art Institute, which was fantastic. I did a little volunteer work for the library at the
Field Museum of Natural History. And I had a part-time job for Paper Source. They used to
have their own bindery in Chicago where four or five of us worked. Our manager was a North
Bennett Street grad and I attribute a lot of my basic education in bookbinding to that job,
even though we were just doing simple case bindings. We were using manufactured textblocks
to make photo albums and datebooks and guestbooks for weddings - things like that. But the
opportunity to work at a bench and to have someone oer instruction and critical feedback-
it was a great way to build my hand skills and work habits. You really only get that when
youre logging consistent hours at a bench.

What kind of bookbinding skills did you get from Penland?

I took an eight-week class taught by Cathy Adelman and Alice Vaughn that focused on fine
binding and enclosures. Theyre both wonderful bookbinders and excellent teachers. Theyve
both studied at AAB and Cathy had also studied quite a bit in Ascona in addition to her
diploma in Fine Binding from AAB so they covered a lot of ground in 8 weeks. That class was
really my first taste of fine binding. I had no idea there was anything more to bookbinding
than case binding and book arts. Id never worked with leather or parchment before. Id never
worked with these more complicated sewing structures. It was fantastic, a great experience.
And while I was at Penland, I found out that I had been accepted to AAB and that Id
received a scholarship. So it was this fantastic moment in time because I had decided to quit
my job as a librarian and take this leap of faith and pursue bookbinding. From Penland I went
to my first class for AAB, a two-week class for Fine Binding in Summerfield, NC where
Monique Lallier and Don Etherington live. Monique is just, wow! I tend to gush about
everyone in bookbinding, but she was such a phenomenal teacher for that fundamentals class.
She does not let you go astray. She really points you in the right direction and gives you such a
solid foundation, which I think is really important with fine binding because it is so
meticulous.

I have to admit youve learned in some beautiful places and had some really good teachers.

Yeah, I feel really lucky! All my teachers have been so generous. That strikes me over and over
again with the people Ive met. The bookbinding community is so small and yet I dont
encounter very many people who are territorial about it.

I agree. I hear that over and over again. It is so refreshing to have that positive, supportive environment,
no matter what your level of experience. I feel like I get that at Standards too.

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Absolutely. Its a really supportive environment. I was very intimidated coming into that
class at Penland and my first classes at AAB. It can be very scary, especially when you
thought you knew what bookbinding was. Then you find out, oh wow, I only know about
the tip of the iceberg. I was so afraid that I would be sent packing. It was great to discover
that people want you to learn, and they want you to get really good at what youre doing, to
find your personal artistic voice. I think that there are a lot of wonderful people supporting
the younger group of bookbinders coming up.

I can totally understand that. I was so intimidated during some of the opportunities that I had. But
then you learn and its totally life changing; it totally changed my life in a good way.

So it sounds like you took classes at Penland and with

Monique in Summerfield and then moved to
Michigan and opened a studio. Is that when you
started full-time bookbinding?

I did move to Michigan, but I did not start my

own studio. I took a job with Bessenberg
Bindery which has been in Ann Arbor since the
1970s. They had been purchased by Thomson-
Shore, which is a mid-size book manufacturing
company. When I came in, the hand bindery
was in transition. There was no real leadership. It was pretty overwhelming because they
basically just handed me the keys and expected me to make it work, but it was also a once-
in-a-lifetime opportunity to get to work in a bindery like that and to have the resources of a
modern-day book manufacturer right outside the bindery door. We had a Ludlow for
typecasting, digital flatbed cutters that could cut through stacks of board, a pneumatic
stamping machine, a warehouse full of bookcloth. And we worked with some clients I
wouldnt have had access to otherwise. We did work for Random House, and we had some
big corporate clients like Merrill Lynch and Red Bull. It was a great experience. I was only
there for two years, but between project management, hiring and training new employees
and interns, and learning about the accounting and business side of running a bindery, it
was a huge development for me. It gave me excellent insight into the challenges of making
a living as a bookbinder. Its really hard and really complicated. So when I had the
opportunity to come work at AAB, it was a tough decision, but ultimately I knew I was
getting burned out from the stress of meeting all the deadlines and trying to make a profit
each month. I had such a strong connection to the school, I knew I had to apply for the
job. I do sometimes miss the bindery worktackling big projects and working with my
hands every day. Theres nothing quite like that. But Im trying to find ways to balance my
own work with the responsibilities I have at AAB.

What are your favorite kinds of projects?

I love fine binding and working with leather. Right now Im very focused on learning the
ropes of the job at AAB, but Im planning to continue to work toward my diploma in Fine
Binding. Some of the projects that Ive worked on over the last couple of years are ones I
started at that I could bind for future projects. I would like to continue with that - with
generating my own content and creating design bindings.

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 Congratulations on your position at AAB. Im hoping to
get there some day. How many years have you been going?

My first class with AAB was in 2012 in

Summerfield. I havent been coming to Telluride
for too long. I actually grew up a couple of hours
away in Durango and hadnt been back to Colorado
since I was 18. I came to my first class in Telluride
in 2015 and it was late September and all of the
aspen leaves were a brilliant flaming yellow, and the
air was incredible. To be in the San Juan mountains
is pretty special. Coming here will change your life
- the school, the town, the mountains. Its an
opportunity to leave all of your day-to-day
obligations behind and just focus on being in the
studio. We oer 24-hour studio access, so you can
stay up until two in the morning and work on your
project; you can come in at four in the morning
and get an early start. You can move into this
obsessive, completely immersive experience while
you are here. I realized during that class in
Katy at work at AAB
2015 that I needed to make this the biggest priority in my life -
just coming here for classes. So imagine my delight to have it be
my entire life now, to work at the school full-time. I love that my job is bringing other people
here and letting them have that experience. Its really important to me. We just finished a
class last week co-taught by Don Glaister and Suzanne Moore where everyone made deeply
personal projects, and at the end of the week there were multiple students that said, this is a
life-changing experience, being here. It was just beautiful to see how meaningful this
experience can be for people.

That is what I am hoping you will share - a snapshot of what its like to go there and to have that
experience. Ive thought about it so many times, but its expensive. I understand you had a scholarship to
go, and I read online that a lot of people can get some scholarship money. I would like for people to
understand how possible it is for them to go take a class - how aordable it might be and where they might
stay and how to get there. What would you tell someone like me who is interested in going - how can I
make that happen for myself?

That is something that we hear a lot. Its true; it takes a lot to get to Telluride. We are
physically remote; its hard to get here; its expensive. I really understand that, so we oer as
much financial assistance as we can for students. We have tuition assistance packages
available that are based on the AAB financial aid application. We oer a number of
scholarships that are completely merit-based, which doesnt necessarily mean that youre an
experienced bookbinder. We had a student come this year who had a background in poetry
and silversmithing. Its about your intention and your interest in bookbinding. We also have
the annual Fine Binding scholarship which provides $3000 toward tuition and housing. We

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work very hard to find aordable housing for our students. Its a challenge because Telluride
is a resort town, but were lucky to have several locals who are willing to rent out their
condos and their homes to us. So were able to oer housing for students at a pretty
reasonable rate, considering the environment. But at the end of the day, I still hear students
say, its the journey of getting to Telluride that is challenging for people. But Ive also heard
so many students say that its completely worth it for the experience of being in the studio,
and being in this beautiful mountain town. I try to encourage people to just come once and
see what its all about and see that its completely worth all of the eort in getting here.

Youre selling me. What are the diplomas? There is still the fine binding diploma, but I see that the
conservation program was dropped and was replaced by another.

Yes, the big reason why thats coming to a close is that a true program in Conservation
nowadays requires coursework in science and lab facilities. Were just not set up for that at
this time. Meanwhile, we had Peter Geraty who was interested in starting the Integrated
Studies Program which oers a bit of everything. Some students come to it with very little
experience. They start with an Introduction to Bookbinding class; they learn leather
binding; they take book repair classes; they take paper conservation with Renate Mesmer
from the Folger Shakespeare Library; and they have a business class, and a history of the
book class. All of this with the idea that by the time youre done with the ISP diploma,
youre able to hang out a shingle and work as a professional bookbinder.

The Fine Binding program is obviously more specific to fine leather binding, and developing
the meticulous hand skills required and your artistic sensibilities. They are very dierent
programs but as a student I found myself looking at the requirements for both and thinking,
I want to take all of those classes. Theyre all so important and all so valuable for someone
who wants to be pursuing this at a serious level.

What are the requirements for completing the diplomas?

Well, theres a list of required courses for each diploma. And for those who arent that
familiar with how our school is set up, the time frame for completion is decided by the
student. It might take someone four years to complete the diploma, or it might take them
seven years. We want you to keep your momentum going, but we understand that you may
only be able to come for one week a year, or maybe you can come for four weeks a year.
Meanwhile, there is an expectation that you are working at home when you are not here at
the school. Each time you come to class, were expecting students to bring their homework
books that theyve completed on their own. I think its a really important part of our
diploma. In some of the programs that are here in the US, you have an incredible
opportunity to work in a fully-equipped studio where you have everything available to you,
but then when you graduate you need to get all the equipment and tools, find a space to
work, etc. A nice part of our program, I think, is that the students are steadily working
toward that goal of getting their home studio set up as they are going through the program.

Once theyve completed their courses, they start meeting regularly with the director of their
program - in the Fine Binding Program, its Don Glaister, and in the ISP, its Peter Geraty.
Just completing the required courses is not enough. Were very serious about the quality of
the work, and making sure that the students are the best they can possibly be in terms of

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 technical skills. Once we feel that their work is at that stage, then they start preparing
for their jury, which is comprised of three members of the bookbinding community who
evaluate their bindings. The students also prepare a portfolio to show to the jury, in
addition to a research project. Its a lot of work! Our diploma students are extremely
dedicated.

Its great that AAB has become involved in starting the triennial Open Set Exhibition. I attended
the reception in Denver and got to visit with Deb Stevens and Lang Ingalls who were so
instrumental in the project. The bindings were fabulous. It is rare to have such an exhibit in the US
that just features fine bindings. The only other one that comes to mind is the Helen Warren
DeGolyer Triennial Exhibition and Competition for American Bookbinding.

Yes, that was the intent behind creating this triennial opportunity, to give fine binders a
chance to exhibit their work, but also to draw attention in the US to fine binding. I
think book arts have become more and more well-known throughout the US. There are
so many centers popping up that have book arts classes, and there are university
programs. But a lot of people still dont know what fine binding is or that it exists. We
thought this was a great way to showcase it as an art form. Its a wonderful opportunity
for bookbinders in the US, and really throughout the world. A lot of the prize winners
and participants were from outside of the US. It was a lovely thing to see all of the
international participants.

Thank you, Katy, for sharing about AAB and Open Set, and for inspiring us with your story about
how you got into bookbinding. I really enjoyed talking with you and look forward to meeting you.

Thank you so much for talking with me. Its really an honor. Im thrilled to be a part of
the Rocky Mountain Chapter. Once I really get my legs under me, Id love to be more
involved with the RMC.

We welcome that and are so glad to have you as part of our chapter. Thank you again.

RMC member Richard Pollock-Nelson shares a bit about his recent class with Coleen Curry at
AAB. Thank you, Richard!
Telluride, Colorado - I really dont think you
could find a more picture perfect place to
attend a bookbinding class. The town is
nestled at the foot of the San Juan Mountains
with unbelievable views anywhere you look.
The class I took at the American Academy of
Bookbinding was the Articulated Leather
class taught by Coleen Curry. In this class
we sewed the text block with colored end
sheets, made and attached suede fly leaves,
and made a leather cover with strips of
leather or paper on the inside cover. We
then made the gold-wire staples that help

8
hold the cover to the textblock. The class was five days of intense work. We finished one book and most of
another book during the week. What I also liked about the class was that we learned much more than just
how to make this structure. Coleen was open to discussing a number of bookbinding topics and
techniques. On Wednesday evening, we had a show-and-tell where everyone talked about their latest
books and showed pictures. Coleen had a slideshow of the books she has constructed in the last year. On
the last night, we all went out for a celebratory evening of eating, drinking and getting to know each
other. It was a great class and Im already looking forward to taking more.

Upcoming Classes/Workshops:

COLORADO
Denver
Rocky Mountain Chapter: Progressive Box-making class series: from basics to
improvisation - with local instructors
Slipcase - Pamela Leutz, instructor: learn how to accurately measure, cut, and glue components
to produce a lined slipcase to hold a book : Saturday, January 20
10361 E 28th Pl, Denver, CO 80238, Registration information in coming emails.
Archival Drop-Spine Box (clamshell) and 4-flap enclosures, Feb. 11. Karen Jones, instructor.
Slip Case with magnetic closure and panel, March 10. Richard Pollock-Nelson, instructor.

Rocky Mountain Chapter Gathering/Study Session: Exploring headbands

Sunday, Nov. 12, 2-4pm at 10361 E 28th Pl, Denver, CO 80238
Join the Rocky Mtn. chapter of the Guild of Book Workers for a gathering and study session
dedicated to exploring headbands (A functional and/or ornamental band at the head and tail of a book
between the sections and the spine covering, which projects slightly beyond the head and tail . . . the
term "endband," to indicate both . . . seems to be preferred by some bookbinders. - Bookbinding and
the Conservation of Books: A Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology)
There will be time to share your work, hear about the recent GBW Standards in Tacoma and talk
about whats in the works for our chapter, too. Free and open to all who are curious about GBW.
RSVP to Karen Jones karen.jones@jeffcolibrary.org if you would like to attend.

Classes at Arts Student League in Denver, 200 Grant St, Denver, CO

https://asld.modvantage.com/Course/CourseResult/book
Classes taught by Alicia Bailey:
Criss-Cross Binding, Wednesdays, 6:00pm-9:00pm, November 1, 8, 15, 2017
Exploring the Pamphlet Stitch Binding, Mondays, 6:00pm-9:00pm, November 6, 13, 20, 2017
Panorama Concertina Book, Saturday, Dec. 2, 9:30-12:30

Denver Bookbinding Co.

http://www.denverbook.com/classes.php
Bookbinding Bliss: Creating a Crafty Codex, Class taught by Pamela Leutz, November 4, 9:30-1:00

Book Arts League

bookartsleague.org
Leather Spine Do-Si-Do Binding, class taught by Brenda Gallagher, Nov. 12, 1-6 pm

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UTAH
Salt Lake City
Annual Print Appreciation
November 10 , Friday, 2:307:30, just drop by!
$4 for 1 card; $10 for 3 cards

Come help the Book Arts Program celebrate

letterpress printing!
http://www.lib.utah.edu/collections/book-
arts/community/workshops.php

Current and Coming Events:

COLORADO
Denver

Art Gym Gallery (1460 Leyden St., Denver, CO 80220):

Book Cornucopia VIII, October 12-November 4, Tues. - Sat. 9-6
An international juried exhibition of contemporary artist book works.

Artists Book Show & Tell a critique session facilitated by Alicia Bailey and Gregory
Santos, Printmaking Director at Art Gym on Nov. 4 from 2-4 pm.

Both events are free and open to the public.

Bibliothecarii et Glutinatores
Curated by Abecedarian Artists' Books, Bibliothecarii et Glutinatores will be on view at Denver
Public Library, Gates Exhibition Hall, Denver, Colorado.
Deadline to enter is November 15, 2017.
For more info<http://www.abecedariangallery.com/assets/content_files/opportunities/
Biblio%20prospectus.html>

The Printed Page III

Curated by Abecedarian, The Printed Page III <http://www.abecedariangallery.com/assets/
content_files/opportunities/The%20Printed%20Page%20III%20prospectus.html> will be on view at
multiple venues throughout the Denver metro area in conjunction with and extending beyond
Denver's Bi-Annual Mo'Print (Month of Printmaking) events.

October 30, 2017

Deadline for early bird submissions (reduced submission fee)

January 7, 2018
Final submission deadline

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NEW MEXICO

Santa Fe Book Arts Group

https://santafebag.org
Annual BAG Art Flea Market, Saturday, November 4, 2017, 10:00am-2:00pm

Portable Magic: The Art of the Book - an exhibition of handmade artists books by the
members of the Santa Fe Book Arts Group, New Mexico Capitol Rotunda Gallery, Santa Fe
September 8 - December 15, 2017

Things of Interest:

2018 DeGolyer Bookbinding Competition

Announcing the 2018 Helen Warren DeGolyer Bookbinding Competition at Bridwell Library, Perkins
School of Theology, Southern Methodist University:
American bookbinders are invited to propose a design binding for volume IV of The English Bible,
the Apocrypha, printed by the Doves Press in 1904, and to submit a completed binding of any work as
an example of techniques they propose to use. Competition winners will be announced at the opening
of the Helen Warren DeGolyer Exhibition for American Bookbinding on June 8, 2018.
Submissions will be accepted from July 01, 2017 to January 31, 2018.
https://www.smu.edu/Bridwell/About/DeGolyer/2018DegolyerBookbindingCompetition

NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque
Central Features - Call for Submissions: Artist-Made Books - Albuquerque, NM
https://www.centralfeatures.com/future-exhibitions-events/2017/11/18/deadline-for-
submissions-boundless-an-an-exhibition-of-experimental-artist-made-books
Central Features Contemporary Art is currently accepting submissions for potential inclusion in
Boundless, an exhibition of experimental artist-made books, January 27-March 10, 2018.
Eligibility: Any artist living and working in the U.S. is eligible.
Submission deadline: November 18, 2017, books due at gallery by Dec. 22 - see website for
details

Madelyn Garretts Sekhmets Casket

Artists Statement

Sekhmets Casket, a votive oering of personal archeology

Sekhmets Casket is at once a reverent homage to 19th-century art and early 20th-century archeology; and an
examination of an artists methodology. The book is dominated by the romantic watercolors of David Roberts,
who documented early archeological excavations in the Middle East. These glorious watercolors are magical
and I used as many as I could. I also included title pages from some of the more significant books
documenting early travel in Egypt. As a former rare book curator, I fell in love with these illustrations and
books, especially the monumental Description de lEgypt, the exquisitely detailed record of Napoleons
invasion. There is a little-known tradition among magic practitioners of making a box dedicated to the
Egyptian goddess Sekhmet, in which to enclose memories that can be oered up to the goddess and burned

11
away in her fires. This is the conceit I chose, making the box appear to be a traveling case of an early 20th-
century archeologist.

Sekhmet is one of several changing aspects of the Egyptian goddess Mut, wife of Amun and mother of all
the gods. Muts aspects changed over 1000s of years, as she became first
Sekhmet the fierce lion-headed protector of Egypt. Bastet, a later
manifestation of Mut, was first considered ferocious too, but with the
domestication of cats (circa 1500 B.C). her attributes shifted, revealing a
more nurturing and approachable deity. Mut in all her aspects always
holds the symbolic ankh, key to the Nile and the breath of life. Thus, the
ankh mounted on the miniature papyrus book is placed on the right side
of the box, the conscious and rational side of the individual. The
unconscious and symbolic aspects appropriately are placed to the left side
of the box. Likewise, the top section of the box represents consciousness
or semiconsciousness of the artist, while the drawer more appropriately
represents the unconscious. Enclosed in the top section of the box is a
map of the sacred precinct of Mut at Karnak. And in the drawer below, an
expanded map of Karnak, in which the Precinct of Mut is a part. Burned
immolations buried in the sand around and near the precinct are meant to
be unopened and protected by Mut. Since I have always loved classic
British mysteries of the 1930s, I wanted to include the quote from Agatha
Christies Death on the Nile that I thought startlingly appropriate:
Once I went professionally to an archaeological expedition--and I learnt something there. In the course of an excavation, when something comes
up out of the ground, everything is cleared away very carefully all around it. You take away the loose earth, and you scrape here and there with
a knife until finally your object is there, all alone, ready to be drawn and photographed with no extraneous matter confusing it. That is what I
have been seeking to do--clear away the extraneous matter so that we can see the truth--the naked shining truth. ~ Hercule Poirot

Each of the corked bottles contains personal memoriesscents or mementoes or stonesthat have
multiple meanings. But it is through the informational cards and the newspaper clippings that the real
investigation emerges. I wanted to elicit a silent discussion with the viewer about what exactly is an
artifact and how we as artists approach art. I think this is the most important part of the book. Artifacts in
themselves mean nothing. It is only when they are interpreted that they become invested with meaning.
Thus, our knowledge of the world and of ourselves is not grounded upon the material evidence itself. It
arises from the interpretive strategies that we bring to bear upon the material evidence. It is process, not
research results or finished artists book, that provides the deepest insight for the artist.
Throughout, I sought to make this book open-ended, so that the reader would be not only engaged, but
could extrapolate whatever personal experiences that might be elicited.

The Rocky Mountain Chapter blogsite, http://rmcgbw.blogspot.com , includes a member page http://
rmcgbw.blogspot.com/p/members.html and calendar http://rmcgbw.blogspot.com/p/events-
calendar.html ). If you would like your contact information included or updated on the member page,
http://rmcgbw.blogspot.com/p/members.html, please send information to pleutz@me.com.

If you have book work that you would like us to feature in the next issue, please send it to
pleutz@me.com by January 15, 2018. Also, please send articles, tips, and book related news and event
information to pleutz@me.com by January 15, 2018, so they can be added to the next newsletter that
comes out February 1, 2018.

Warm Regards,
Pamela Train Leutz, Communications Coordinator

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