Workshops
The Center for Book & Paper Arts at Columbia College Chicago offers classes to the community at large. These classes are designed for those who wish to study Book Arts in a non-degree seeking program. No experience is necessary, however, some classes may have prerequisites.
Our community class instructors are working professionals in various book arts related fields and come from all over the country. All community classes are held at the Columbia College Chicago Center for Book and Paper Arts, 1104 South Wabash, 2nd floor, Chicago, IL 6060-5. Download a PDF of our current newsletter and schedule here. 
(from left) Letterpress Ink; Jordan knecht; Jennifer Rodriguez; photography by John Boehme
SUMMER 2012 WORKSHOPS
PAPERMAKING WORKSHOP
Japanese and Western Sheet Forming
FRIDAY + SATURDAY, JUNE 8–9
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
$200 (MATERIALS INCLUDED) • LIMIT 10 STUDENTS
INSTRUCTOR: HELEN FREDERICK, SWARD VISITING ARTIST
FOR INTERMEDIATE PAPERMAKERS
Finally, students will select inclusions (silk threads, wrappers, rubber bands, etc.) to go into the paper vat or deckle box that will intensify change by building up from a few to more inclusions. Forming ten sheets of paper for each system, students will construct a way for the two systems to work or interact together, constructing a form using the twenty sheets of paper.
Helen Frederick is recognized as a distinguished artist, curator, educator, coordinator of international projects, and as founder of Pyramid Atlantic. As an advocate for and an active participant in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area arts scene, she has served on the directorial boards of alternative art spaces, various local and national boards and national peer-review panels. She has and fulfilled speaking engagements around the world, always emphasizing collaboration across disciplines. Throughout her life her passion for diverse cultures and histories has led her to travel to observe the material cultures of many societies, their skills and ideas and to make connections among disparate cultural traditions.
BINDING WORKSHOP
Modified Bradel Binding
Monday + Tuesday, July 23–24 | 10-5pm
$180, PLUS $25 MATERIALS • LIMIT 10 STUDENTS
INSTRUCTOR: JOHN DEMERRITT
FOR INTERMEDIATE BINDERS
Board Attachment
Developed in Germany in the late eighteenth century, the Bradel binding is named after a French binder working in Germany, Alexis-Pierre Bradel. The binding originally appeared as a temporary binding, but the results were durable, and the binding had great success in the nineteenth century.
The Bradel binding most resembles a case binding in that it has a hollow back and visible joint, but is much more durable and in many ways, easier to make than a traditional case binding. The boards are built onto the text block, eliminating guess work in board size. The spine and boards are attached with a piece of jaconet (muslin) before covering, making for a much more durable and air-tight joint. This binding also has a very clean and precise profile and allows for the use of very thin boards. This workshop will allow students to complete a full Bradel binding covered in cloth or paper or a combination of the two. Special attention will be paid to proper sewing and forwarding, making “made” endbands, and board lamination.
BINDING WORKSHOP
Edition Binding
Thursday + Friday, July 26–27 | 10-5pm
$180, PLUS $25 MATERIALS • LIMIT 10 STUDENTS
INSTRUCTOR: JOHN DEMERRITT
for intermediate binders
Producing an edition of books requires a very specific set of skills and approaches in order to make the finished products uniform and the workflow efficient. Editioning is also an exercise that lends itself to teamwork. This workshop will explore how to prepare work for binding, the use of jigs and templates, how to work and think in “batches” instead of on one book at a time. We will also conduct several exercises that pair students together to complete specific tasks.
Specific techniques covered will be: calculating materials and time, group piercing and sewing, proper and accurate board cutting, fast and efficient adhesive application, casing-in books and curating the final work. Time permitting, students may also look at foil stamping and embossing techniques.
PHOTOBOOKS WORKSHOP
Photography and the Book Form
Saturday, July 28 | 10-5pm
$95, PLUS $25 MATERIALS • LIMIT 10 STUDENTS
INSTRUCTOR: JOHN DEMERRITT
FOR INTERMEDIATE BINDERS
Since its inception, the medium of photography has fully embraced the book form. Many photographers claim that all their work is conceived as a book. The development of photography and the changes in book publishing and production share many historic parallels. It’s no coincidence that the two mediums compliment each other so well.
In this workshop, we will focus primarily on the physical structure of the book. Beginning with an examination of the traditional “codex” style book form and its history, we will explore the myriad ways in which the book is the ideal delivery system for text, image, sequence and theatre. After we’ve covered the building blocks of book structure, we’ll look at the “cornerstone” techniques of bookbinding, the bench skills that make clean, precise and efficient work possible.
The second part of the workshop will be an examination of book structures particularly suited to Photographic output, particularly digital output. The ever-changing landscape of photographic output has led to a re-thinking and expansion by bookbinders and designers of the physical limitations of the Codex form and introduced new ways of interacting with materials. At the same time, these changes reinforce and illuminate the importance of sound technical skills and an understanding of the traditional book form.
John DeMerritt operates a studio in Emeryville, CA., where since 1995 he has produced small editions of books, boxes and portfolios for a wide variety of clientele, focusing on projects for artists, galleries, fine art publishers and printers. Recent clients include publishers Steidle-Mack, Granary Books and Crown Point Press; photographers Richard Misrach, Larry Sultan and Jim Goldberg; Fraenkel Gallery, Peter Koch Printers, The Lapis Press, UC Berkeley Press and the San Francisco Ballet. For the past ten years he has taught a popular class on book making for photographers at the San Francisco Art Institute.