Students from a range of majors enrolled in the elective “Beyond the Book” explore the Jannes Library (
@kcai_library ) special collection, which features unconventional, format-defying books (sculptural, experimental, and often far removed from traditional book forms) created by artists during their time as students at KCAI.
Professor of
@kcaiprintmaking @bermanlaura says that during her 24 years at the Kansas City Art Institute, the library has acquired student books from her courses in many of those years.
“So I started teaching dimensional arts classes, which had a book arts component, along with dedicated book arts electives. I also co-taught an elective with an art history professor called ‘Book Arts Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow.’ And as a regular part of my teaching practice, I’ve been able to encourage students to create projects that might be acquired into the collection, while also encouraging them to think about where their work lives.”
The students’ first assignment is to create 10 different book bindings. Many bindings are fairly structured, but a few allow for a more choose-your-own-adventure approach. Because the Jannes Library’s collection is so creative, there’s a great deal to learn from how artists construct books—approaches to try, unexpected formats, and methods that push beyond traditional bookbinding. It’s a powerful way to introduce students to the possibilities within the medium.
“No other collection is like this for book arts, because this is a very KCAI collection as well,”
@bermanlaura says. “And for me, it’s really heartwarming, because I’m seeing my former students, by proxy, teaching my current students as they’re engaging with the emerging artists’ artwork, you know?”
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#kcai #bookarts #bookbinding #bookdesign #libraryfinds
