Saturday, Feb 8

10:30am | The Invisibility of Artists' Books in Museums with Rachel Simmons

Rachel Simmons is an American artist and educator based in Orlando, Florida who makes artist’s books, zines and prints. In her creative practice, she explores environmental and social activism, science, philosophy and memory. Since 2000, she has been teaching book arts and printmaking at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, and is an active member of CBAA The Association for Book Art Education.

Unlike most genres of contemporary art, artists’ books are more often collected by libraries than fine art museums. In many ways, this makes sense for these interdisciplinary, book-like objects. Libraries use them as educational tools and allow visitors to handle the books, providing an intimate experience prohibited in most museums. On the other hand, artists' books are not as well-known to mainstream museum-goers, as it's less common to find museum exhibitions featuring or including book art. Would building more book arts collections within museums result in more exhibitions featuring artists’ books, and elevate the status of artists' books to the level of more established genres such as painting, sculpture, photography, and printmaking? Could this enhance the value of artists' books, leading to more equitable compensation for book artists whose practices require an incredible range of skills, intensive labor, and lengthy production times?

This talk is generously sponsored by Bromer Booksellers / Philip Salmon & Company Rare Books.

11:15am | Paper and Print as Puente: Cross-Border Collaborations between Mexico and the US with Michelle Wilson, Ioulia Akhmadeeva, Anne Beck, and Antonio Guerra Gonzalez

Artists Michelle Wilson, Anne Beck (the Rhinoceros Project collective, USA), Ioulia Akhmadeeva (Mexico), and Antonio Guerra Gonzalez (Mexico) have been collaborating for the past few years on portfolios, artist books, and exhibitions in both the United States and Mexico. This talk will discuss  their international exchanges, with a focus on their most recent exhibitions and exchanges in 2024 in Oakland, US, and Morelia and Mexico City, Mexico.

These artists first encountered each other at various Codex Book Fairs. These encounters led to friendship, and eventually, collaboration. For the past few years, these artists have collaborated together on portfolios, artist books, and exhibitions in both the United States and Mexico.

Much of their collaborations are centered around a map of Tenochtitlan printed in Nuremberg in 1524, which is the basis for the Rhinoceros Project's current monumental embroidery.  In 2024, the 500 year anniversary of the publication of the map, the Rhinoceros Project traveled to Mexico to offer sewing circles and continue these collaborations. This panel will discuss  their international exchanges, with a focus on their most recent exhibitions and exchanges in 2024 in Oakland, US, and Morelia and Mexico City, Mexico.

This talk is generously sponsored by Abecedarian Artist’s Books.

Sunday, Feb 9

10:30am | Smoke & Mirrors: Using Stage Magic in Book Arts with Keri Miki-Lani Schroeder

Keri Miki-Lani Schroeder is an artist and proprietor of Coyote Bones Press based in San Antonio, Texas. She creates limited-edition artists’ books, teaches workshops, and hosts Books in the Wild Podcast. Schroeder holds an MFA in Book Art & Creative Writing from Mills College, and currently serves on the board of the Austin Book Arts Center.

Magicians have been using illusionary techniques for centuries to intrigue or trick audiences. Many principles of stage illusions are relevant to book arts: sequencing and timing, hiding and revealing information, and curating an experience. Kerri has studied and recreated several of these magic tricks, experimenting with ways to conjure creative content rather than merely spectacle or entertainment.

In 2021, in collaboration with Julie Chen she created “Book of Hours,” a collaborative artists’ book. The work utilizes a historical blow book structure that dates back to the 16th century; it allows different sequences of pages to appear at different times while seemingly occupying the same space. Keri will explain the research and development of the project, as well as the challenges that arose. Along with showcasing “Book of Hours,” she will reveal the “tricks” behind other magic boxes and books and discuss their potential for meaningful storytelling.

This talk is generously sponsored by a private donor.

11:15am | Civic Publishing: This City is My Home with Moderator Caroline Cabrera, O, Miami Artistic Director; and Panel Guests Melody Santiago Cummings, O, Miami Executive Director; Chase Simmering, Zak the Baker Chief Operating Officer; Tracey Jackson, Poet; Valentina Mena, Poet; and Adam Ganuza, Executive Director of Rhythm Foundation/Miami Beach Bandshell

, Miami celebrates South Florida through the empathy-building power of poetry. As an organization, O, Miami educates and engages communities using a process called Civic Publishing—providing resources for people to identify and express themselves through poetry, and publishing that poetry in both public spaces and books.

Year-round O, Miami operates as a publisher and education organization, creating spaces for people to come together through poetry and providing free resources for families and teachers. In April the fruits of that work is celebrated with the annual O, Miami Poetry Festival.

This talk will discuss and present key projects highlighting the dynamism of this Civic Publishing process, exhibiting how O, Miami’s collaborative narrative of place aims to create a shared narrative of a city.

This talk is generously sponsored by Tonkinson Foundation.