Vision
A broad community of art enthusiasts who support innovative interpretations of books as contemporary art forms and the advancement of alternative art forms as books.
Mission
To widen the appreciation and engagement of books as art and art as books as a contemporary visual art form. To provide resources and opportunities to learn, innovate, and share techniques and practices that incorporate a broad range of technical and artistic skills.
The Book
A book is a physical object used for recording information, typically in a narrative and sequential form consisting of text or images. Individual pages are bound together and protected by covers.
The technical term for this physical arrangement is codex. The codex replaces its predecessor, the scroll. A single sheet in a codex is a leaf and each side of a leaf is a page.
Book Arts
Book Arts is an innovative and alternate field of traditional art forms. It involves the creation of two-dimensional or three-dimensional works that use or refer to the conceptual properties of books; however, these works do not necessarily follow the structural or narrative properties of a codex book. These works of art are called “Artist’s Books.”
An Artist’s Book may (but not necessarily) contain text, images, or embellishments. A typical feature of an Artist’s Book is its tactile and interactive quality, which is meant to arouse the senses. It may use alternative materials to paper. Techniques may include the use of fiber arts, papermaking, letterpress, collage, mixed-media, journaling, assemblage, stitching, calligraphy, natural materials, woodworking, metalworking, or printmaking, as just a few examples. The design and fabrication of an Artist’s Book is unlimited.
History
BAG was founded more than 30 years ago to share the love and knowledge of creating books by hand. We celebrate all aspects of the book, including writing, illustration, papermaking, and binding. Our 180+ active members participate in workshops, exhibits, and projects in Santa Fe and beyond.
Membership Benefits
Being a Santa Fe Book Arts Group member offers a unique opportunity to:
- Share techniques and tips with other book artists
- Enjoy lively demonstrations and presentations
- Attend exciting workshops, hands-on sessions, and salons
- Participate in group exhibits
- Receive informative newsletters and announcements
Go to this page to join BAG or to renew your membership.
2023 Board of Directors
Officers
- Linda Zwick, President
- Julie Filatoff, Vice President
- Will Karp, Treasurer
- Amy Thompson West, Secretary
Directors
- Tracy Armagost
- Ashisha
- Ro Calhoun Gouletas
- Kim Walter