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The Minnesota Book Artist Award
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Paulette Myers-Rich is the 2009 Book Artist Award Winner!
The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library is pleased to announce Paulette Myers-Rich as the winner of the 2009 Book Artist Award, an annual award of the Minnesota Book Awards. This award, co-sponsored by the Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA), recognizes a Minnesota book artist or book artist collaborative group for excellence throughout a body of work, as well as significant contributions to Minnesota’s book arts community.
Myers-Rich works extensively with black and white photography, with artists’ books being her favored format as they allow the combination of image and text in conventional and non-traditional book forms. “Contemporary book arts has given rise to a variety of structures that both embrace tradition and break with it,” says Myers-Rich, “offering myriad forms and interesting challenges. Yet, regardless of the approach to artists’ books, for me, the practice of craft is important. The book must be a compelling and satisfying object or environment that activates content, a work that satisfies the hands, the eyes and the mind.” Myers-Rich won a Minnesota Book Award in 2000 for her fine press book Broder, an award she shared with poet Anna Reckin, and again in 2006 for Ghost Poems for the Living. She is an active member of several arts organizations, teaches at MCBA and several colleges and universities, and is a graduate program mentor at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
An exhibit celebrating Myers-Rich’s work runs February 5 through March 15, 2009 at MCBA in the Open Book building, 1011 Washington Avenue South, in Minneapolis. A reception showcasing the exhibit takes place Thursday, February 26 from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. at MCBA, with a brief program and presentation at 7:00 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public, and features live music by Gary Schulte and Reynold Philipsek. Exhibits of Myers-Rich’s work will also be featured at other venues throughout the state this year, including Saint Paul’s Central Library where her work will be displayed March 23 through April.
The Minnesota Historical Society's "Collections Up Close" blog lists Myers-Rich's, Ghost Poems as one of their "Favorite Things"
One of Lori Williamson, MNHS Acquisitions Coordinator's favorite things in the collection is a fine press book by Paulette Myers-Rich, Ghost poems for the living: 13 sonnets by Shakespeare with distillations and images. She notes in the blog, "The beauty of this work is really beyond description; to hold it in one’s hands is a joy. It is perfectly constructed, bound using linen cloth and flax papers created by the artist and letterpress printed on photo rag paper in an edition of 26." READ MORE...
Call for Nominations
NOMINATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12
The Minnesota Book Awards, coordinated by The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, calls for nominations for the 2009 Minnesota Book Artist Award. The annual Award, co-sponsored by the Minnesota Center for Book Arts, recognizes a Minnesota book artist or long-standing book artist collaborative group for excellence of artistic work, as well as significant contributions to Minnesota’s book arts community.
Individuals may nominate more than one book artist or collaborative group for the Award, but each nomination requires a separate nomination form. Book artists and book artist collaborative groups may nominate themselves. Nominees who are eligible for the Award will be contacted by the Minnesota Book Awards, inviting them to accept the nomination by submitting up to ten (10) images of their work as a book artist (the images may be submitted as slides, or as digital images on a CD/DVD in a common electronic file format), a résumé or vita, and an artist’s statement. Because the judging process for the Award requires that this documentation be provided, book artists will not be considered for the Award unless these required materials are submitted.
About Book Arts
Book arts is a dynamic discipline within the larger landscape of contemporary art. At Minnesota Center for Book Arts, the definition of book arts is broad and includes all things “bookish.” Though book arts often require bookbinding, printing or paper-making to come to fruition, contemporary book artists use these traditional book art practices and others in surprising and exciting new ways. The creative evolution of book arts is limitless. For more information about book arts, and the Minnesota Center for Book Arts, please visit www.mnbookarts.org.
Award
The 2009 Minnesota Book Artist Award will include the following:
- A $500 award ($250 cash and $250 honorarium for a program or event in the Saint Paul Public Library system in 2009)
- A Minnesota Book Award and recognition at the Awards gala on April 25, 2009
- A retrospective exhibit and opening reception at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts in early 2009
- Opportunities for doing programs and having exhibits at Minnesota libraries
- Statewide publicity surrounding announcement of the Minnesota Book Awards
Selection
The primary selection criteria, in order, are: demonstrated excellence and innovation of artistic work in the book arts throughout a career, or combined careers in the case of a long-standing collaborative group, and significant artistic contributions to Minnesota’s book arts community.
The Minnesota Book Artist Award is selected by five jurors in a two step process. In the first step, up to three finalists are chosen based solely on the materials submitted during the nomination process. In the second step, the finalists are contacted and asked to provide samples of their work to the Minnesota Book Awards for a one week period for review by the judges. All of these materials are returned to the finalists. Jurors select the Award winner based both on the actual work samples provided and the written materials submitted (nomination form and artist’s statement).
Jurors are selected by the Minnesota Book Awards and will include representatives from the Minnesota Book Awards/The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Minnesota libraries, knowledgeable individuals from the book arts community not eligible for the award, and/or accomplished artists working in other media.
Eligibility
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Current Minnesota residents, and Minnesota residents during 2008 are eligible for the Award. Additionally, non-residents are considered eligible if they meet all of the following requirements: living within the metropolitan area of a Minnesota city during 2008 (for example, Douglas County, WI is within the metropolitan area of Duluth), primarily working in Minnesota in 2008, and participating in a book arts community that is primarily Minnesotan. Nominations for non-residents meeting all of these guidelines must include a written summary (no more than one page in length) detailing how the nominee meets these non-resident eligibility requirements. Birthplace, long-standing Minnesota connections, and Minnesota content in artistic work, are not relevant criteria for eligibility. Final determination of resident eligibility will be made by the Minnesota Book Awards.
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Artists must have worked extensively in the book arts.
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Artists must be willing to provide actual samples of their work for a brief period if selected as a finalist.
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Artists must be willing and able to participate in the majority of Book Awards activities surrounding the Award, including exhibits, programs and gala, if selected as the winner.
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This Award is for a body of work, not a single piece or exhibition.
Schedule
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Wednesday, November 12, 2008, 5 p.m. – Nomination deadline – Nominations must be received in the office of the Minnesota Book Awards/The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library.
Friday, November 21, 2008, 5 p.m. – Image and artist’s statement deadline for nominees – These materials from book artists must be received in the office of the Minnesota Book Awards/The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library.
By December 5, 2008 - Finalists selected.
By December 19, 2008 - Award winner announced.
February 2009 - Award winner exhibit at MCBA.
- April 25, 2009 - Minnesota Book Awards Gala and Book Artist Award presentation.
Nomination Form
Download, print and complete the 2009 Minnesota Book Artist Award Nomination Form. (Click here for a PDF)
Nomination Deadline Extended: Now 5 p.m., Wednesday, November 12, 2008. Nominations must be received by the deadline – earlier nominations are encouraged to allow ample time for artists to submit images of their work and other required materials. Send the nomination form by mail, email, or fax, to: |
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For Additional Information
For additional information about the Book Artist Award, or other awards or programs of the Minnesota Book Awards, please contact either of the following staff members of The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library:
Ann Nelson, Minnesota Book Awards Coordinator – mnbookawards@thefriends.org, 651-366-6497
Alayne Hopkins, Friends Programming Coordinator and Minnesota Book Awards Co-Chair – alayne@thefriends.org, 651-366-6488
For information on the Minnesota Center for Book Arts, contact Jeff Rathermel, Artistic Director, jrathermel@mnbookarts.org, 612-215-2526
The Minnesota Book Awards is a Capital City project, led by The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library,
in consortium with the Saint Paul Public Library and the Mayor’s Office in the City of Saint Paul.
The Minnesota Book Artist Award is co-sponsored by the Minnesota Center for Book Arts.