We accept Visa and Mastercard for class registration, membership, and donations.

Call (212) 481-0295 to register for classes or click here.

In the Bindery
Weekends

OPEN HOUSE

See free demonstrations by CBA Artist Members and instructors, and try some simple book binding, printing, and paper decoration techniques yourself.  This Open House starts off our term of new classes and workshops on just the right cheerful note for a cold winter day!

Saturday January 26, 11am – 4pm

 Paste Paper Cake Walk

Start the New Year off right with this bargain hunter’s dream! Three teachers, three techniques for creating beautiful, hand-painted patterned paste papers, one reduced tuition rate! Three book artists will demonstrate their preferred materials and secret techniques for creating fabulous decorated paper designs.  Students will rotate from one station to the next, practicing different techniques.  Rory works with Japanese handmade papers and will show you how to get “two-sided” paste papers from one sheet; Maria works intuitively with found and hand made tools to create unique personal marks; Sage’s paste papers are well-known for their pattern and color.  You will leave this introductory workshop with a cache of beautiful, decorated papers to use on subsequent book and box projects.

Sunday, January 27, 10am – 4pm           Rory Golden, Maria G. Pisano, Sage Reynolds $60/$85 

Cut, Cover and Stitch

A great class for beginners! Learn to make four different handmade books in one weekend. Explore basic bookbinding techniques of folding, sewing, cutting, and covering books. You will produce two non-adhesive books using the pamphlet stitch and an accordion fold, one flat back book, and a star accordion book.
Section 1: February 2 – 3, 10am – 4pm              Ben Rinehart                 $190/$215
Section 2: April 20 – 21, 10am – 4pm                Ben Rinehart                 $190/$215
 

New! Accordion Fold Picture Frame Book

Some photographs are meant to be displayed rather than hidden away in albums. This book can be a wonderful celebration of a specific event.  A cross between a book and a box, the accordion unfolds to reveal four photographs, mementos, or ephemera.  We will make two versions of this structure, using a wild mix of decorative papers. Please bring your own papers to supplement those provided in the workshop.

February 2 – 3, 10am – 4pm                              Barbara Mauriello          $190/$215 

Portfolio Workshop
In one day, we will make two portfolios in different styles, both with ties. One will be quarter-bound in paper and cloth, the other half-bound with ties and flaps. Students will be shown how to laminate paper and fabric, and options for variations in flaps. The end result will be two portfolios, one with flaps and ties, one with pockets for holding standard sized papers, photos, certificates or small drawings. This class will lay the foundation for you to make portfolios of any size, covered in decorative paper or cloth of your choice. Beginners welcome.
Section 1: February 9 Saturday, 10am – 4pm                  Sage Reynolds                $90/$115

Section 2: March 9, Saturday, 10am – 4pm                     Sage Reynolds                $90/$115 

New! The Handwritten Text

Embarrassed by your handwriting, but like the look of a hand-written text? Want to use handwriting to create a one-of-a-kind book, but would rather use someone else’s? Writing rhythmically and re-designing unsightly, illegible letters, noticeably transforms your writing. Then, experimenting with different pens and speeds, learn to express different tones of voice. By the end of this workshop, you’ll have a new relationship with your handwriting and learn to develop writing that is fit for a manuscript!

Saturday, February 9, 10am – 4pm                                Karen Gorst                  $90/$115 

Bookbinding for Teachers

This one-day workshop is designed for teachers of 7 – 12 year olds, with methods and techniques that may be modified to accommodate other age groups. We will spend the day creating classroom-tested and kid-approved book structures that are quick, simple and mess-free. We will also explore simple pop-ups and how to incorporate them into books. You will leave with a variety of book structures and ideas for including book arts in your classroom. No previous art or bookbinding experience necessary.

Sunday February 10, 10am – 4pm                                  Stephanie Krause           $90/$115 

Pop Up Structures for Beginners

A special kind of magic awaits you in this workshop! Learn the basics of the folded pop-up structure and progress through a series of more complicated three-dimensional constructions.  The results can be included in a book format or work alone as sculpture. A slide presentation on the history of the moveable book will be included.

February 16 – 17, 10am – 4pm                          Carol Barton                             $190/$215 

Leather Bound Books for Beginners
Want to make leather bound books but are intimidated or lack experience?  No previous experience in bookbinding or leather working is needed to create a beautiful soft leather bound book in a weekend.  Add surface design to the leather covers using linoleum block cuts to create texture, image and color. Decorative endpapers and a deckled edge text block will complete the aesthetic of the book. By Sunday afternoon, you will have made one or two fully designed hand-bound leather books.

February 16 – 17, 10am – 4pm                                      Biruta Auna                   $205/$230

Chinese Bookbinding

Explore traditional Chinese binding techniques to make several different Chinese books, including string-bound; wrapped-back binding; and two different butterfly bindings. And, if time permits, we will make a traditional wrap-around case to protect these paper and silk covered books. We will use Chinese books bound in traditional formats as models and will work with authentic materials from China.  Text papers printed with Chinese book page frames to give the books the feeling of content.  There will be a demonstration of backing silk and paper with thin paper to use as covering materials and for protective corners.

February 22, 6 – 9pm, 23 – 24, 10am-4pm         Nancy Norton Tomasko                        $225/$250
plus an additional materials fee.

Decorative Boxes

This workshop is a great introduction to book arts. Students will learn traditional techniques and materials (similar to those used in bookbinding) to create two beautiful boxes, one with a separate lid, the other with an attached hinged lid. These boxes are perfect for storing photos, collectibles or treasured objects. Students should bring their own decorative paper to class.

February 23 – 24, 10am – 4pm                          Carolyn Chadwick                     $190/$215 

Unleashing the Muse
This poetry workshop focuses on tapping into imaginative realms beyond the immediate vicinity of "self" and the tendency to limit our writing to "what we know."  We will learn basic book making skills and create an artist’s book that reflects and enhances our written words.  In-class writing activities will include: working with found and appropriated images, Dada/Surrealist techniques, "the poetry of chance," concrete/visual poetry which maximizes the possibilities for using the page, experimentation with point-of-view and "voicing" the poem, as well as other approaches in which imagination (as opposed to autobiography) is the springboard. Using handouts and models from the past and present, this workshop will help students take their poetry in new and unexpected  directions. Come prepared to experiment, play and then put it into a book!
March 2 – 3, 10am – 4pm                      Gerry Gomez Pearlberg & Ben Rinehart $190/$215 

Japanese Bookbinding
Learn a variety of Japanese binding techniques using traditional Japanese papers and fabrics to produce unique works. Construct side-sewn binding and through-the-fold structures, as well as a special cloth-covered folding box to hold the books.  The end result is a beautiful, boxed set of books.
March 2 – 3, 10am – 4pm                                 Yukari Hayashida                        $190/$215

The Photograph Album

An ideal workshop for beginning bookbinders! Learn about the properties of paper, cloth, boards and adhesives as we construct a photograph album. Many model albums will be examined for technique and inspiration. Details of mounting photos on the book pages, preparation of matted pages, insetting photos, and other decorative elements will be presented.

March 9 – 10, 10am – 4pm                               Barbara Mauriello                     $190/$215 

Miniature Books I

Come and create a wonderful array of miniature books, using both traditional and experimental book structures. An assortment of techniques will be employed, from pop-ups to sewing, including some with covers to complement the particular piece. Bring collage elements, your favorite stamps and anything else you would like to incorporate in your books. A brief history of miniature books will also be covered.

March 10, Sunday, 10am – 4pm                         Maria G. Pisano                                    $90/$115

Round Boxes

Tired of right angles?  Leave your straight-edges at home and learn to make a round box. Create these festive containers through instruction in cutting, bending and rounding book board.  Learn two ways to bend the board towards the shape you want.  We will learn variations on constructing lids– inside, outside, and on top of– and otherwise custom fitting the boxes.  Your boxes can be covered in either cloth or resilient Japanese or other decorative paper.  No previous box-making experience necessary.

March 16 – 17, 10am – 4pm                                          Biruta Auna       $190/$215 

Caterpillar Stitch Bindings

We will begin by sewing onto a card to experience this sewing’s multiple variations. It can be utilized for many structures including photo albums, scrapbooks and journals, as well as incorporating various folding forms for artist’s books. The sewing works well with most papers and folios with various thicknesses. The sewing is developed through building up the core and packing the threads which allows for a flexible slinky action of the spine and compensates for storage of photos, collage and other materials. You can also sew this stitch supported to enhance the spine thickness. Variations of board attachment and endsheet preparation will compliment this handsome book structure.

March 16 – 17, 10am – 4pm                              Denise Carbone                        $190/$215 

New! Basic Bookbinding

Learn to make a classic clothbound hard-cover book. The flatback case opens flat and is suited to a slim volume of poetry or a hefty dictionary; to a tiny miniature book or a really big book.  For beginners, building a flatback case is a good introduction to hand bookbinding fundamentals. Those with more experience will review and refine skills to gain confidence in one of the standard structures of bookbinding. Bind a blank book any size you wish, or bring prepared signatures.

March 23 – 24, 10am – 4pm                              Susan Mills                                $190/$215 

How to Bind Five Eggs

Learn to make an inventive, hand-bound cloth-covered book structure that is both a book with pages of text, and a box.  When opened, the visual flow from the text to the final hidden shadow box area expresses ideas that complement the text.  During the first day the class will assemble prototypes with shadow boxes to contain 3-D collage objects.  On the second day each participant will design a custom book structure using varying sizes and depths to suit one’s own creation, based on the first day’s experience.  Participants do not need to have a fully-realized concept before the class.

March 23 – 24, 10am – 4pm                              Kumi Korf                    $190/$215 

Coptic Binding

Coptic is an ancient style of binding that adapts beautifully to modern materials. This versatile binding style is the perfect option for using wood, metal, plastic or other unusual materials for covers. Completely non-adhesive with an exposed spine, Coptic books lay flat when opened and can be expanded to a full 360 degrees.  We will fold, punch and sew three text blocks, each using a different cover variation.  We will also learn to bend needles into the necessary shapes to sew these timeless books. No previous experience necessary.

April 6 – 7, 10am – 4pm                                   Susan Mills                    $190/$215 

Conservation Enclosures

Books are our prized possessions– whether we create them or collect them.  Archival enclosures such as a corrugated phase box, wrapper, and case wrapper are easy and rather quick to make. They are supportive, enable one to store work in a protective environment, and offer an alternative to making a clamshell box. Discussion on archival materials, appropriate glues, boards, papers, etc. Learn how to measure and score for a perfect fit using jigs and other helpful hints. In addition, we will design labels for the boxes. For the librarian, book artist or collector. No experience necessary, just come with your books.

April 6 –- 7, 10am – 4pm                                  Maria G. Pisano                        $190/$215 

New! Crossed-Structure and Secret Belgian Bindings
A two-day workshop to make models of these historic books. The Crossed-Structure binding resulted from Carmencho Arrugui's study of pre-16th century bindings. This variation was developed by Hedi Kyle and uses a heavy cover paper with paste paper patterns on both sides. This non-adhesive binding yields a soft cover book with a decorative pattern of crossing strips on the spine. The Secret Belgian binding is an historical binding which has been rediscovered by Hedi Kyle and has been attributed to the Belgians, though its origins are still obscure. This hard cover book will be made with decorated papers with a binding that yields a sturdy yet flexible book with an attractive pattern of threads on the spine.

April 13 – 14, 10am – 4pm                                Emily Martin                $190/$215 

The Faux Book Box

When is a book not a book?  When it’s a box, looking very much like a well-worn, much-loved old volume.  We will build a pair of boxes, to hold sets of cards (or other ephemera), using decorative papers inside and out.  Students will choose between leather or paper spines, with fake raised bands, to give their boxes a truly old-fashioned look.  Materials will be provided, but you are asked to bring your own decorative papers for use on the second box. Beginners welcome.

April 13 – 14, 10am – 4pm                                Barbara Mauriello          $190/$215 

Basic Book Repair

Students will bring two or three cloth bound books– one round back and one flat-back– with minimal damage to the text block (torn pages, several detached or loose pages) and damage to the spines.  There will be demonstrations of basic paper repairs with Japanese tissue and paste, how to tip in detached pages, and how to dry-clean paper. Then we will prepare text blocks for re-backing and/or re-casing.  On the second day, students will make repairs to the bindings and finish their projects. If time permits, we will talk about basic housing techniques, such as mylar wrappers, four-flap enclosures, and pamphlet binders.  Students should have basic bookbinding experience for this workshop.

April 20 – 21, 10am– 4pm                                 Jennifer Savran                          $190/$215 

New! Behold the Fold

Picture a sheet of paper and imagine transforming that flat surface into a book with covers and pockets. Folding comes alive, assisted by strategic cuts and sewing configurations. In this workshop, traditional bookmaking techniques intermingle with diverse concepts and the use of unusual materials. Other projects include slipcases, envelopes, boxes, albums and page components. Several of the planned structures lend themselves to house and display three-dimensional objects. Bring such items if you have them for your specific projects. As time allows, we will outfit one structure with content.

April 27 – 28, 10am – 4pm                                Hedi Kyle                     $190/$215 

New! Exploring Link Stitch
Link stitch is the unsupported sewing around which distinctive historical Coptic binding is built, but it's also a great sewing for building a host of smaller book structures. In this two-day workshop we'll start by making the curved needles necessary for this technique, working through a more-or-less historically correct Coptic binding, and then spin off into a series of variations that all rely on the linked stitch text block but look and feel quite different. If this sounds frighteningly technical, don't despair! You'll leave with a handful of interesting little blank books, and confident mastery of link stitch as well.

April 27 – 28                                                    Coriander Reisboard     $190/$215 

Beaded Bindings

Got boxes, bottles, or bags of beads hidden in the dark recesses of your home/studio? Then this is the class for you! Learn to incorporate beads of all sizes-from tiny seed pearls to large ceramic beads into your books. This class will explore several approaches to using beaded and loom work in book covers. Participants will create a book, sew on cords,and learn techniques for incorporating beading into the spine and cover. Other book styles that can easily use beads in their structures will also be discussed.

May 4 – 5, 10am – 4pm                                     Miriam Schaer              $190/$215 

Miniature Books II

Miniature books are challenging due to their size limitations. There are no limitations however to their potential as vessels and artifacts for both visual and written expressions. The class will create an array of personalized book structures which reflect the individual's experiences through patterns, designs and some text– from traditional book structures to more sculptural creations.

May 4 – 5, Sunday, 10am – 4pm                                    Maria G. Pisano                        $190/$215 

New! Production Methods Workshop

In this one-day workshop you will learn how to use a roller to apply glue and paste to simplify
and speed up a lot of the tasks around the bindery.  We will learn to make a jig for scoring and
another to help out with sewing. We will also discuss various types of bindery projects and figure out how to break them apart into speedily accomplished tasks.

Saturday May 11, 10am – 4pm                           Sage Reynolds               $90/$115 

Sound and Light

How would you like to make an electric book with special effect devices?  This course devotes two days to making books with Direct Current (DC) electricity.  Students will learn how to install batteries, buzzers, light bulbs, and micro-switches, as well as the fundamentals of electricity and the techniques of wiring, soldering, and attaching miniature parts to book covers or text blocks in a hardcover book.  You will wire one or, time permitting, two books during this weekend course.  Some bookbinding experience is recommended but not required. 

May 11 – 12, 10am – 4pm                                 Hooshang Partovi          $210/$235 

Hand Tools for Bookbinders

It’s a poor craftsman who blames his tools!  Having the right tool, properly maintained for the job can make a big difference in both the ease of execution and the final finish in bookbinding and conservation. Participants in this workshop will learn how to make and sharpen a set of small leather paring knives and how to customize bone folders. They will also learn to modify, tune and sharpen a range of edges and tools used in bookbinding.

May 18 – 19, 10am – 4pm                                 Joe Landry                    $190/$215 

Clamshell Boxes

Essential knowledge for all good bookbinders! Whether you’re housing photographs, prints, antiquarian books or artists’ books, the clamshell box is the perfect container. In this workshop, students will construct a two-tray, cloth-covered box to hold an 8.5” X 11” book or stack of prints or photographs. We will discuss the measuring of oddly shaped books and other materials.  If time permits, we will discuss insetting labels and lettering boxes.

May 18 – 19, 10am – 4pm                                             Carolyn Chadwick         $190/$215 

bindery-weekends bindery weeknights bindery weekdays

printshop weekends printshop weekdays printshop weeknights

papermaking

We accept Visa and Mastercard for class registration, membership, and donations.

Call (212) 481-0295 to register for classes or click here.

In the Bindery
Weeknights 

“Finish It Up”
Get that project out of the closet and back into the bindery where it belongs. This class will focus on assisting you in revisiting that edition or project you just couldn’t get to finish, couldn’t deal with anymore, or ran into a wall with.  You will get encouragement, support and expertise, particularly in streamlining work, using templates and developing a working style that moves your projects out the door. Problem solving, skills development and advice on use of materials in a short-term, tutorial situation for all levels. Students may repeat the workshop as needed.

Section 1: Feb. 7, 21, 2 Thursday nights, 6 – 9pm           Carolyn Chadwick         $90/$115

Section 2: Feb. 28, March 7, 2 Thursday nights, 6 – 9pm   Carolyn Chadwick         $90/$115

Section 3: March 14, 21, 2 Thursday nights, 6 – 9pm      Carolyn Chadwick         $90/$115

Section 4: March 28, April 4, 2 Thursday nights, 6 – 9pm Jeff Peachey                $90/$115

Section 5: April 11, 18, 2 Thursday nights, 6 – 9pm        Jeff Peachey                  $90/$115

Section 6: April 25, May 2, 2 Thursday nights, 6 – 9pm Jeff Peachey                  $90/$115

Section 7: May 9, 16, 2 Thursday nights, 6 – 9pm           Jeff Peachey                  $90/$115 

Leather Bound Books for Beginners: The Long Version

Want to make leather bound books but are intimidated or lack experience?  No previous experience in bookbinding or leather working is needed to create these beautiful soft leather bound books.  In this in-depth, evening workshop, you will add surface design to the leather covers using linoleum block cuts to create texture, image and color. Decorative endpapers and a deckled edge text block complete the aesthetic of the books.  We will also learn to make leather headbands.

February 19 – March 26, 6 Tuesday nights, 6 – 9 pm                  Biruta Auna       $270/$295

Bookbinding I

This introductory ten-week course will familiarize students with the basic materials (paper, cloth, board and adhesives) and techniques (folding, sewing and gluing) of bookbinding. Students will make several books, including pamphlet bindings, multi-section books, a simple enclosure, and books that become great journals, sketchbooks and albums.

Section 1: Feb. 25 – May 6, 10 Monday nights (no class 4/1) 6 – 9pm Barbara Mauriello $350/$375

Section 2: February 26 – April 30, 10 Tuesday nights, 6 – 9pm   Susan Mills        $350/$375

Section 3: February 27 – May 1, 10 Wednesday nights, 6 – 9pm  Sage Reynolds   $350/$375

NOTE: BBI is also offered as weeklong, daytime intensives Feb 25 – March 1^st & April 15 – 19 

Bookbinding II         

This class is a direct extension of Bookbinding I. While reviewing skills learned, such as rounding and backing, we will extend our sewing vocabulary to include concertina and other album structures and variations on the pamphlet binding.  We will also make a box and pay a visit to the Kensol hot stamping press.  Bookbinding I is a pre-requesite.

February 25 – May 6, 10 Monday nights, (no class 4/1) 6 – 9pm  Sage Reynolds    $350/$375

NOTE: BBII also offered as a weeklong, daytime intensive, March 4 – 8 

New! Manuscript Illumination

They only illuminate Bibles, right? No! Manuscript illumination is a set of techniques developed in the Middle Ages. The brilliant colors, supple parchment, and luminous gold catch the eye and demand complete attention. Small and discrete or overwhelming in scope, illuminations delight the eye. Using traditional designs or images from their own work, students will create a small illumination while learning all the steps in the process.

March 7 – April 4, 5 Thursday nights, 6:30 – 9pm          Karen Gorst                  $190/$215 

New! Collage Technique: Working with Art Tissues and Oriental Papers

Explore and expand your repertoire of collage techniques through the utilization of colored art tissues and dynamic oriental papers. Create novel “glassine” papers and “fantasy” papers, and explore in depth how various adhesives affect collage materials.

April 2 – May 21, 8 Tuesday nights, 6 – 9pm                  Roy Secord                  $300/$325 

New! The Painted Book

This workshop will cover tools, materials, and techniques for painting color and pattern onto the pages of your handmade books. Over four weeknights sessions, you will learn recipes for mixing mediums and colors, design strategies, simple ways to get texts onto the page, and some tricks of working with handmade paper. Students will emerge from this workshop with the knowledge and skills to create colorful, unique artist’s books that pull the viewer along through strong visual interest.

April 3 – 24, 4 Wednesday nights, 6 – 9pm                    Rory Golden                 $190/$215 

We accept Visa and Mastercard for class registration, membership, and donations.

Call (212) 481-0295 to register for classes or click here.

In the Bindery
Weekdays

 Bookbinding II: An Introduction to Restoration

In this class, students will concentrate on the more complex bookbinding methods used in book restoration.  We will take apart a book, re-guard sections, re-sew and construct new cases. Students should bring to class three or four books for re-binding.

Prerequisite: Bookbinding I.

Monday – Friday, February 4 – 8, 10am – 4pm               Sarah Dillon                  $350/$375 

Book Restoration

This course will concentrate mostly on the common practice of re-backing cloth volumes.  Paper repair, re-sewing of loose sections, dry cleaning, and the treatment of spines and endpapers will also be addressed. Students should bring at least two cloth covered books to the first class: one with a split or loose spine, and another with broken or split endpaper joints.

Prerequisites: Bookbinding II is strongly recommended or Bookbinding I and the ability to make a case with confidence.

Monday – Friday, February 11 – 15, 10am – 4pm           Sarah Dillon                  $350/$375 

Bookbinding for Artists

This intensive, beginning workshop is designed to enable artists to use the book format in their work as a means of expanding, preserving and restructuring ideas. Students will make four to five books, including an accordion book, a long-stitch book, and variations on the pamphlet binding, as well as a simple box (or two). The properties of bookbinding materials will be discussed in detail. Beginners welcome.

Section 1: February 11 – 15, Monday – Friday, 10am – 4pm       Barbara Mauriello          $350/$375

Section 2: April 22 – 26, Monday – Friday, 10am – 4pm Barbara Mauriello          $350/$375 

Boxes and Portfolios

This introductory course is designed for artists, librarians and everyone who loves books.  Participants will construct several storage containers: paper boxes, a two-tray drop spine box (a clamshell box), and a portfolio.  The details of box making, such as recessing decorative panels and transforming special fabrics into book cloth, will be taught.

February 25 – March 1, Mon-Fri, 10am – 4pm               Barbara Mauriello          $350 / $375 

Bookbinding I Intensive

This introductory week-long course will familiarize you with the basic materials (paper, cloth, board and adhesives) and techniques (folding, sewing and gluing) of bookbinding. We will make several books, including pamphlet bindings, multi-section books, a simple enclosure; books that become great journals, sketchbooks and albums.
Section 1: February 25 – March 1, Monday – Friday, 10am – 4pm           Susan Mills        $350/$375
Section 2: April 15 – 19, Monday – Friday, 10am – 4pm             Susan Mills        $350/$375

Bookbinding II Intensive

This weeklong class extends the practice of Bookbinding skills. We will begin by reviewing a flat-back case binding, then explore several structures utilizing more advanced skills, such as rounding and backing.  Given time, we will learn about working with leather, hand sewn endbands, edge gilding and simple gold tooling.  Bookbinding I is a pre-requisite.
March 4 – 8, Monday – Friday, 10am-4pm         Susan Mills                    $350/$375 

Stencil Paper

A one-day class on making and working with stencils.  This series of exercises will provide the paper artist with experience in using stencils for illustration and coloring.  Learn to design and cut original stencils using a variety of waterproof papers.  You’ll start your own “stencil library” so that you can combine techniques to create unusual effects.

Section 1: March 11, Monday, 10am – 4pm                    Beatrice Coron              $90/$115

Section 2: April 1, Monday, 10am – 4pm                                   Beatrice Coron              $90/$115 

Leather Spine Photo Album

In this intensive week-long workshop, participants will bind a large traditional quarter leather photo album.  Skills learned will include basic album construction with stubbing, rounding and backing using a hollow, attached board construction and leather work. We will also discuss methods of attaching photos and insetting onto the front board.  Eat your Wheaties before this one – it will be a strenuous but rewarding workshop!  BBII is a prerequisite, or permission of the instructor.

April 1 – 5, Monday through Friday, 10am – 4pm           Carolyn Chadwick         $350/$375 

bindery-weekends bindery weeknights bindery weekdays

printshop weekends printshop weekdays printshop weeknights

papermaking

We accept Visa and Mastercard for class registration, membership, and donations.

Call (212) 481-0295 to register for classes or click here.

In the PRINTSHOP
Weekends

OPEN HOUSE

See free demonstrations by CBA Artist Members and instructors, and try some simple book binding, printing, and paper decoration techniques yourself.  This Open House starts off our term of new classes and workshops on just the right cheerful note for a cold winter day!

Saturday January 26, 11am – 4pm 

Paste Paper Cake Walk – see bindery weekend workshops for description

Sunday, January 27, 10am – 4pm      Rory Golden, Maria G. Pisano, Sage Reynolds   $60/$85 

Paper Marbling

This course will teach the basics of water-based (Turkish) paper marbling using acrylic and tempera paints.  Learn how to prepare paper for marbling as well as basic marbling techniques. You will then have the opportunity to make your own marbled papers. We will also examine a variety of marbling patterns. Students who wish to marble their own specific types of paper should bring them on the first day of class to be prepared for marbling on day two.

February 2 – 3, 10am – 4pm                              Lauren Rowland                                    $190/$215 

New! The Layered Page

For artists who make prints, books or mixed media images, this weekend workshop will focus on experimentation with a wide range of media to create rich layered surfaces. The instructor will demonstrate pochoir, monoprint, paper lithography, collage, adhesives, heat transfers, and relief printing of metal type as well as woodblocks and photoengraved plates. Day two will be set aside for students to freely experiment in the studio under the instructor’s guidance.

February 9 – 10, 10am – 4pm                            Maureen Cummins                    $190/$215

Beginning Letterpress Intensive
Learn the fundamentals of typesetting and letterpress printing while creating a spontaneous, collaborative print or broadside. Designed for those without prior printing experience, this workshop will cover setting lead type by hand and the mechanics of printing with the Vandercook.  In addition, you will learn options for printing illustrations. The group will explore how to compose a page using the press as a design tool and investigate the subtleties of paper, inking and impression.

Section 1: February 16 – 17, 10am – 4pm          Katherine McCanless Ruffin       $190/$215
Section 2: April 13 – 14, 10am – 4pm                Jessica Kahle                             $190/$215

Business Cards on the Platen Press

Add sophistication to your calling cards through letterpress printing.  Business cards and calling cards are easy to do on a platen press.  Set lead type by hand, learn to fit it into a chase and letterpress print your own design.  A hands-on workshop that will offer the chance to produce your own calling cards in one day. Beginners welcome.

Section 1: February 23, Saturday 10am – 4pm    Richard MeNeely                      $90/$115

Section 2: April 28, Sunday, 10am – 4pm           Richard MeNeely                      $90/$115 

Rubber Stamps: Make Your Own
Rubber stamping is a relief process, like woodcut, and has the advantage of being highly portable–  you can carve and print anywhere.  Its many uses include stationery, business cards, artists books, and imagery for drawings or larger prints.  The class will review both black line and white line approaches, as well as multi-color techniques.  We will also experiment with oil-based inks, stencil printing, composite images and various papers. Students should bring drawings and photos to class. Beginners welcome.

February 24, Sunday, 10am – 4pm                     Rand Huebsch                           $90/$115 

Hands-on History of Type

When is a font not a font? Where is the lead in leading? Learn typographic history by experience as you hand set type and print it on a letterpress. See examples of early printing in The Center’s library. Students will come out of the workshop with a collaborative sampler of typefaces from The Center’s collection.

March 2 – 3, 10am – 4pm                                  Dikko Faust                               $190/$215 

Print Your Product

and learn the letterpress process as you do! Set up and print a small edition of your choice of greeting card, business card, letterhead, etc.  And learn the California job case, typesetting, press operation, editioning and press maintenance as you produce your work.  This workshop is intended for beginners, as well as those who would like to refresh their letterpress skills.

March 9 – 10                                                     Carol Sturm                              $190/$215 

New! Postcards with an Edge!
Tired of not being able to find the right postcard for the right occasion? Come in and make your own. Participants will gain hands-on experience in creating multi-colored prints that can be mailed to a friend or swapped with others in the class. You will learn how to design an image and make your own stamps, as well as different linoleum cutting and collaging techniques. Students will learn to print on The Center's presses, and how to print from linoleum blocks at home. The approach will not be tradition-bound, but inventive, with contemporary, creative methods that can be spontaneous, simple and direct. All levels welcome.
March 16 – 17                                       Ben Rinehart                             $190/$215 

New! Printing With or Without The Press

Using wood and metal typefaces, we will explore various techniques, such as brushing, rolling, stenciling, using non-toxic materials to create unique prints or variable editions of books. This course offers technical advice on how to print color and black and white unique prints with the press, as well as options for printing without a press. Please bring decorative or fine papers for your project. No prior printing experience is needed.

March 23 – 24, 10am – 4pm                  Elena Laza                                 $190/$215 

Collage Technique

Explore the technical issues of adhesion through a practical investigation of grounds, proper ground and medium preparation, and experimentation of various grounds and adhesives in relation to specific adhered materials.  Emphasis in this course is placed on permanency, technical problem solving, continuity of materials (techniques to eliminate bleeding, warping, bubbling, smears, wrinkling, etc.), manipulating papers with different kinds of adhesives, and creating exciting, novel art materials with adhesives.  For students at all levels.

April 6 – 7                                            Roy Secord                               $190/$215 

Introduction to Photopolymer Plates
This course is designed for those familiar with graphic design (any platform and software are ok) interested in using digital files for letterpress printing. The class will walk you through all stages of the process - from computer design considerations to printing on The Center's Vandercook proofing presses.
April 20 – 21, 10am – 4pm        Earl Kallemeyn $190/$215 (+ a materials fee for plate and film) 

Letterpress Problem Solving Workshop

Having trouble with solid, crisp inking on your type, or unevenly inked plates?  Can’t figure out why that second-color run doesn’t register properly?  Mystified by packing versus roller-height adjustments?  Want to know how to salvage those worn-out letters in a font of lead type?  Come to this workshop and find solutions.  Bring the specific problems you are encountering, and we’ll find how to fix them – and you’ll get answers to problems you haven’t yet discovered!  Type, plates, inks, papers and presses will all be discussed, from ordering to using, adjusting, altering and stretching the limits of.

April 27, Saturday, 10am – 4pm                        Carol Sturm                  $90/$115 

New! Collagraphs: Discover Dimensional Prints

A collagraph is a print made from a collage of various materials glued together on cardboard or plexiglass. In this workshop you will explore different ways to create plates using mediums, fabric, sand, and found objects. Students will learn basic relief and intaglio printing techniques on an etching press, and see how your plates translate into prints.  Collagraph prints can also be used as the cover for your books and boxes. This course will be helpful to beginners and to advanced printmakers.

May 4 – 5, 10am – 4pm                         Yasuyo Tanaka               $190/$215 

Wood and Metal Type in Combination

Develop your skill in printing different sizes and kinds of type all at once. We will mix wood and metal type together using single and multi-colored inking. Wood and metal letters have unique physical properties that, when mixed, produce endless possibilities in effect and composition. We will address how to integrate image and text together, incorporating text compositionally on a page, next to an illustration, or by itself. Please bring along words you’d like to print – an announcement, poem or poster, and any special papers or drawings on which you would like to print. No previous printing experience necessary.

May 11 – 12, 10am – 4pm                                 Elena Laza                     $190/$215 

Beginning Multiple Color Linoleum Printing

Learn registration and carving techniques, jigsaw registration, reduction printing and make at least one multiple color print. Students will trade prints with each other at the end of the class. This is a great illustration technique for artist’s books. Beginners Welcome. 

May 18 – 19, 10am – 4pm                                 Mare Blocker                $190/$215         

bindery-weekends bindery weeknights bindery weekdays

printshop weekends printshop weekdays printshop weeknights

papermaking

We accept Visa and Mastercard for class registration, membership, and donations.

Call (212) 481-0295 to register for classes or click here.

In the Printshop
Weeknights 

New! The Layered Book

This class will expand upon the concepts and techniques of The Layered Page class, with the emphasis on richly colored and layered pages that break out of the black and white grid of Western book design. The first three classes will be devoted to demonstrations of technique (including monoprint, collage, non-toxic xerox transfer techniques, letterpress printing, and pochoir); the second set of classes will be open studio sessions in which the students work on one-of-a-kind books or small editions.

February 4 – March 25, 7 Monday Nights, 6 – 9pm Maureen Cummins          $275/$300

New! Typesetting and the Platen Press: Small Projects

Business cards, invitations and other small projects are easy to do on a platen press.  Set lead type by hand, learn to fit it into a chase, and letterpress print editions of your own design.  Hands on workshop that will offer the chance to do one or two simple projects over the course of two evenings.  Students can continue in further sections of the course to do more projects under the instructor’s guidance. Beginners welcome.

Section 1: February 7, 14, 2 Thursday nights, 6 – 9pm    Richard MeNeely          $90/$115

Section 2: February 28, Mar. 7, 2 Thursday nights, 6 – 9pm Richard MeNeely    $90/$115

Section 3: March 14, 21, 2 Thursday nights, 6 – 9pm      Richard MeNeely          $90/$115

Section 4: April 25, May 2, 2 Thursday nights, 6 – 9pm              Richard MeNeely          $90/$115

Section 5: May 16, 23, 2 Thursday nights, 6 – 9pm         Richard MeNeely          $90/$115 

New! Alumigraph

This technique provides an inexpensive, non-acid alternative to etching. The printing plate, a “sandwich” of cardboard, gel medium, and aluminum foil, can carry all of the texture, stipple, and hatching of a metal intaglio plate. Printing in this way is a spontaneous process, with some degree of unpredictability. Students will print on The Center’s etching press, using oil-based inks. The class will examine selective (a la poupée) inking, as well as relief-inking, hand printing, and multi-plate printing. Beginners welcome.

February 19 – March 26, 6 Tuesday nights, 6 – 9pm       Rand Huebsch              $250/$275 

Guillotine Training Workshop
In this 2-hour workshop you will learn to operate The Center’s motorized guillotine paper cutter. The guillotine makes it easy to cut large stacks of paper and to trim the edges of books. Completion of this course (or a waiver) is required for authorization to use the machinery.

Section 1: February 21, Thursday night, 6 – 8 pm                       Roni Gross                    $40/$65
Section 2: March 28, Thursday night, 6 – 8pm                Roni Gross                    $40/$65
Section 3: April 4 May 9, Thursday night, 6 – 8pm         Roni Gross                    $40/$65
Section 4: May 9, Thursday night, 6 – 8pm                     Roni Gross                    $40/$65

Letterpress Project Workshop

Need help preparing and printing an editioned letterpress project?  Learn how to prepare digital files for photo-polymer printing/artwork for magnesium plates, and print a small edition from polymer, magnesium, linoleum or wood type; write a colophon, prospectus and discuss marketing your book.  Previous printing experience helpful but not essential.

Section 1: April 3 – May 8, 6 Wednesday nights, 6 – 9 pm          Roni Gross        $250/$275 

The Artist's Book: Concept and Direction
This workshop offers direction in the planning and creation of your artist’s book.  Together, we will problem solve both process and conceptualization of our book projects.  Various printing methods will be demonstrated and used, including drypoint, monoprinting, letterpress, woodcut, and wood engraving.  There will also be demonstrations of various binding structures.  Students will receive personal attention on their individual projects and work on making a book dummy.  Suitable for all levels of experience.
April 9 – May 14, 6 Tuesday nights, 6 – 9pm                  Mikhail Magaril             $250/$275 

New! Experimental Workshop in Printing Technique

Explore visual ideas in a book format or as a wall piece. Printing materials need not be flat and may include boxes, objects, even hats, shoes, gloves and other wearables. Create a one-of-a-kind work or a variable edition. Experiment with a range of surface inking and printing methods. Bring interesting and offbeat materials to class, to transfer images or convey surface textures into your unique, printed expressions.

April 15 – May 6, 4 Monday Nights, 6 – 9pm     Elena Laza                                $190/$215

bindery-weekends bindery weeknights bindery weekdays

printshop weekends printshop weekdays printshop weeknights

papermaking

We accept Visa and Mastercard for class registration, membership, and donations.

Call (212) 481-0295 to register for classes or click here.

In the Printshop
Weekdays

Japanese Water-based Woodblock Printing
Create images using the ancient traditional Japanese Ukiyo-e style of printing by hand, still widely used in Japan today.  We will carve simple images into blocks and print them. We will make multi-colored block prints using a variety of carving techniques. The use of proper tools (carving, brushes and others), quite different from those used in Western printmaking, will be thoroughly discussed. Each student will make two or three prints in small editions during the workshop. Suitable for all levels of experience.
April 1 – 5, Monday through Friday, 10am – 4pm           Takuji Hamanaka             $350/$375

Papermaking Workshops at Dobbin Mill in Brooklyn

 Translucent Papers

Translucency is the result of fiber choice and preparation. In this class we will focus on two fibers – abaca and flax – and produce a series of elegant papers with Western and Eastern techniques. Tranlucency and rich color intensity are but two of their characteristics, so the papers can look like transparent vellums, skins, while having a depth of color that is unique! No more egg carton papers as we go to new vistas of papermaking. Directions to Dobbin Mill will be sent upon registration.

May 18 – 19, 10am – 4pm         Robbin Ami Silverberg                                      $170/$195 

bindery-weekends bindery weeknights bindery weekdays

printshop weekends printshop weekdays printshop weeknights

papermaking