About



Mission & History

Center for Book Arts promotes active explorations of artistic practices related to the book as an art object.

Founded in 1974, Center for Book Arts (CBA) is the oldest non profit dedicated to uplifting and furthering the book arts & book art through education, preservation, exhibition, art making, and community building.

The book arts inherently democratize the powerful media of the book by empowering people to harness the format independent from the exclusive commercial publishing and gallery industries.

In solidarity with Black lives and in our efforts toward utilizing the book arts as a tool toward liberation, the Board and Staff of Center for Book Arts are committed to anti-racism and actively work against violence in all its guises.

A major goal of our programs, both in-person and online, is to encourage and nurture the many perspectives, experiences, and processes that artists bring to the space. We strive to cultivate a myriad of practices within the book arts, tying in our varied and collective histories outside of the dominant canon.

The organization opposes discrimination due to race, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, and age. We affirm our dedication to values that ensure transparency and equity for all our staff, students, faculty, and the greater book arts community.


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Programming

CBA’s multifaceted in-person and online offerings include:

CBA’s talented Artist Instructors, many of whom have been working with us for decades, teach a wide variety of book arts workshops with options available in-person as well as online. View upcoming workshops…

You can access our rich collections of artist’s books, books on book arts, and other rare items—many of which are not publicly available anywhere else in the world—online or in person (by appointment or drop-in). Make an appointment to view the collections in person by emailing collections@centerforbookarts.org.

Our dynamic exhibition calendar brings over ten unique curatorial presentations exploring the art of the book to CBA’s galleries each year. On view now…

From artist talks to poetry readings to community gatherings, CBA offers exciting ways to engage with the book arts through live programs that take place either in-person or online. Check out our events calendar…

CBA offers many opportunities for emerging artists, writers, scholars, students, and professionals to engage with the book arts including our Book Artist-in-Residence program, Annual Chapbook Competition, Book Art Research Fellowship, internship program, volunteerism, and more. See opportunities…

CBA’s well-equipped bindery and printshop studios feature 300 type specimens, vandercooks, a 19th century Washington hand press, several platen presses, a 36” guillotine paper cutter, board shears, varieties of presses including hot stamping presses, hand tools, and more. Studio rentals are available. Request a studio orientation by emailing studio@centerforbookarts.org.

Those looking for deeper engagement with the book arts and our community are invited to join our membership program. Learn more

In an effort to ensure our programming remains accessible to all who wish to engage, many of our programmatic offerings have pay-what-you-can pricing or need-based financial aid available.

Various images laid out in a scrapbook mapping the Center's first ten years, including a black and white photograph of people working in our bindery, taken by Richard Minsky, and a poster for an open forum in 1984
 Scrapbook items from CBA’s first ten years

Hours & Admission

Admission to CBA is free with a suggested donation.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day – January 15
Memorial Day – May 27
Juneteenth – June 19
Independence Day – July 4
Labor Day – September 2
Indigenous Peoples’ Day – October 14
Veterans’ Day – November 11
Thanksgiving Day – November 28
Holiday Break – December 25 – January 2


Covid 19 Healthy & Safety

All visitors are required to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination upon arrival and wear a mask covering their nose and mouth at all times while on-site. If you do not have a mask when you arrive, one will be provided for you.

If you have a medical or religious exemption to the vaccine, please contact CBA Executive Director Corina Reynolds in advance of your visit.

View Full Covid 19 Policy

Directions

CBA is located in New York City’s Flatiron neighborhood at 28 W 27th Street, 3rd Floor between 7th Avenue and Broadway.

  • 29 West 28th Street, between Broadway and 6th Avenue
    (Enter on 28th Street or Broadway)
  • 6th Avenue between 29th and 30th Streets
  • 101 West 23rd Street, near 6th Avenue
  • 1251 Broadway, near 31st Street
  • 39 West 23rd Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues

Please note: street parking in Manhattan is VERY limited and restrictions prevent the general public from using street parking on weekdays from 6am-7pm in our neighborhood.


Accessibility

Center for Book Arts welcomes all and makes every attempt to accommodate our community’s access needs.

CBA’s building has an elevator, with a backup freight elevator, both accessible from street level.

Our galleries and studio space are wheelchair accessible with an ADA-compliant bathroom. The space is regularly cleaned and sanitized.

Large type programs are available on request. Please call ahead if you have questions or needs.


Contact Us

Center for Book Arts

28 West 27th Street, 3rd Fl
New York, New York 10001
(212) 481-0295

info@centerforbookarts.org

Contact Us

We receive a high level of inquiries, please be patient and allow 3-5 business days to receive a reply from the appropriate staff member.


Staff

Corina Reynolds
Executive Director

Tanner Blackwell
Studio Community Manager

Camilo Otero
Artists Programs Manager

Tyler Roarty
Educational Programs Manager

Gillian Lee
Librarian

Zoe Katz
Outreach Assistant

Sidney Renaud Eberly
Studio Assistant

Lucia van Ryzin
Education Assistant


Volunteers

Lizania Cruz, Studio Volunteer

Poline Grishina, Studio Volunteer

Malik Kirkwood, Exhibitions Volunteer

Myong Jin, Studio Volunteer

Caslon Yoon, Studio Volunteer


Studio Ambassadors

Biruta Auna, Elizabeth Castaldo, Roni Gross, Barbara Henry, MC Hyland, Nancy Loeber, Amber McMillan Braverman, Richard O’Russa, Caslon Yoon


Senior Publications Advisor

Cornelia Lauf


Founder

Richard Minsky

Board of Directors

Sheila Brathwaite

Stephen Bury, Chair

Gail Coleman, Treasurer

Jesse R. Erickson

Maria Fredericks, Co-Vice Chair

Tom L. Freudenheim

Neal Grenley, Secretary

Aleksandra Grinshteyen

Milan Hughston

Miriam Schaer

Asher Schlusselberg, Co-Vice Chair

Szilvia Szmuk-Tanenbaum, Emerita


International Council

Thorsten Baensch (Brussels, Belgium); Sarah Bodman (Bristol, United Kingdom); David Dibosa (London, United Kingdom); Peter Foolen (Eindhoven, Netherlands); Jack Ginsberg (Johannesburg, South Africa); Angela Lorenz (Bologna, Italy); Susanne Padberg (Vienna, Austria); Priya Pereira (Mumbai, India); Sharmini Pereira (Colombo, Sri Lanka); Melanie Scarciglia (Paris, France); Renée Ting (Singapore)


Press Clips

  • NBC News #RedefineAtoZ: Richard Tran Is Reflecting, Learning Through Lived Experiences

Media Contact

Corina Reynolds
Executive Director
corina@centerforbookarts.org


Annual Report

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