ABOUT CBAS
Founded in 1998, Cincinnati Book Arts Society (CBAS) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), all-volunteer organization of professionals and amateurs from all quarters of the book, paper and printing arts: book artists, bookbinders, papermakers, printers, paper marblers, as well as archivists and conservators. The central book arts organization in the Ohio–Kentucky–Indiana area, CBAS now has members from throughout the US, Canada and Mexico.
Our goals are to create a spirit of community among hand workers in the book arts, to provide educational opportunities for private individuals and community organizations, and to create exhibits offering members the chance to exhibit their work.
Since the fall of 2016, CBAS headquarters has been Studio #164 at the Essex Studios in Walnut Hills. The well-lit and spacious studio features classroom space for meetings and workshops, supplies and equipment for use on site, display cases for members’ work, samples of and instructions for making structures created in previous sessions and a resource library with materials members can borrow.
Whether you are a beginning or experienced book artist, a bibliophile, a collector, or an arts educator, CBAS has something to offer. Just as a book could not exist without all of its various parts, so CBAS depends upon its members for financial support to fund its programs. Find the membership level that is right for you, and welcome to CBAS!
To renew or start your membership, click here. cincinnatibookarts.org/membership-info/
WHAT IS AN ARTIST’S BOOK?
An artist’s book can be difficult to describe, and there is no one definition that is agreed upon by those of us who create in this field. What is a settled fact is that the artist creates every aspect of the work; structure, binding, and content, and each of these elements can play an equal role in communicating the intent of the artist. An artist’s book can incorporate traditional and non-traditional materials and media. It may look like a traditional book or may look nothing like it.
But the defining element of an artist book to me is that it reveals rather than presents.
CBAS member Judith Serling-Sturm
