‘Handmade and Bound’ Festival of Book Arts Unfolds Sept. 30 – Oct. 1

Artists’ books, zines and comics will be celebrated at the first edition of Handmade & Bound Nashville,a book arts festival for the entire family, set for Friday, Sept. 30 – Saturday, Oct. 1, at Watkins College of Art, Design & Film.  All events are free and open to the public.

Sponsored by the Watkins Library, the festival will launch with a juried book arts and zine exhibition titled Encoded Structures: Interpreting the Stor y , on display beginning Sept. 30 on campus in the Brownlee O. Currey, Jr. Gallery. The exhibition runs through Oct. 28.

Also on Sept. 30 is a screening of the award-winning 2004 documentary “$100 and a T-shirt,” a cultural analysis of the zine community directed by Joe Biel. The film (51 min.) will be shown in the Watkins Theater, 8:00 p.m.

On Saturday, Oct. 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., creators of artists’ books, publishers and distributors of zines and comics, and book lovers will come together to sell, trade or buy handmade and affordable publications and creations. The day will feature activities for children and adults, such as printmaking, papermaking, book- and zine-making and screenprinting, as well as local bands and a wide variety of food trucks.

“In the age of e-books and virtual connections this art form may seem archaic, but people are embracing the elemental, primal experiences that come with making and enjoying a hand-crafted, artisan book,” said Watkins Library director Lisa Williams, one of the event organizers.  “These art pieces are a physical interpretation of language, providing an intimate communication between the reader and the creator that happens not only through reading but also through the tactile act of turning the pages, opening the boxes, or pulling the tabs the artist has utilized.”

For information including schedules, vendor table registration and exhibition submission, visit handmadeboundnashville.com and Handmade Bound Nashville on Facebook, or contact the Watkins Library at 615.277.7427.

The festival is an official, registered event of Artober Nashville, a broadly collaborative promotional initiative designed to highlight, inform and inspire the community’s participation in the wide range of arts activities offered in the Nashville area during the month of October (www.NowPlayingNashville.com).

Handmade & Bound Nashville is presented by the librarians and staff of Watkins College of Art, Design & Film, the Watkins Community Education department, and local librarians and book artists.  Watkins is located at 2298 Rosa L. Parks Boulevard in Metro Center; free parking is available in the campus lot.

FAQ

• ·         What’s an artist’s book?An artist’s book is a work of art realized in a book-like format. They are usually one-of-a-kind creations (called “uniques”) or published in small editions, and can employ a form other than bound printed sheet.

• ·         What’s a zine?  A zine (pronounced “zeen,” as in “magazine”) is a self-published, small circulation, non-commercial booklet or magazine, usually produced by one person or a few individuals. Zines range from small photocopied booklets, to handwritten or handmade booklets, to magazine-like publications.

Credits: Jennifer Knowles McQuistion [far left and right] and Annie Herlocker [middle]