BOOK ARTS STUDIO ADULT COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS 2026-2027
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER FOR COURSES:
www.bookartsprogram.org · 801-585-9191
@bookartsprogram · www.facebook.com/bookartsprogram
https://lib.utah.edu/collections/book-arts/community/workshops.php
COMMUNITY WORKSHOP SCHOLARSHIPS The Book Arts Program is pleased to offer a limited number of scholarships to currently enrolled University of Utah students and Utah K–12 educators.
To register for a workshop, you must be 18 years or older. Family Book Arts: Gather & Connect welcomes those under 18 into the studio but minors must be registered with an adult. All ages are welcome to attend our annual Print Appreciation & Booking a Brouhaha Opening event and no registration is needed. Minors must be accompanied by an adult.
All workshops and events are held at the Book Arts Studio on the fourth floor of the J. Willard Marriott Library unless otherwise stated. Prices below are full price per workshop. Half of the fee is collected upon registration as a deposit. The remaining balance is collected in person at the beginning of the workshop. Note that the deposit is non-refundable. Please see our refund policy. Workshops fill on a first-come, first-served basis so don't wait—our workshops sell out fast!
Introduction to Risograph
Saturday, September 26, 2026; 1:00–5:00pm
Rachel Urban
$75
More information and registration for Introduction to Risograph
What is a Risograph duplicator, and why is it all the rage? The Riso is a Japanese stencil duplicator that blends the functionality of photocopying with the artistry of screen printing. This workshop introduces the requisite skills and best practices for Risograph printing, safe use of the studio cutters, and the Book Arts Studio Use policies. After completing the workshop, participants are invited to apply for independent studio use to produce individual projects. Approved independent users have access to the machine during open studio hours and pay a fee of $10/hour plus materials.
Paper Marbling
Friday–Saturday, October 16–17, 2026; 10:00–5:00
Pietro Accardi
$310
More information and registration for Paper Marbling
Participants learn and practice historical and modern paper marbling patterns that were developed for embellishing the end papers of books. Considerations and use of metallic paint are discussed as are ideas on how to use simple, harmonious color palettes using the color wheel. Participants also learn overmarbling, a technique where one pattern is superimposed upon another to create a magnificent and complex play of pattern. Participants leave the workshop with up to thirty sheets of marbled papers.
Pietro Accardi began marbling more than thirty-five years ago at his father’s printing press. As a self-taught marbler, he developed his own unique perspective and understanding of marbling through much trial and error. For twelve years Pietro owned a Bookbindery in Turin, Italy and worked for Turin’s main library, the Municipal Archives and University Libraries restoring and binding documents and books. Since coming to the U.S. in 2012, he runs his paper marbling and book restoration business near Lake Tahoe with his wife and cats. He has taught regularly at the San Francisco Center for the Book since 2014.
Family Book Arts: Gather & Connect
Saturday, November 14, 2026; 1:00–5:00
Rachel Urban
$70
More information and registration for Family Book Arts: Gather & Connect
Children six to eighteen years old are welcome to bring an adult friend or family member to explore bookmaking through the lens of a naturalist. Each participant creates two books: a folded book form with pockets for found materials and a sewn book made of recycled materials to document findings in the wild. The workshop covers simple stamp-making and embellishments. After the workshop, head outside to observe, collect, and connect with the natural world that awaits!
Print Appreciation & Booking a Brouhaha Opening
Print Appreciation: Friday, December 18, 2026; 4–7pm
Booking a Brouhaha: Friday, December 18—March 12, 2027
Free and open to the public
$4/card or 3 cards for $10.00
Join the Book Arts Program for a double celebration of our annual Print Appreciation and the opening reception for the Booking a Brouhaha exhibition! In the gallery, check out the amazing work from students in academic book arts courses. In the studio, print from a number of provided printing matrices with the option of overprinting these modular elements to match individual taste. We invite the public to drop in and print as many cards as time or wallet allow at $4/card or 3 cards for $10.00. Proceeds support the Book Arts Program outreach and academic programs.
Unique Sheets: Paper Decoration Techniques
Saturday, January 23, 2027; 1:00–5:00
Emily Tipps
$95
More information and registration for Unique Sheets: Paper Decoration Techniques
Hand decorated paper makes a great alternative to commercially printed sheets, and some engaging and straightforward techniques yield interesting results with distinct character. Participants in this workshop learn three methods for creating unique decorated papers. Paste paper, a tradition dating to the 16th century, uses simple tools and pigmented paste to create decorative patterns. In the ancient marbling practice of suminagashi, ink is suspended on water, manipulated, and transferred to paper. Finally, sumi and walnut ink can be used with brushes, bottles, salt, washes and more to create bold and expressive designs. Participants will learn the basics of all three of these techniques and have the opportunity to try them on a variety of paper stocks. The resultant papers can be kept as samples or used in book projects and in other paper arts such as collage and multi-media works.
Introduction to Risograph
Saturday, March 6, 2027; 1:00–5:00pm
Jazmin Gallegos
$75
More information and registration for Introduction to Risograph
What is a Risograph duplicator, and why is it all the rage? The Riso is a Japanese stencil duplicator that blends the functionality of photocopying with the artistry of screen printing. This workshop introduces the requisite skills and best practices for Risograph printing, safe use of the studio cutters, and the Book Arts Studio Use policies. After completing the workshop, participants are invited to apply for independent studio use to produce individual projects. Approved independent users have access to the machine during open studio hours and pay a fee of $10/hour plus materials.
Perfect Bound: Treat your Edges Right
Amy Thompson
Saturday, March 20, 2027; 1:00–5:00
$75
More information and registration for Perfect Bound: Treat your Edges Right
Interested in applying color to the edges of paper projects or books? Edge treatment may feel like a closely guarded secret, but isn’t as tricky as it looks. Participants learn to build perfect-bound books and give them a smart-looking finish. After completing the workshop, participants are invited to apply for independent studio use. Approved independent users have access to the airbrush during open studio hours, pay a fee of $10/hour, and should bring their own airbrush paint.
Bookmaking: Materials + Structure
Four consecutive Tuesdays, May 18—June 8, 2027, 4:30–7:30pm
Jazmin Gallegos
$250
Registration through Lifelong Learning opens Spring 2027
This fast-paced, four-week bookmaking venture introduces the fundamentals of bookbinding. Participants learn several book structures which may include folded forms, non-adhesive bindings, hard- and softcover sewn structures, and enclosures. Topics of discussion include studio practices, the selection and utility of various materials, and the role of the handmade book, but the primary emphasis is on materials and their properties, the functionality of various structures, acquiring hand skills and improving craft.
Book Repair: Paper + Paste
Five consecutive Thursdays, May 20–June 17, 2027; 4:30–7:30
Sara Luz Jensen
$280
Registration through Lifelong Learning opens Spring 2027
This course explores basic methods of conservation treatments as well as the reasons for performing—or not performing—book repairs. Basics of book repair are introduced: paper repair, book anatomy, how to fix common points of failure, and simple enclosures for protection. The class works together to determine the treatment options for specific damaged books while also considering the ethics of performing those treatments. As students perform conservation treatments they learn about appropriate materials, adhesives, and the tools of the trade. Students leave with a minimum of two treatments, a basic kit of conservation tools, and foundational knowledge to complete basic repairs at home.
Timeless Tomes for Tomeless Times: Exploring Early Modern Leather Binding
Thursday–Saturday, June 24–26, 2027; 10:00–5:00
Brien Beidler
$425
More information and registration for Timeless Tomes for Tomeless Times: Exploring Early Modern Binding
Participants in this fun, fast-paced workshop will explore 17th and early 18th century binding methods and materials as they create a full-leather binding fit for use and expression in a modern context. Students will employ techniques such as sewing on raised cords and edge trimming in boards, using historic materials such as handmade book board and hide glue. Participants leave with a blind tooled full-leather binding. This class is ideal for anyone searching for an accessible path to learn traditional hand bookbinding with leather, as well as for experienced binders and conservators looking to deepen their knowledge and expand their technical repertoire.
Brien Beidler is a bookbinder and toolmaker who explores the structure, aesthetics, and impact of pre-industrial bindings. In Brien’s practice, bookbinding and toolmaking are means to investigate the role books have played in the history of ideas and culture. Brien is deeply inspired by the processes of traditional bookbinders and uses tools and techniques that replicate the structural and visual properties of historic bindings. Brien specializes in hand-engraved finishing tools and other decorative stamps for his own work and other bookbinders, leatherworkers, and woodworkers. He teaches workshops in bookbinding, gold tooling with egg glair, and finishing tool making, and is on the board of Co-Directors for the Paper and Book Intensive. Brien holds an undergraduate degree in Chemistry from the College of Charleston, where he was first introduced to bookbinding in the library’s Special Collections. He was the Director of the Bindery and Conservation Lab at the Charleston Library Society from 2012-2016 before establishing his own practice. His studio is currently based in Minneapolis, MN. www.beidlermade.com
Educator Intensive: Discover the INGS in Bookmaking
Mary Wells
Wednesday and Thursday, July 14 & 15, 2027; 10:00am–5:00pm
Free and reserved for Utah educators
Registration opens Spring 2027
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Scoring, folding, cutting, gluing, painting, creating, and sharing! Apply all these -ings while learning more about the bookmaking artform art form. With decorating paper as the starting point, beginning bookmaking skills blossom into more complex forms. Sharing and discussing ideas for classroom use conclude these two exhilarating days of bookmaking.
Mary Wells is a book artist and calligrapher who demonstrates, teaches, and exhibits her letterforms and books. She is a retired teacher having taught in elementary and secondary schools. Currently, she works as an artist in residence for the Utah Arts Council and various schools' Parent-Teacher Associations.
