In 2011, we held the first Art of the Book exhibit in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Rochester Public Library. At the time, we wanted to celebrate what has been at the core of libraries for centuries–the book. We marveled over the intricate interpretations of this humble format, and we were thrilled with the response to the exhibit from the community.
In subsequent years, the exhibit has grown to include entries from all over the world, featuring well-known artists for their exquisite work. We have built a reputation worldwide among book artists, and we are so pleased to see that reputation upheld.
Books continue to ensnare the imagination, both for their form and content. Artists manipulate those two components to create breathtaking, mind-bending works of art that tease and cajole people to consider the intricacies of paper, ink, words, and meaning.
2023 Prospectus Online Registration Form
2022 Winners
Best of Show– Book Marks: An Artist’s Card Catalog, by Barbara Page, Trumansburg, NY
Artist’s Books
First Place– Based on Your Current Trajectory Second Place– I Look at the World
by Rachel Simmons, Orlando, FL by Tennille Shuster, Macon, GA
Honorable Mentions:
Two to Tango, by Charlene Asato, Mountain View, HI
Graphite Hands, by Deborah Phillips Chodoff, Katonah, NY
Bird Totem, by Marcia Vogler, Charlotte, VT
Magic, the admirable book of insects, by Ermina Marasca Soccol, Porto Alegre, Brazil
Caldo De Pollo, Gud Soya, & Spiced Buttermilk, by Ben Rubin, Rochester, NY
Meringue, by Macey Ley, Jamaica Plain, MA
Ecorce Interne, by Maja Dokudowicz, Warsaw, Poland
Altered Books
First Place– Words Are Unruly Second Place– Houdini’s Dilemma
by Dorsey Hogg, Burlington, VT by Tony Dagradi, New Orleans, LA
Honorable Mentions:
Roundup: The Class of 1929, by Lynn Skordal, La Conner, WA
Methodist Hymnal: Special COVID Edition, by Genevieve Lapp, Sait Louis Park, MN
Paper Sculpture
First Place– Great Expectations: Loosely Knit Second Place– Canopy, No 3
by Gregg Silvis, Newark DE by Bret Garwood, Rochester, NY
Honorable Mentions:
Quilters, by Carolyn Shattuck, Rutland, VT
Valle de la Meuse, by Carole Kunstadt, West Hurley, NY