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. In 2021 we added a category of Paper Sculpture.

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. Every year the range of work never ceases to amaze us.

We hope you enjoy the 13th Annual Juried International Art of the Book & Paper exhibit this year from August 20-November 30, 2024.

2023 AOB Program

2023 Winners

Best of Show– Catharsis, Michele Heather Pollock, Columbus, IN

Artist’s Books

First Place– Ascension, Jim Cokas, Newport Beach, CA

Second Place– D/AA/D, Katherine Kenal, Salt Lake City, UT

Honorable Mentions:

Catch of the Day, Bettina Pauly, Redwood City, CA

Unknown Faces, Ana Lucia Araya Rodriguez, Columbus, OH

When I Was Japanese, Nina Gaby, Rochester, NY

Watercourse 1: Lake.River.Stream, Barbara Hocker, Bolton, CT

Ambling II, Anita Gangi Balkun, Bloomfield, CT

Firebird, Magdelena Cordero, Lo Barnechea Santiago, Chile

Depositions, Barbara Page, Trumansburg, NY

Altered Books

First Place– Double-Sided Shortcomings, Doug Beube, Brooklyn, NY

Second Place– It’s Not What You Expected, Marcia Vogler, Charlotte, VT

Honorable Mentions:

Gustave Builds a Tower, Lynne Skordal, LaConner, WA

The Interchangeable Dictionary, Doug Beube, Brooklyn, NY

Paper Sculpture

 

First Place– Tower of Tears, Robert Marvin, Rochester, NY 

Second Place– Wunderlust III & V, Carole Kunstadt, West Hurley, NY

Honorable Mentions:

Extinçāo, Tania Luzzatto, Porto Alegre, Brazil

Offering to the Mountain, Eryn Lewis, Newark, NJ

Read the article on Central Library’s Art of the Book exhibit in Fiber Art Now (spring/summer issue, Vol 10, issue 2, 2021).