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


AOB 2022 Program

2022 Winners

Best of ShowBook Marks: An Artist’s Card Catalog, by Barbara Page, Trumansburg, NY

Artist’s Books

                                                                 

First PlaceBased on Your Current Trajectory                                                                   Second PlaceI 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 PlaceWords 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 PlaceGreat 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

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