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 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
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
