2023 Jersey Art Book Fair Programs

Join Dr. Kenael Segal, a mind, body, spirit educator of Lotus Physical Therapy and Wellness, to learn how to work with her Return To Self deck of affirmation cards to inspire creative projects. After learning about the intentions, design and printing of the cards and how Dr. Segal uses them in her own practice, attendees will pull cards and learn how to utilize creativity as a form of healing, meditation, and self-care.

The founders of Draw Down Books, Christopher Sleboda and Kathleen Sleboda, will lead a panel discussion focused on typography used in various publications, including their latest book, “I Got Something to Say: Poster Inventory, 2013-2021.” Type often carries its own story, and panelists Somnath Bhatt, Tanya Brassie (inCahoots press), Luiza Dale (Quickbooks), Elaine Lopez (Lo Press), Andrew McQuiston, Chuck Gonzales and Chen Luo (Body & Forma), John O’Toole (Oranbeg Press), and Nat Pyper will share their typographic insights. Our hope is that by speaking with designers producing publications, tales of type can become better woven into discussions of artist book publishing and art books.

The quiet but critical partner to all revolutionary activities is the humble field notebook. As seemingly mundane as the pen or the alphabet, it is a thing of profound and effective beauty that participants will learn to make with everyday materials in the time it takes to drink a glass of wine. 

Join graphic designer and illustrator Sean Suchara in a hands-on workshop where participants will use collage as a framework to tackle creative burnout, explore mental health, and strengthen our overall creativity. Participants will learn about stream of consciousness association skills and DIY crafting methodologies and then practice combining them through a collage exercise. All materials will be provided from Sean’s personal collection of collage/image resources.

The Japanese-designed Risograph printer from the ‘80s is no ordinary vintage office copier. Learn how to use this bulky, gray office appliance to make your very own prints. Calipso Press will demonstrate how to make 2-color prints as well as analog color separation. 

Join Diasporan Savant Press for selected readings from The Black Nonbinary Archive's publications as well as a Q&A about oral history and archival practice as an artist and organizer during the pandemic. The Black Nonbinary Archive gathers the rich insights and perspectives of Black Nonbinary people from all over the world, capturing the fullness of our stories in remembrance of our ancestors, in service of those living, and in dedication to the glorious children of the future.

Enjoy a reading of poems and essays as well as a short film screening with Ebony Tomatoes Collective, a multimedia publication for uncensored stories of identity and ancestry from black women and nonbinary folks across the African Diaspora. Get to know members of the leadership team and learn about the importance of digital publishing for carrying out their mission.

Come celebrate the first day of the fair with beats by Donavon and a live performance by Yaya & Cesar. We'll be turning down the gallery lights and turning up beats for fellow print and art book lovers! Tickets sold separately. Ages 21+. 

Bring a cup of joe to enjoy while listening to a debut reading by Ann E. Wallace, 2023-24 Poet Laureate of Jersey City. Enjoy listening to her poems about life in Jersey City, including her Inaugural Poet Laureate Poem, “The Porches of Strangers.”

FAR–NEAR is a self-started, cross-cultural book series printed annually since 2018. This Q&A will begin with a short presentation on how FAR–NEAR began, how it's progressed in the last five years, and some of the benefits and disadvantages of self-funded independent publishing. The space will then be opened up for questions from attendees.

Letterpress was the go-to printing method from the 15th century (thanks to Johannes Gutenberg) until offset lithography emerged in the 20th century. Learn about this centuries-old technique with a hands-on letterpress printing demo with a tabletop proofing press. Center for Book Arts will pre-set type on the press, and attendees will be able to print their own poster on the press.

What (MORE) can a bookstore do? Join Shisi Huang (owner of Bungee Space and 1/3 of 3standardstoppage studio) and Qianfan Gu (art critic, writer, and publisher of Gong Press) as they discuss why this is a question that must constantly be proposed. Bungee Space is an image study- and image criticism-focused art book store, which also sells coffee, wearable designs, and works as an artist-run space & publisher. Standing as an unconventional bookstore, Bungee Space involves community (trans-)forming and social-political intervening. This panel cannot offer any ultimate answer, only some brief, amusing cases – they are about experiment, process, and becoming.

Spitz & Pollack artists' books are very interactive, employing the use of pop-ups, movable mechanisms, and innovative structures. In this introductory workshop, participants will explore how to make basic pop-ups and movable mechanisms. Limited to 30 participants.

Join Bridge & Tunnel Crowd publisher Win Vitkowsky (Connecticut), cartoonists Phil Tea, Sonya Katcher, and Naz Hedepeth (New York), and printer Joe Lotto (New Jersey) to learn what goes into making the 32-page "monthly shmata."