Minnesota Center for Book Arts Classes

Minnesota Center for Book Arts is a great resource for information and workshopsAs the largest and most comprehensive center of its kind in the nation, Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA) celebrates the book as a vibrant contemporary art form that takes many shapes. From the traditional crafts of papermaking, letterpress printing and bookbinding to experimental artmaking and self-publishing techniques, MCBA supports the limitless creative evolution of book arts.

Here are two classes that could be useful for portfolios:

Round Back Spine Binding
with Roz Stendahl
Saturday, October 10; 10am-6pm
All skill levels welcome

Learn how to sew a sturdy text block on tapes without the fuss of using a sewing frame. Work with archival artist paper to create a hardbound, cloth covered journal that will accept work in wet or dry media. Only the complexity has been scaled down in this version of the traditional round back spine structure. It proves sturdy enough for intense field work and is elegant enough to grace your coffee table. Students will have the option of creating a recessed frame on the cover to hold a label made post-class. Students will be able to make this book structure again and again at home without expensive binding equipment.


Throughout the day the instructor will provide journaling suggestions, discuss how to select paper suitable for a variety of visual journaling media, and examine ways to adapt the structure's size. She will have examples of her own journals as well as other resource books on hand. (This is a more traditional version of the structure Roz taught in "Not Your Father's Casebound Journal" which used painted boards and alternative materials.)

Read more about this workshop on Roz's blog.

$110 ($100 members) + $20 supply fee

Coptic Binding: Focus on Stitching
with Sue Bjerke
Wednesday, October 14; 6-9pm
Binding experience helpful

This session is for those who already know how to wrap covers and fold signatures.  If you've been frustrated with too little sewing time in previous workshops this approach is ideal. Start with the binding process using sets of covers and quires provided, allowing plenty of time to learn the link stitch and its options. The two-needle and four-needle binding will be executed on two books, approximately 6"x 4 1⁄2" in size.  We'll discuss how to space sewing stations, two-color sewing, options for the length of the link stitch, and various options for cover materials.

$45 ($40 members) + $25 supply fee