May is Photobook Month in the Griffin Museum! To celebrate, we have a variety of events including talks, book fairs, classes, and more! See the list below for details, and check back here for more updates!
Workshops
Book Design and Narrative with Jason Langer and Matthew Papa, May 2 @ 6:30 pm – June 27 @ 6:30 pm ONLINE COURSE, Do you have a body of work that may be ready to be published? How should your book be sequenced and designed to shape the meaning of the work? What projects or collections of photographs make for compelling and collectible photobooks? After collaborating on their award-winning book Berlin (Kerber Verlag, 2022), photographer Jason Langer and designer Matthew Papa offer an eight-week course developed to help photographers explore meaning and narrative in their work and begin designing a book maquette.
From Lens to Page: Navigating Photobook Publishing with Caleb Cain Marcus and Melanie McWhorter May 13 @ 6:30 pm – May 29 @ 6:30 pm, This five-day workshop is for advanced amateurs and experienced photographers who seek to publish a larger print run publication. The course will be part lecture/discussion and online participatory workshop primarily for those who want to work with a publisher or self-publish a title for a wider audience. Each student is highly encouraged to participate and provide feedback, commentary, and suggestions for fellow student’s projects. Publishing a photobook is a multi-step process that is in constant flux as technologies, the role of publishers, and the definition of an exceptional photobook change.
From Our Libraries: Extraordinary & Innovative Photobooks With Mary Virginia Swanson and Susan kae Grant, May 11 @ 11:00 am – 1:00 pm, Join us on ONLINE Saturday May 11th starting at 11AM Eastern / 8AM Pacific for a two hour seminar packed with information about how to imagine your book project from concept to completion through the expansive libraries of these two photo community legends.
Accordion Pocket Bookmaking with Joelle Webber May 18 @ 10:30 am – 2:30 pm, Join us, in-person, at the Griffin Museum, for some artist book fun in celebration of Book Month in May! This half day Accordion Pocket Bookmaking class is perfect for photographers, print makers, and collage artists. The Accordion Pocket Book is designed to add to a collection of 2D art, and make it into framed pocket pages, which can be displayed as a 3-dimensional artist book. Together we will create and discuss different ways to organize photo-based content into an accordion framework. This structure is also great to use as a marketing tool. All materials and tools will be provided.
The Self-Published Photobook with Karen Davis, May 22 @ 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm, In this workshop, we will review classic photobooks and the photobook landscape today. Students will be led through the process of creating a photobook and self-publishing it. The resulting photobook may be a final product, a book dummy or first iteration of a longer project. Students should come to the workshop with an idea for their book and a series of images they can use to develop their book concept. The number of images, which could range from 15 to 30 to start, will depend upon their concept. Through a series of assignments, we will work to refine ideas, edit and sequence images, identify text, make decisions about layout, design, typography and book size. We will review ways to get a photobook in print, both self-publishing and traditional publishing options. An important goal of the workshop is that by the end of five weeks, students will be ready to order a book from the vendor of your choice. For the sixth class, scheduled approximately one month later, students present their book and describe what was learned from the choices made regarding vendor and elements of the final product.
Introduction to Handmade Photobook Binding with Eliot Dudik, July 1 @ 10:00 am – July 5 @ 10:00 am, In this 5-day intensive course, we will begin with editing and sequencing techniques for the photographs you have brought with you to the Griffin Museum that represent a project you have been toying with or deeply engaged in. We will discuss strategies for approaching an edit and sequence for differing types of work that tease out meaning and/or narrative. Once we are settled on our edits and sequences, we will then discuss some basic strategies in photobook layout and design. We will design our own books in Adobe Photoshop, print our layout spreads, and learn techniques for folding and sewing our books. We will discuss various material options in photobook making and ultimately create our own intimate, cloth covered photobooks by hand. These books will be simple in structure, yet quite elegant, and are intended as an introduction to handmade photobook materials and techniques. The books made in this introductory course typically include small sequences of 10-25 images. This might mean that we are binding a portion of a larger project. Eliot also offers advanced photobook workshops and individual mentorships, to build on the skills learned in this course, and which can accommodate larger projects.
Publisher in Residence
Alexa Becker – Publisher in Residence May 7th – 9:30am – 1:30pm Eastern – The PhotoBook Project Review serve individuals who are just embarking on their creation process as well as those who have experience, a fully formed idea, book dummy or publication and are hoping to reach new audiences.
Online Artist & Publisher Conversations
What Lies Within Photo Book Talk with Artist Dale Niles, Photo Editor Barbara Griffin and Designer / Publisher, Laurie Shock May 13 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm, ONLINE, The Griffin Museum invites you to join artist Dale Niles, Photo Editor Barbara Griffin, and Designer/Publisher Laurie Shock, as they discuss the journey of transitioning the artist’s series What Lies Within from prints on the wall, to a critically acclaimed book. This book is a photographic survey of things of little concern to most people, but speaks to the way these items are meticulously cared for and put out for display giving them a new life, a new meaning, in the form of visual storytelling.
14th Annual Photobook Exhibition | Artist Talk, May 14 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm, Join us ONLINE for a conversation with the winners of our 14th Annual Photobook Exhibition. Juried by Karen Davis, Curator and Co-owner of Davis Orton Gallery and Crista Dix, Executive Director of the Griffin Museum, the 14th Annual Photobook exhibition will showcase 15-20 books in our Griffin Gallery during the summer of 2024. The call for entry will open March 1 and close March 31. Submissions will be held on CaFE. More information can be found here.
In Conversation: Kris Graves and Jon Henry | Stranger Fruit, May 15 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm, Join us ONLINE for an evening with Kris Graves and Jon Henry as they discuss their collaboration, Stranger Fruit. Learn about their collaboration and their own photographic ventures since. Reserve your spot below.Stranger Fruit has been released as a monograph through Monolith Editions/Kris Graves Projects. The first edition has sold out but the preorder for the second edition can be found here.
Skylark Editions | Kelli Connell & Melissa Ann Pinney May 22 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm Join us online for a conversation with Skylark Edition’s Kelli Connell and artist Melissa Ann Pinney, discussing their collaboration to produce In Their Own Light. Available through Skylark Edition’s website, you can purchase a copy of Pinney’s book here.
In Person Events
Photobook Fair! The Griffin is thrilled to host a photobook fair this year, celebrating the craft handmade artist books. Tables filled with creative artist made goodness will be on display Sunday May 19th starting at 11am. If you are interested in showcasing your work, contact us at the museum to reserve your spot.
Photobook Celebration featuring Henry Horenstein, May 19 @ 11:00 am – 5:00 pm, Join us IN PERSON for a Photobook Celebration and Book Fair, featuring the renowned photographer, filmmaker and educator, Henry Horenstein. From 11 AM to 2 PM, we welcome all to our book fair where artists and publishers can showcase and sell their books. Click here to secure your table for only $75 to share and sign your photobooks with fellow enthusiasts. The highlight of the day unfolds from 3 PM to 5 PM, as Henry Horenstein will share insights into his prolific career and the captivating world of photography. We will cap the lecture at 50 people. To secure a spot, RSVP on the event webpage.
Previous Events this year
Let’s Talk Photobooks, with Melanie McWhorter and Caleb Cain Marcus, March 6 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm ONLINE, Book designer Caleb Cain Marcus and photobook consultant Melanie McWhorter have partnered for a pre-workshop discussion to give a brief overview of their experience in the field of photobook publishing. Both speakers will present 1-2 case studies of past project and through these projects provided some brief insight into the varied ways to produce a photobook and the often highly collaborative process from design to financing, and production to marketing a photobook, and more. This will be a rich discussion packed with information on photobook publishing in lively 1.5 hour session. After the presentations, Caleb and Melanie will be open to a moderated Q&A session and offer an opportunity for the participants questions.
