Book Art Members’ Exhibition

Friday (6/10) 6-9pm at WNYBAC, 468 Washington Street

What is book art? It is when an artist brings a new meaning and/or face to an old book through manipulating the pages so their spines can be thumbed forever. No book ever dies on the shelves of WNYBAC. Some works currently displayed for viewing and purchase include origami, small pieces of paper manipulated into beautiful 3D objects; origami books in which every page is carefully folded in order to design a word or image popping out of the book; book sculptures, bringing classic books and vary tales to life through sculpting 3D scenes; and hand-bound notebooks, collages and unique literary-inspired jewelry.

The artists’ interpretation of a book and “book art” varies drastically. That’s the fun in it! Seeing that every artist construes the word differently, WNYBAC now has a wide, unique exhibition. However, not every piece is book-related. The exhibition will also include paintings, lithographs and other mediums.

On Friday (6/10), come to the opening reception at WNY Book Arts Center, 468 Washington Street, for a members’ exhibition. This is the 7th annual exhibition supporting Buffalo’s local artists. WNYBAC currently displays a wide variety of book art, artists’ books and other unique book-related pieces. Over 60 artists will be represented this month. The exhibition runs through August 15 and is free and open to the public.

Not a member of WNYBAC? To become on and/or check the status of your membership, email rosemary@wnybookarts.org or call WNYBAC at 348-1430 during store hours, Wednesday-Saturday, 12-6pm. As a 501(c)3 non-profit educational institution, membership is one of their sources for funding programs and events, and it is crucial to the success of their potential ad growth. In addition to individual memberships, they offer family, corporate, institutional, and lifetime memberships. Membership is valid for one calendar year and offers a lot of great perks. These benefits include a 20 percent discount on workshops and merchandise in the store and satisfaction in the knowledge that you have helped cultivate the book arts in Western New York.

Just Buffalo Spotlight on Youth and Workshops

Just Buffalo Writing Center, 468 Washington St.

Spotlight on Youth (SOY) is a Coffee House/Open Mic series held on the third Wednesday of every other month from 6:15-8 pm. It gives young people ages 12-21 the opportunity to share and develop their talents in front of a live and supportive audience. Youth can perform or share any kind of creative work—poetry, music, rap, visual art, dance, spoken word—as long as the content is respectful. This allows them to be themselves.

Each open-mic is held at Just Buffalo Literary Center (468 Washington St. @ Mohawk St.) No advance registration is required and all young people 12-21 are welcome. A sign-up sheet is passed around for those interested in performing.

Just Buffalo is dedicated to contributing to the success and growth of children and young adults. They also offer a wide variety of workshops. Upcoming events include:

Visual Poetry & Film | Working with a local video artist, students will explore their urban landscape for texts and images. Using video editing software they will weave these collections into free form visual poems. Taught by Artist & Filmmaker: Liz Bayan at Just Buffalo Writing Center 4:30—5:30 on July 7th & 9th.

Playwriting Made Easy | This ongoing workshop will help students find an interesting subject to write about, and create a character they will be excited and eager to explore on paper. The workshop will also help students organize their ideas and finally begin writing! Taught by Playwright: Bella Poynton at Just Buffalo Writing Center 4:30-5:30 on July 14th & 16th.

Not Just A Youth Poetry Reading | During this workshop, participants will prepare for the Not Just A Youth Poetry Reading event that the JBWC is hosting as part of this summer’s Infringement Fest. Youth will explore how to present a poem using multimedia, visual art, sounds/music, and audience interaction. The workshop will culminate in the Not Just A Youth Poetry Reading event, which will be free, open to the public, and feature poetic performances by participants and other local writers ages 20 and under. Taught by JBWC Coordinator & Poet: Robin Jordan at Just Buffalo Writing Center at 4:30—5:30 on July 21st & 23rd.

Registering your youth will allow them to make friends and keep them excited to grow during the summer months. All workshops are FREE, aimed at young writers aged 12-18, and limited to 12 participants. Register online at Justbuffalo.org.