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Sara Smith-Katz ’07 (Stroudsburg, Pa.) certainly does not judge a book by its cover – she takes into consideration everything a book encompasses.
Smith-Katz, an art major, is studying the history of book arts and exploring book art forms to learn how to create her own artist books.
She is collaborating with Curlee Raven Holton, professor and head of art and founding director of the Experimental Printmaking Institute (EPI), through Lafayette’s distinctive EXCEL Scholars program, in which students conduct research with faculty while earning a stipend. The program has helped to make Lafayette a national leader in undergraduate research. Many of the more than 160 students who participate each year share their work through articles in academic journals and/or conference presentations.
Book arts are different than traditional books. Many book artists view them as a sculptural method for storing and sharing information. More than text, they are visual images with unfolding pages, sequences of ideas, unusual bindings, and molded cases.
Smith-Katz explains that her project has three distinct elements.
“The first part is studying the history of book arts,” she says. “I have been doing this by reading from published book artists such as Ed Hutchins and Johanna Drucker. I also have been learning about some of the contemporary forms of book arts. The second part is exploring the book art forms and learning techniques to create these forms. The third part is to integrate the knowledge that I have gleaned with self expression to create my own artist books.”
Holton believes the project is an innovative foray into an unusual art form.
“She is doing her [project] with a focus on book arts and curatorial concerns related to presenting art objects, especially one-of-a-kind artist books,” he says. “It mainly deals with new and unusual art forms that combine multi-disciplinary skills such as printmaking, design, construction, and engineering.”
Smith-Katz enjoys taking on a project that few others have examined thoroughly and looks forward to creating her own work of art. She plans not only to have a better understanding of the unique art form, but also to produce a one-of-a-kind book.
“I find this form of expression unique in that it can combine many mediums into one form of art,” she says. “An in-depth knowledge of this art form will allow me to produce my own artist books using the forms and content that I feel passionately about.”
Previously, Smith-Katz traveled to San Pedro, Costa Rica, with Holton to serve as student curator of the More Than A Book exhibition at the Centro Cultural Costarricense-Norteamericano (Costa Rican-American Cultural Center). She helped with the installation of two galleries of handmade books.
She also has collaborated with various visiting artists at EPI, assisting with special projects they completed on campus. She worked as an EXCEL Scholar with Rolando Rojas to produce a large-format seriograph, and assisted Duncan Bullen with his creation of a unique artist book.
Holton has mentored many Lafayette students in printmaking, bookmaking, drawing, and painting. Since he founded EPI in 1996, it has provided an open and creative environment for professional artists and students to create new bodies of work while investigating and experimenting with a wide variety of approaches to the print medium. As part of the Community of Scholars program, he oversaw the completion of a mural three students created for installation in Farinon College Center. He has participated in several residencies and special projects and has served as curator for a dozen exhibitions. He is the author of Faith Ringgold: A View from the Studio, a book published in conjunction with an exhibition of Ringgold’s art at Allentown Art Museum. He also has had etchings selected for inclusion in the collections of the Library of Congress and Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
As a national leader in undergraduate research, Lafayette sends one of the largest contingents to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research each year. Forty students were accepted to present their research at this year’s conference.