Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Beyond a shelf life

Altered Books exhibition to open at The Community Library

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By SABINA DANA PLASSE
Express Staff Writer

“Flights of Fancy” by Bob Dix is an altered-book creation inspired from a Japanese romance novelette. Courtesy photo

Giving new life to old and discarded books, the Altered Books exhibition is a creative show that features the transformation of dog-eared and tattered books into works of art. More than 20 artists have created works inspired by personal experiences, the poet Rumi and Christmas books, to name a few.

"People surprise you," said Altered Books exhibition organizer Gay Weake. "We will have works by a Pilates instructor, a quilter, teachers, artists and people who are excited by a fun, creative process."

The Altered Books exhibition will open on Tuesday, Sept. 7, from 6-8 p.m. at The Community Library in Ketchum. The show will remain on display throughout the library through Friday, Oct. 8.

"Some of the works will be for sale and the artists have agreed to give all or a portion of the proceeds to the library," Weake said. "The show is not a fundraiser. Its mission is to get people into the library and convey ideas."

Weake said the Goldmine in Ketchum and the Barkin' Basement Thrift Store in Hailey have been wonderful resources for discarded books.

"Some people are inspired by the title of books and others are satisfied by shredding the pages of books they don't like," Weake said. "People are out there having fun and being whimsical. They are seeing art where there were just pages."

Last year's show was a success. Weake said The Community Library had people come to see the altered books who had never been in the library before. She said parents brought children and artists received positive feedback.

"It was fun to convince people they can do this," Weake said. "It's a fun project to do with very gratifying results."

Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com

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